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Tag: corruption

  • Transparency International report not setback, says Osinbajo

    Transparency International report not setback, says Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday said the latest corruption perception index released by Transparency International should not in any way be seen as a setback for the country.

    According to him, it is an opportunity to continue building on the many successes that have already been recorded by the Muhammadu Buhari led administration in all the key sectors.

    He spoke on the theme: “The imperative of cooperation of arms of government in a democratic dispensation”, at the Dialogue of Organs of Government on Reform of Justice Sector and Campaign Against corruption, jointly organized by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption and Federal Ministry of Justice.

    Osinbajo, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye, insisted the administration is recording progress in the fight against corruption, noting that perception may indeed lag behind reality.

    He said: “This dialogue couldn’t have come at a better time because only recently, Transparency International released a report suggesting that Nigerian declined in the perception index for reasons which I will discuss shortly.

    “We are firmly of the view that real progress is being achieved in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, and perception may indeed lag behind reality. But as the saying goes, perception is sometimes stronger than reality, so we have to keep up the good fight, until the full effect of our efforts can be clearly seen and perceived.

    “In that regard, the ranking of Nigeria by the 2017 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, released on February 21st, 2018, should not in any way be seen as a setback but rather as an opportunity to continue building on the many successes that have already been recorded by this government in all the key sectors.

    “It is also important to note that the main reason for Nigeria’s decline in the Transparency International 2017 Corruption Perception Index, is that Nigeria recorded a major drop in score on just one out of the nine international recognized indexes used by Transparency International, to ascertain perceived levels of public sector corruption from the perspective of experts and business people.

    “So the drop recorded was in just one out of the nine recognized indexes. The index in question scored Nigeria low on the economy intelligence unit country’s risk service with the decline from 37 points to 20. This is an index that analysis the risks of financial exposure in countries.

    “The question to be asked then is what changed so dramatically between 2016 and 2017? As we speak, the budget for 2018 is under public scrutiny at the National Assembly, the allocation and use of public funds is guided by the budget and represents one of the key areas of consultations and interaction between the two arms of government that is the executive and legislature.

    “The endless number of probes and the use of public funds going on both within the executive and the legislative arms, underscores the transparency of this government and its intention to ensure that funds are used for public purposes.

    “What sets Buhari’s leadership apart from others, is the prudent and transparent management of national resources. Thus, despite up to 60 percent drop in revenue, we have by stopping grand corruption, make highest capital spend in the history of Nigeria, in the sum of N1.3 trillion in 2017.

    “We have for the first time taken on the game changing infrastructure projects. So we are today building the Lagos-Kano standard gauge rail line beginning with the Lagos Ibadan segment. We are also building after 40 years, the Mambila Hydro Project, construction of the second Niger Bridge is ongoing daily, we have signed up for the Lagos-Calabar rail project, we are daily increasing power supply and once we conclude some strategic transmission project, we will see a truly significant and appreciable improvement in domestic and industrial power supply in Nigeria.

    “Also this government has given more to support the state governments than any other government since 1999. As of September2017, total support from excess crude account loan and budget support facility, excluding now the Paris Club refund, is in the order of N873.3 billion. If we add the Paris club refund, we would have disbursed N1.91 trillion to the states outside of their monthly allocations.

    “This government should be applauded for exercising restraint and discipline in its appointment of public servants. The number of appointed public servants pales in comparison to the number of civil servants. The process of appointing public servants is also guided strictly by legislature.

    “This, the assessment of Transparency International inquiry into whether or not there is a professional civil service and whether large number of officials are directly appointed by government should have taken this into consideration.” he said.

    Osinbajo also said that the three arms of government will have to cooperate to be able to maintain a workable institution.

    He said, “And when this cooperation happens, it strengthens the democratic process, promote good governance and responsible leadership, promotes transparency and accountability in governance, assist the executive to be focused and committed to delivering good governance to the citizens and helps the legislature to make efficient laws that will promote good governance and curb corruption.”

    The Chairman of PACAC, Prof. Itse Sagay, said paying lip service to the fight against corruption ridicules the whole exercise.

    He said, “Fighting corruption cannot be lip service. You cannot be corrupt and be talking against corruption; it ridicules the whole exercise and the spirit of that struggle.

    “And so we should purge ourselves of corruption so that we can stand on firm ground to speak. Some might have been corrupt in the past but if you purge yourselves then you are welcome. It ridicules the whole process when we see people waxing lyrical on anti-corruption whereas behind them, they have huge load of assets and other things which they corruptly acquired.

