By Olawale Lamina
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN has called on members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit, ACTU, of various Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs, to be models of integrity and accountability in the course of discharging their duties as anti-corruption ambassadors.
The ICPC Chairman stated this on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the Workshop on “Promoting Accountability and Transparency in MDAs through Effective Budget Tracking” at the Commission’s Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria ,ACAN, Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Dr. Aliyu, represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clifford Oparaodu noted that combating corruption required a multi-pronged approach, hence the need for anti-corruption ambassadors to be above board at all times.
He challenged ACTU members whom he regarded as the ears and eyes of the ICPC in their various MDAs to endeavour carry out preliminary investigations into petitions and complaints on corruption received within their organizations and enlighten their colleagues and staff members on the ills of corruption, as well as implementation of compliance scorecard in their various MDAs. He stressed that this must also include conducting system study and review, as well as corruption risk assessment within their MDAs.
Dr. Aliyu urged ACTU members to engage in discussions, exchange ideas, share experiences, and rub minds to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills needed for effective tracking of budget implementation in their various MDAs.
He noted that transparent and accountable budgetary process in the public service cannot be overemphasized,while informing that ICPC had conducted analyses of the national budget to excavate corrupt practices embedded within it and such has been helpful in guiding the Commission’s Constituency and Executive Projects Monitoring and Tracking exercise.
These exercises, he noted, had helped in the suspension of releases of fraudulent allocations and the development of strategic anti-corruption advisory to policymakers, stressing that the Commission had recovered several billions of naira back into the coffers of the Federal Government.
He further urged, the ACTU members to work alongside the Commission, as a unified force against corruption in order to bring about the much-needed national development.
On his part, Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria ,ACAN, Professor Olatunde Babawale, informed participants that the Academy organizes two workshops annually, for members of ACTUs; one in June and the other in November.
He stated that the training was designed to help in the continuous capacity building of ACTU in tackling corruption in their respective organisations.
He further said that the Academy is guided by the conviction that corruption and related crimes can be controlled and managed through a system of training and re-training, capable of producing sound anti-corruption policies, operational efficiency, and good management culture.
He further pointed it out that the workshop offers an opportunity for the participants to develop their capacity and sharpen their skills to identify sharp practices in the budgetary process in their MDAs.
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