EFCC seeks support of tertiary institutions

The Zonal Commander, Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Michael Nzekwe, has called on the academia to support the commission in its efforts at nipping the menace of internet fraud in the bud.

Nzekwe, who decried the rising cases of internet fraud in tertiary institutions in Kwara, said this during an interactive session with heads of the institutions on Friday in Ilorin.

He said the meeting was aimed at focusing on the causes of corruption and its effects on students and the institutions as well as the larger society.

The commander said that the commission could achieve the task of ridding the country of corruption if every institution gets involved and actively participates in the fight against the menace.

“Our universities must endeavour to change the current negative narrative regarding the quality of education in Nigeria.

“We at EFCC are passionate about engendering discipline, honesty, hard work, accountability and transparency through our proactive mechanism of checkmating corruption.

“We will remain antagonistic against fraud and every form of corruption in our institutions,” he said.

Nzekwe intimated participants of the ongoing efforts by the Chairman of EFCC, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, at ensuring that anti-corruption courses were incorporated into the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education curriculum.

Prof. Olubunmi Omotesho, who represented the Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, appreciated the giant strides of the commission in its efforts at ensuring probity and transparency in the private and public sectors of the state.

He urged the commission to develop a database where details of convicted persons could be found, saying such a database will assist the decisions of the school authorities on convicted persons.

Also speaking, the Rector of Kwara State Polytechnic, Dr Abdul Jimoh, commended the initiative of the EFCC in bringing heads of tertiary institutions together on a round table to discuss issues of corruption as it affected their various institutions.

He said Kwara Polytechnic had already made it a policy that it would no longer offer admission to applicants who have been convicted over one crime or the other.

On his part, the Deputy Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Dr Salimonu Ishaq, said that the institution was ready to collaborate with the commission while urging it not to be deterred as corruption will always fight back.

The Deputy Provost, Kwara State College of Education, Oro, Dr Adewunmi Idowu, and the Acting Provost, Muyideen College of Education, Ilorin, Alhaji Hamzat Nurudeen, in their separate remarks, called for the sustainability of the engagement.

They appealed for support for the good work of the EFCC for a better Nigeria and charged the commission to focus more on its preventive measures rather than being reactive.

NAN