From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
A support group, the All Progressives Congress National Youth Advocates (APC-NYA), has expressed displeasure over the involvement of some Nigerian youths in cybercrime activity that damages the image and reputation of the country.
The group charged the youths to desist from cybercrime, saying it has created a difficult business environment for start-ups and has discouraged investment in the economy by foreign companies.
The National President APC National Youth Advocates, Mr Timothy Nwachukwu, in a statement commended the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, for taking the campaign against online criminal related activities to Students of Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja at the official flag-off of the campaign against social vices on campuses organised by National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS).
The EFCC chairman had called on Nigerian students to take ownership of the fight against corruption and channel their potentials positively for the good of the country by shunning all forms of cybercrimes, urging them to embrace the virtue of hard work and contentment.
Nwachukwu stated that cybercrime has brought up emergency millionaires and billionaires in the nation’s economic system which he said was injurious to our economic growth as most of such funds acquired illegally are not been used productively to promote the economy.
‘The cybercrime has created an image nightmare for Nigeria as most scam e-mails are thought to originate from Nigeria or Nigerians which is actually not the case. It has also earned her a spot in the present ranking in Transparency International where Nigeria is being listed as one of the most corrupt nations in the world.
‘Cybercrime threatens foreign investment in our country, it misrepresents us among other nations, It stigmatised our genuine businessmen and women as they face certain barriers when carrying out legitimate businesses. The majority of the businessmen and women go through a strenuous screening before foreigners would eventually agree to transact business with them.’
APC National Youth Advocates however called for the revitalization and strengthening of the national orientation agency with a mandate on value re-orientation, equity, fairness and social justice in the international community as well as collaborative efforts between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), EFCC, police and the private sector towards curbing the menace of cybercrime in Nigeria.