An Anti- Corruption crusader and Deputy Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic justice, ANEEJ, Mr Leo Atakpu, has appealed to the Youths to join in the fight against Corruption.
Mr Atakpu made the appeal in a chat with Radio Nigeria while commenting on the 2025 International Anti – Corruption Day in Benin City, the Edo state Capital.
The ANEEJ Deputy Executive Director who appreciated the United Nations for the day, said Corruption has been a cankerworm bedeviling the economic development of Nigeria.
”Corruption is a great problem in Nigeria, a big challenge that every body can feel , that is a challenge in this country, this country is bedeviled by both grand and petty corruption in any way you want to run the assessment. Nigeria is not where she should be today, largely due to corruption, even the current insecurity that Nigeria is facing today can be directly or indirectly linked to corruption because people have access to finance that they should not have. Criminal gangs now have access to finance to finance terrorism, to finance bandatry and all kinds of criminal activities going on, that are trecable to corruption. We are practically suffering under the yoke of corruption.
He stated that although the Federal Government and various stakeholders including the civil society are fighting against corruption, there was need for the Youths to join in the fight against corruption.
“The Youths need to come out, join in the force against corruption, by identifying with anticorruption efforts and enlisting in anticorruption war and fight against corruption because if they do not join the campaign against corruption, then it means there future will be doomed “.
Mr Atakpu who noted that the current anti- Corruption fight was achieving some results following Nigeria exit from the grey lists of FATAF , a global body that rates the risks associated with the financial management of the national level appealed to the Government to go after those who collect public Money for private use.
“The way to deal with corruption in Nigeria, to shut corruption down, is to go after those who collect public money for private use, because We still see a situation where the effort of the government is not providing enough deterrence for corrupt public officials, particularly those involved in the grand corruption.”