    “So, collaboration and cooperation is essential because we need each other in order to succeed. But I think I will rather work alone than work with a corrupt person who is not sincere and is just making a fool of the whole country whilst preaching like a pastor about corruption,” he stated.

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  • Corruption still high in Nigeria, claim Agbakoba, others

    Some Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SANs) have said corruption is still prevalent in the country despite the government’s effort to tackle the malaise.

    They agreed with the corruption index released by global watchdog Transparency International (TI) that corruption was still high in the country.

    The respondents include former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Layi Babatunde (SAN), Sylva Ogwemoh (SAN) and Vice President of the NBA, Monday Ubani.

    While Nigeria scored 27/100 and was ranked 136th in 2016, the latest Corruption Perception lndex (CPI) scores Nigeria 28/100 out of 180 countries surveyed.

    Agbakoba argued that corruption was still very much in the country.

    He said: “Transparency International is very correct as corruption remains rife and the agencies charged with this responsibility are not fund well.”

    Babatunde said the perception of TI on corruption in Nigeria could be very dangerous.

    He said it could become an impediment, if not properly managed.

    “For the anti-corruption war to achieve greater success, the drive must evolve and progress rapidly, from being  just a campaign  by government, to becoming a way of life of Nigerians.

    “It must be internalised by the citizens. That way, we will grow to abhor it, without regard to tribe or religion or whichever government or who is in power. It won’t matter whether or not your father  or uncle or townsman or kinsman is president or IGP.

    He argued that Nigeria is still at a stage where the ‘war’ was being  seen from  perspectives of tribe and religion and that leads to complications and accusations, especially if perceived as ‘the government war against its enemies ‘instead of being a ‘war’ against enemies of our collective well-being.

    ‘’Perception, as we know, can be dangerous and can be an impediment, if not well-managed.

    “Besides there is no alternative  to  enthroning rule of law, even in ‘war ‘situation, otherwise the ‘war ‘takes on a different and unhelpful coloration, with avoidable negative consequences”.

    According to the learned silk, “battling corruption is not a tea party in any clime and we must not lose sight of that, so not that the government has not achieved anything in that direction”.

    Ogwemoh said he had no reason  to doubt the Transparency International report on corruption in Nigeria.

    He believed that it must have been based on a survey by TI and an assessment of the current state of affairs in Nigeria.

    To Ogwemoh, nothing had truly changed. Though efforts were being made by President Muhammadu Buhari to fight corruption, these efforts had not produced the expected results.

    He counselled that serious effort must be geared toward addressing  the causes of corruption.

    “What is being done is akin to treating symptoms rather than rooting out the disease itself. The fight, beside being focused on perceived enemies of the regime is not agenda driven, which ought to provide a roadmap for curbing corruption in the future.

    “I believe there has to be concerted efforts on the part of all Nigerians to fight corruption. Both the public and private sectors must come together to fight it.

    “Institutions and processes must be set up coupled with adherence to the rule of law at all levels of government,” he advised.

    Ubani also said he had no reason to doubt the rating index of TI on Nigeria noting that anytime the organisation passed a verdict on any nation, it is hardly faulted.

    “The truth of the matter is that Nigeria is yet to be free from corruption. It is more dangerous for a regime that boasts of fighting corruption to be found liable of committing corruption in large scale.

    ‘’This verdict calls to question the sincerity in the fight by this regime.’’

    “From  close observation of the fight against corruption by this administration,  it looks targeted against those who are in opposition. The  government has treated with kid gloves her members  who were accused of corruption.

    “The second issue that makes this fight to look like a child’s play is the inability of the present government to involve the people in the fight, it is not people-driven. One man alone does not fight

    corruption in a country,” he argued.

    Ubani recalled that the first falter in the fight against corruption was when the government soft-pedalled on her decision to publish the names of corrupt Nigerians that returned money to the government coffers when they came in.

    He said immediately they failed on this, it became obvious they were not sincere with the fight and the insincerity is very evident in some of the wrong decisions they have taken concerning  some of their cabinet members that are accused of corruption  which they have failed to prosecute.

    He said the worst crime in this fight was disobeying court orders and using impunity to run a government, adding: “In fact, these things are the worst sort of corruption. Why would a head of an agency that fights corruption not be subjected to the constitution and laws that set up the agency?

    “The world watches and they draw their conclusions from facts, raw data and situations they observe and see in our system and environment. It is pure madness to do the same thing, same way, and expect a different result. As it was in the beginning, so it appears even now, it is like the more you look, the less you see,” he argued.

