The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa has presented awards to three winners of the 2021 EFCC Essay competition titled: “How to Fight Economic and Financial Crimes to Make Nigeria Great.”
The winners, Ehizogie Iyeomoan, an undergraduate student of Law at the Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma, Edo State; Omtoso Abiola Sodiq, an Engineering student of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State and Zeenat Magaji an undergraduate of Cyber Security at the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, who emerged first, second and third best winner respectively, were among the over 5000 entries received by the Commission.
The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa who lavished encomiums on the winners for distinguishing themselves in the service of the country, admonished other youths to tow the path of honour rather than crime by making Nigeria Great.
“We encourage you not only to serve as role models but change agents by shunning all acts of corruption and economic crimes.
“It is no use lamenting that things are not right with our country. We are inviting you to invite others to lend a hand in helping us build a society”, he said.
While assuring that the Commission will painstakingly look into the suggestions as contained in the winning essays, the EFCC Chairman advised the winners to be good ambassadors of the Commission.
Bawa also commended the judges for a job well done for being able to arrive at the selection of winners from the over 5000 entries. The EFCC Boss promised to institutionalize the essay competition as an annual event to enable other Nigerians to lend their voices to the anti-graft fight.
The five eminent Nigerians from the academia and the media who were carefully selected to screen and assess the over five thousand entries submitted were: Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, Dean, Faculty of Mass Communication, Baze University, Abuja.
Others were Dr. Amina Salihu, Senior Programme Officer, MacArthur Foundation, Abuja; Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator, African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) Abuja; Mrs. Maupe-Ogun-Yusuf, Editor, Channels TV, Abuja and Mr. Ade Adesomoju, Head, Anti-corruption, Human Rights & Judiciary Desk, Premium Times.