The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to create a unit that will positively exploit the intellects of youth caught committing financial crimes.
He said the unit should also seek to explore the wisdom, ingenuity and brilliance of such youths positively to fight financial and economic crimes in the country.
The First Class monarch gave the advice while playing host to the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu who paid him a courtesy call in his Ile Odua, Ife, palace.
Magu was represented by the Ibadan Zonal Head of the anti-graft agency, Mr Friday Ebelo who was accompanied by top officials of the commission.
Appreciating the visitors on the initiative of paying courtesy call on critical stakeholders, particularly traditional rulers, the Ooni noted that if the commission can up its game in changing the get-rich-quick mentality of the youths, it would help the EFCC and the nation as a whole to spend less in combating crimes.
Urging the team of visitors to be politically neutral in the discharge of their duties, Oba Ogunwusi reiterated that the goodwill and integrity enjoyed by the commission, as the hope for the oppressed and downtrodden in both the public and private must not be taken for granted.
He said “It is unlike the EFCC to pay a courtesy visit. This is a wonderful development to form a sane society for the generation yet unborn and that something good can come from our country. The EFCC is the only hope for the downtrodden and oppressed both on the public and private sector and we will continue to pray for you as a Co-Chairman of the traditional rulers’ council of Nigeria alongside the Sultan of Sokoto.
“We are doing our very best to have a crime-free society. I can assure you that we will continue to work together for Nigeria to be a better country. Today, you have honoured me with your visit to my palace, and I will assure you that we will work together to ensure that our country is a better place even for the generation unborn.
“We have had many presidents and many chairmen of EFCC that have gone, but we will always have one country, and that is the Nigeria that we still have. Your approach is good and you have developed goodwill to do well. You have sanitised and cleaned the private and public sector. But my advice is that, don’t be one-sided. You should be known as a neutral body. Don’t let any politician push you. Do what is right because politicians will come and go but EFCC will still be there.
“I will also advise the EFCC to always look at things in a pragmatic manner. Once the youths are arrested, there are positive ways their thoughts can be redirected. There are many ways you can redirect the bad things on the mind and bring out the good ones because many of them are even ignorant of what they are doing.
“You should have a unit to see how to develop the brains of those engaging in financial crimes and redirect it and use the same to block others from committing the same crime. Use them as anti-venom anytime they are apprehended, especially as to how they were able to carry out successful operations.
“Each and every staff of the EFCC should know that it is very important to lead by examples. Let us encourage our youths with such advocacy that you are doing now for them to put behind them the bad intentions that they may have.”
Speaking earlier on the purpose of the visit, Mr Ebelo said it is the directive and initiative of the EFCC Acting Chairman, Mr Magu to solicit the support of the traditional ruler in the campaign against financial and economic crimes.
Assuring the monarch of the visit of his boss later, the EFCC Ibadan Zonal Head said the commission is aware of the significant roles the traditional institutions among others have to play to ensure victory in the anti-graft war.
Source: The Nation