     

     

  • Nigeria to TI: Your corruption rating is questionable

    Nigeria to TI: Your corruption rating is questionable

    The Presidency yesterday put a question mark over the criteria used by the Transparency International, the anti-corruption watchdog, to rank Nigeria the 148th least corrupt in the world.

    Aso Rock Villa dismissed as “very misleading and unfair” the conclusion reached by the TI in its assessment of the Federal Government’s anti-corruption crusade.

    Reacting to the TI annual report on corruption released on Wednesday,the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President,Mallam Garba Shehu,while government welcomes constructive criticisms from the anti-corruption watchdog, the organisation has a responsibility to reflect the larger picture of the concrete and verifiable achievements of the Buhari administration since it came into office in May 2015.

    “Political will is the first major component of fighting corruption in any country and President Buhari has made a huge difference by demonstrating not only the political will, but also the extraordinary courage to go after high profile looters, including former military service chiefs and judges,” Shehu said in a statement in Abuja.

    He added: “It was once unthinkable to touch or prosecute the ‘big men’ for corruption in Nigeria, but President Buhari has ended impunity for corruption.

    “Today, the Buhari administration has made accountability the bedrock of governance and corruption is no longer fashionable because it attracts consequences.

    “Blocking leakages for corruption through the rigid enforcement of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) had made life tougher for corrupt officials. He regretted that these efforts were not acknowledged by the corruption Watchdog.

    “Figures published by the EFCC, the anti-corruption agency, reveal that  N738.9 billion was recovered in just two years of the Buhari administration and this impressive and unprecedented record is worthy of mention and acknowledgement by anybody genuinely looking at the larger picture of the country’s progress in the war against corruption.

    “During the 7th session of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in Vienna, Austria, the chairman of the agency, Ibrahim Magu, noted that the figure represents $2.9 billion dollars.

    “Besides these impressive recoveries of looted funds, the EFCC has recorded more than 140 successful prosecutions.

    “The Federal Government has also signed international agreements to recover the proceeds of corruption and to block the laundering of stolen assets abroad by public officials.

    “Anybody who knows where Nigeria was coming from would not believe that corruption is worse under the Buhari administration.”

  • Buhari: I’ve not relented in fighting corruption

    Buhari: I’ve not relented in fighting corruption

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said his administration had not relented in fighting corruption in the last two and half years.

    Apart from the statements former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, some Nigerians have also alleged that the President’s anti-graft battle is selective.

    But, in a keynote address at the first Adamawa State Anti-corruption Summit in Yola, the state capital, the President said it was very encouraging that a state government has on its own ventured into the subject matter of corruption fight.

    He said: “You may recall that on 29th May 2015, when I stated that we are faced with enormous challenges in this Country, with insecurity and institutionalised pervasive corruption being key and that my confidence remained high that together we will tackle them head on.

    “As I had predicted, today I am proud to note that we have not relented in our determination to fight corruption.  We are fixing our problems together.

    “Even though under our system, the Federal Government cannot directly interfere in the details of the operations of states, but to see that the gross corruption at the local level is being checked and transparently reported is a thing of satisfaction and joy for me.”

    He said the administration would ensure that there is more responsible and accountable governance at all levels in the country.

    The President said: “I note with satisfaction the logical steps taken by Adamawa State government in the last two and a half years to demonstrate that transparency, fiscal responsibility, accountability and timely delivery of strategic goods and services to develop the state and enhance the confidence of its people is a viable template to fighting corruption.

    “Team work, the cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature, the respect and compliance with fiscal and procurement laws, the institutional reforms to improved efficiency, the drive to achieve value for money, as demonstrated by this administration, are worthy of note.

    “I recommend to other states this model along with all other winning approaches to enhance the progress and development of our nation.

    “The projects and progress I have seen in Yola along with the reports and presentations made here have given me encouragement on the future of the state.  I hope this momentum will be sustained.

    “To the government of Adamawa State, I say “well done and keep it up”.  To the people of Adamawa State, I congratulate you all on supporting the Government and encourage you to continue to give your maximum support to the state government in its drive for a much better future.”

    During his visit to the Lamido of Adamawa, the traditional rulers urged the Federal Government to convert the Moddibo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) to a conventional university.

    Emir Mustafa said the scrapping of management and other conventional courses in the university had affected admission of indigenes interested in studying at the varsity.

    He urged the President to consider the educationally advantaged status of the state and either re-visit the policy or convert the university to a conventional one.

    Mustafa further said that the conversion of the university would lead to the upgrade of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, to a teaching hospital in order to address the enormous medical challenges in the state.

    The monarch also appealed to the Federal Government to re-visit the Chouchi Irrigation project which was abandoned by previous administrations given the importance of the dam in enhancing dry season farming.

