Peter Obi Blames Bad Leadership as EFCC Boss Laments Student Fraud
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has described as deeply troubling the recent statement by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that six out of every ten Nigerian university students are involved in fraud. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Obi emphasized that this revelation must not be taken lightly, as it points to a systemic and moral failure in the country.
Obi noted that Nigeria already has a limited number of students in higher institutions, estimated at between 2 and 2.5 million. He stated, “If indeed about 60 per cent of them, roughly 1.4 million young people, are involved in fraud, then we are not just facing a crime issue; we are confronting a serious moral and systemic failure. The question we must ask ourselves is: what has brought us to this level? Who are the role models these students are looking up to? What values are they learning from society?”
The former presidential candidate urged the public to understand that young people become what they consistently see. He stressed that when a system appears to reward wrongdoing, when integrity is not upheld, and when those in leadership are associated with allegations of forgery and dishonesty without consequence, it sends a dangerous message. According to Obi, this suggests that hard work does not matter and that results, by any means, are acceptable.
“These points clearly point to a collapse of moral values,” Obi said. He called on the country to examine itself, warning against condemning young people while highlighting that leadership sets the tone. “If we do not demonstrate integrity at the top, we cannot expect it at the bottom,” he added.
Obi concluded by urging urgent action to rebuild the value system, enforce accountability without bias, and create an environment where honesty, hard work, and discipline are rewarded. “That is the only sustainable path to securing the future of our nation,” he said.
