Nigerian youths should support the crusade against corruption in the country, the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Grace Akpabio, has charged.
Akpabio threw the challenge while featuring on a live radio programme on Breeze 91.9 FM in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
On the programme, Corpers Time-out, Akpabio said that majority of Nigerian youths were indulging in sharp practices injurious to the growth of the economy.
She lambasted youths who rather than wait for God’s appointed time to be celebrated resorted to engaging in criminal activities such as cyber crimes, impersonation, record falsification and forgery to acquire material things.
NYSC boss decried the attitude of some parents who are supposed to be mentors and role models to their children but remained a bad influence on them.
“It is most unfortunate that some parents who are supposed to be seen as role models and mirrors of the society are the ones encouraging their children and wards to misbehave.
“How on earth would some parents pay huge sums of money to officials in order to assist their children write or pass examinations or forge documents to enable them have undue advantage over those whose records and documents are genuine.”
She admonished the youths to learn good virtues from Nigerian statesmen like late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who placed nationalism and integrity above and beyond personal consideration.
“The war against corruption is a collective one and all hands must be on deck to fight the scourge to a standstill. As youths, you have greater responsibilities to change the narrative and make the country great again.”
The NYSC administrator in Ondo State appealed to corps members to leave a lasting legacy that would outlive them by embarking on life touching projects in their various communities.
“To be a respected leader in the society transcends doling money or other valuable materials to people when you can afford to do so but denying yourself comfort when you are nobody to put smiles on their faces.
“We should all remember the late Umar Musa Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, both ex-Presidents who made marks during their service year and impacted positively on their host communities.”
Akpabio was however confident that given the right mentoring and leadership tutelage, the youths of Nigeria would break the many barriers that had been giving the country bad name and negative image in the comity of nations.
She called on those that would be leaving the service very soon to imbibe the culture of investing in their future by continuing with the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, programme they were exposed to during the service year.