    The President promised to re-visit the Irrigation project for the purpose of improving agricultural production.

    He also assured the Lamido that he would look into other demands while urging the people of the state to live in peace with one another.

  • Corruption: Buhari needs support not insults – Activist

    Corruption: Buhari needs support not insults – Activist

    An activist and public affairs commentator in Adamawa, Alhaji Suleiman Baba-Jada has urged Nigerians to render more support to the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle corruption and other challenges facing the nation.

    Baba-Jada told News men in an interview on Monday in Yola that what Buhari needed to address the various challenges was support from Nigerians not insults and unwarranted criticisms.

    “The president needs support instead of inciting criticisms mostly from those who are perceived as corrupt people with cases to answer in EFCC.

    “The whole thing looks more like corruption is fighting back, and that is the more reason why Nigerians must stand up and support the president.

    “The situation we have now with many people with corrupt cases occupying elected positions means that definitely the fight against corruption won’t be that easy for the president,” Baba-Jada said.

    According to him, the inciting criticisms are meant to distract the president.

    He warned that such people “risk the wrath of the silent majority that is yearning for an end to the menace of corruption and other acts of criminality in the country.”

    Baba-Jada backed the setting up of special courts to try corruption cases, saying it would eliminate the delay being experienced in dispensing of such cases, a situation which has been denting the image of the country.

    Read Also: Catholic bishops confront Buhari over performance

    “I also want to declare my support for Magu, the EFCC boss, who I believe has good intention and commitment to deliver in his job.”

    The septuagenarian, who spoke on hate speech, cautioned journalists against being used by unpatriotic politicians and ethnic champions to heat up the polity.

    “We are seeing how politicians who lost out in elections or were not given appointment are using the media to insult their perceived enemies in the name of freedom of expression.

    “The media need to be careful from being used to create problems by such politicians and ethnic champions.

    “We are seeing how such politicians who used to be close to Buhari are now attacking everything thing he does in an attempt to settle personal scores just, because they were not given appointments or carried along.

    “Some of them have access to the president but they rather chose to get to him using the media in a combative and derogatory language,” Baba-Jada said.

    He also urged Buhari to change his approach to issues “by being more firm and decisive to prove wrong the impression being given by his traducers that he is being controlled by a cabal.”

    NAN

     

  • Falana, SERAP, others accuse universities of corruption

    Activist lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), have alleged a grand cover up of high level corruption and other impunity in federal universities.

    They made the claims in Lagos at the presentation of a new report by SERAP titled: Stealing the future: How federal universities in Nigeria have been stripped apart by corruption. The study was done with the support of MacArthur Foundation.

    The report was presented to the media by Associate Professor of Business Administration and Marketing, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Dr. Bolajoko Dixon-Ogbechi Nkemdinim.

    Falana alleged that the bulk of the funds meant to improve the universities end up in the pocket of the contractors. He said the leakages occur because projects that should have been implemented by university communities were being awarded to external contractors.

    He lamented that despite the pendency of an agreement with the Federal Government signed in 1992,  the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), students unions and others that should have been monitoring disbursement and expenditure of funds in tertiary institutions failed to carry out their responsibilities, thereby making it easy for corruption to be perpetuated.

    Falana said based on the 1992 agreement, the Federal Government  was compelled to enact the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act, which established TETFUND as an intervention agency charged with managing, disbursing and monitoring the education tax to public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

    He said TETFUND announced the commencement of activities to kick-start the 2017 disbursement of N213 billion to the tertiary institutions.

    “Neither ASUU nor any of the campus unions monitored the disbursement of the funds. Also, how many companies are paying two per cent of their annual profit to support our university system?

    “If TETFUND can disburse N213 billion in one year,  it is my view that if the education tax  is well managed, it will go a long way in addressing the crisis of underfunding of our tertiary institutions,” he said.

    Falana suggested that incessant industrial action by the unions would not be necessary if the unions had enforced the agreement, particularly the monitoring of the use of the funds.

    He also noted that following the change in the management of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), its Registrar, Prof Ish’haq Oloyede recently paid N5billion to the (Treasury Single Account (TSA), being  money  realised from the sale of admission forms to applicants last year.

    “While on the other hand,  university administrators have not accounted for the money realised from the sale of post-jamb examination forms,” Falana noted.

    He added: “It is high  time ASUU established  a committee for the purpose of monitoring the management of public funds in the universities, the collection of the two per cent education tax by all registered companies in the country and the disbursement of fund to universities by TETFUND.

