Frontline comedians in Abuja on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 lent their voices against cybercrimes in the society.
This took place when they visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), headquarters in support of the anti-graft agency’s enlightenment and preventive campaigns against the scourge. The comedians, Mc Tagwaye, Ambassador Wahala and Chuks D General in an interactive session noted that some players in the entertainment industry are misleading the youth into cybercrimes through display of ostentatious lifestyles and unedifying contents they make available to the public.
“We are pastors over unknown audiences, who are religiously looking up to us as entertainers. There is need to be cautious of our contents and lifestyles so as not to mislead the general public into cybercrime,” Chuks D General said.
Ambassador Wahala observed that, “Role models in the entertainment industry are not telling their audience the true story behind their success. A lot of their followers are not seeing the work involved; they are misled by what they see and a lot of them are anxious to make it like these celebrities, they end up toeing the path of cybercrime as a quick access to making it to the top.”
He noted that comedians can aid the fight against cybercrime and corruption by developing contents that will speak to the conscience of the youth on the dangers of life on the fast lane.
“Entertainers can join hands with the Commission by taking the message down to the youths,” he said. While urging Nigerian youth to cooperate with the Commission by staying away from cybercrimes and embrace decent sources of livelihood, they commended the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu for his determination and passion to completely rid the country of corruption and for the successes so far recorded in the fight by the Commission.
They individually recounted the stories of their humble beginnings and the rocky road to stardom, paved by hard work and perseverance.
“I was a class room teacher for so many years in a remote school. I applied to many government institutions but no luck, before I discovered my passion for comedy. The breakthrough came when I started mimicking the president. Now I am recognized across the country and beyond as the comic version of the president. Nothing is impossible in life. If I can make it, you can,” Mc Tagwaye said.