Entertainers will respect Naira when corrupt politicians are punished – Deyemi Okanlawon

Actor Deyemi Okanlawon has expressed mixed feelings about the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s crackdown on naira abuse.

During interview with Nollywood On Radio, he acknowledges the importance of respecting the naira as a national symbol, he questions the EFCC’s priorities, noting that high-level corruption seems to be overlooked while entertainers are targeted for practices like money spraying.

Okanlawon argues that if the EFCC consistently tackled corruption among officials and organizations, their moral authority would be stronger, making it easier for the public to support actions against cultural practices.

He cited examples of entertainers like Bobrisky, Cubana Chiefpriest, and others who were arrested or invited by the EFCC for naira-related offenses.

He said; “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.

“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,”

“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”