Deyemi Okanlawon, a Nollywood star, has commented on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s ongoing efforts to curb naira abuse.
The movie actor acknowledged the significance of the EFCC’s action while questioning its focus, particularly in light of Nigeria’s ongoing battles with high-level corruption, in an interview with Nollywood On Radio.
“Two things, I think that because something is cultural does not make it right. We have a culture that does not really emphasise on maintenance of things,” Deyemi Okanlawon said.
Comparing the treatment of the naira to the general societal neglect for preservation, he said:
“We have seen how things are built and we do not maintain it so we continue in that light…They are saying have respect for the naira, have respect for your country, maybe that is the way to do it. But the second thing is that I also think there are so many issues with corruption and crime going on in the country across different segments of people.”
However, Deyemi Okanlawon pointed out that the EFCC’s emphasis on prosecuting celebrities and entertainers for spraying money feels “a bit too much” given Nigeria’s pressing corruption challenges.
“So this move by the agency to come against entertainers is a bit too much in the light of everything else that we are trying to deal with.”
“If every day we hear about corrupt officials, politicians, or organisations being brought down by the agency, we’d be more likely to trust that they’re acting in our best interest. Then, if they ask us to stop something like spraying money, we’d likely obey without question because we’d trust that the agency has the moral right to make such requests.”
Recall that entertainers like Bobrisky and Cubana Chiefpriest were arrested and tried for naira mutilation whereas Iyabo Ojo, AY Makun and other celebrotoes were invited by the EFCC because they sprayed money at events.
