NAN-H-51
Youths
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Oct. 18, 2017 (NAN) Mr Idris Goga, the National Coordinator, Northern Youth Anti-Corruption Ambassadors (NYACA), on Wednesday condemned every form of corrupt practices in the country.
Goga made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said that it had been generally recognised that one of the greatest challenges facing Nigeria and indeed Africa was corruption by the leaders.
He said that another challenge was lack of leaders that the people could identify and who could inspire the youths to great heights.
“We have noted with sadness that the pervasive nature of poverty in all nooks and crannies is a product of endemic corruption which has eaten very deep into the economic and social fabric of our country.
“It is sad that 57 years after independence, Nigeria still lacks a leadership culture.
“Almajiris are induced by lack of basic education in a section of the country that is growing unabated and lack of employment opportunities as well as the development of relative skills of our youth in the Niger Delta have made them ready tools for militancy,’’ he said.
Goga said that Nigeria could not expect to eradicate corruption by promoting and hailing ostentatious lifestyles.
“We appeal to all Nigerians to join forces with all anti-corruption agencies to condemn corrupt practices in all ramifications and totally support the government in prosecuting a sincere and purposeful war against corruption.
“Although, the current administration has been making efforts to reinvigorate the war against corruption in line with the change mantra.
“We are convinced that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration appreciates the very negative effects of corruption on the socio-economic and political development of the nation,’’ he said.
Goga said that youths had significant roles to play in the development of the society they found themselves in.
“We the youths have roles to play in nation building; and until those roles are properly recognised in Nigeria, the youths will be vulnerable to social vices.’’
“Building a nation without the youths being carried along is not possible.
“It is indeed our goal for Nigeria to key into the re-awakening of terminating bad services from our system and to encourage Nigerian youths to demand good services at all time.
“The economic recession is a global phenomenon but what made that of Nigeria so pronounced is not farfetched; it is corruption and economic development can only be possible when youth empowerment and good governance are firmly rooted.
“And also agriculture and industrialisation can guarantee job creation, poverty reduction, food security and reduce importation as well as over dependence on foreign economy,’’ he said.
NYACA is a non-profit organisation set up to equip generations of young people with values to become leaders that will serve as catalyst for improvement of the quality of life in the society. (NAN)
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Edited by Grace Yussuf