Activities to mark this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day kicked off at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Academy, Karu, Abuja, on Tuesday November 21, 2017 with the Annual School Debates.

 
Of the eight schools invited, seven turned up.They are Roberto Secondary school, Wuse 2; Aduvie International School, Jabi; Funtaj International School, Apo; Starville School, Gwarimpa; Lavogue International School, Karu; Olumawu School, Wuse 2 and Shining Star College, Kubwa, all in Abuja.
 
Students from the participating schools debated the topics - “Poverty Fuels Corruption More Than Greed”, and “Preventing Corruption from Happening is More Effective than Arrest and Prosecution of Offenders”.
 
During arguments for and against the topics at the knock out session, the students described corruption as a menace that negatively affects the socio-economic well being of the people. They called for more proactive measures to be taken in tackling it.
 
Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman of the EFCC, while speaking through Zainab Bello Tifi, Desk Officer, EFCC Integrity Club, reiterated the Commission’s resolve to vigorously enforce its mandate alongside preventive initiatives with a view to effectively tackle corruption in Nigeria.
 
He identified the role of the youths as strategic to winning the war against graft, while stressing the need to give children a platform to share their thoughts about corruption and what could be done to tame it.
 
"It is important to nip the tree of corruption at the bud by catching them young”, he said.
 
The event is a build up to the grand event coming up at the Musa Yar’Adua Center, Abuja on December 11, 2017.
According to Tifi, there are about twenty two other agencies actively involved in the planning and execution of the activities to commemorate the International Anti-Corruption Day.
 
Also speaking, Jane Onwumere, of the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms, TUGAR, which is the secretariat for the Inter-Agency Task Team of Anti-Corruption Agencies, said that the debate competition is an annual event organized by the Inter-Agency Task Team to commemorate the Anti- Corruption day.
 
While noting that this year’s December 9 fell on a Saturday, Onwumere invited the schools to be present at the debate finale which would hold on December 11, 2017 at the Yar’dua Center, Abuja.