    “Unless the public funds allocated to the universities are judiciously spent by the management , it is morally indefensible  on the part of ASUU to continue to embark on industrial action to press for adequate funding of tertiary institutions and improved working conditions of the staff.”

    Nkemdinim, in the 58-page report, said grand corruption in federal universities included “unfair allocation of grades; contract inflation, truncation of staff salaries on the pay roll; employment of unqualified staff; Senator Dino Melaye’s certificate scandal saga; examination malpractices; sexual harassment; issuance of results for expelled student to graduate; while sales of university certificates for undeserving persons have neither been thoroughly investigated nor punished.”

    According to the report, “Other cases of corruption being covered up are: falsification of results; extortion of students; late payment of money due to staff for examination invigilation, excess workload and other allowances; and collection of bribes before signing official documents; intimidation and victimisation by superior officials; promoting preferred staff ahead of others who are equally or more qualified; and deliberately delaying the progress of Ph.D candidates because of departmental politics.

    ”We also found cases of lecturers writing students’ research projects and extorting fees from them; students fronting for lecturers to extort from other students; stealing and misappropriation of university funds; falsification of age; diversion of funds; and ghost workers syndrome; impersonation during examinations; forgery; and diverting internally-generated revenues into personal account.

    “We also found several unresolved cases of diversion of university funds for personal use; embezzlement, mismanagement, unmerited allocation of hostel accommodation, discrimination in the allocation of staff quarters; certificate/transcript racketeering; improper use of university assets; inflation of cost of contracts, award of contracts to friends or relatives; and admission racketeering by non-staff”, Nkemdinim said.

    She lamented that impunity for corruption in the university system has negatively affected the governance of federal universities and the quality of education received by the students.

    “Most of the time lecturers miss classes and they never get punished. Getting a job in the universities is not the question of merit but of connections. Ghost workers syndrome is a problem in the universities”, she noted.

    According to the report, “there have been cases where staff have used their official status to prevent the administration of justice in their units/departments; universities sometimes recruit mediocre or totally unsuitable candidates in preference to candidates of high merit. Most of the time when non-academic staff are not at their duty posts they never get punished. People with questionable degrees/qualifications paid bribes to get into the university system. In several cases, people are employed by federal universities through connection with political authorities.”

    The report, used UNILAG and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as case studies, listed other corrupt acts as: “Bribery to get a position; NYSC mobilisation before graduation; facilitating fake transcripts; short-circuiting employment procedures; auctioning university assets without authorisation; politicised disciplinary action; inflated contracts, admission irregularities and racketeering, result falsification; nepotism; sexual harassment; examination question leakages, abetting examination malpractices; and deliberate poor invigilation of examinations.”

    The report read in part: “The focus on federal universities is important because the Federal Government of Nigeria is the custodian of tertiary education at the national level …”

    The report advised university authorities to publish and blacklist individuals guilty of corrupt practices. It suggested total adherence  to provisions designed to ensure the proper conservation and use of resources entrusted to staff in the performance of their jobs in the university’s condition of service.

    It further recommended that unions and other stakeholders should be involved in deciding how funds are to be used for projects in the universities, as well as in developing sanctions for staff who do not report corrupt practices.

  • Abubakar warns commissioners against corruption

    Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar has warned new commissioners against corruption.

    He said anyone caught stealing state funds would not be spared.

    Among those sworn-in is the Attorney-General and Commission Mr. Haruna  Mohammed.

    The governor urged them to exhibit exemplary leadership and diligence in running state’s affairs.

    Abubakar said the appointees got the job on merit, adding they must be fair to all irrespective of tribe, religion or political leanings.

    He warned them against indolence and the temptation to embezzle public funds, saying that anyone caught would face the full wrath of the law.

    He also advised them to be prudent in the management of limited resources.

    The other commissioners include Rifkatu Samson (Environment), Rukaiya  Kewa (Women Affairs and Child Development),  Umar Sade (Information),  Ibrahim Sale (Social Welfare and Sports), Yakubu Kirfi (Agriculture) and Mohammed Abubakar (Rural and Community Development).

    Others are Nasiru Giade (Co-operatives), Muhammadu Bashir (Power, Science and Technology), Umar Mohammed (Housing, Land and Survey), Umar Gazali (Commerce and Industry), Garba Akuyum (Finance) and Ado Aska (Religious Affairs).

    The rest are Nasirudeen Mohammed (Local Government),  Zuwaira Ibrahim (Health), Ibrahim Suleiman (Water Resources), Haruna Danwanka (Education) and Musa Baima (Solid Minerals).

    Deputy Governor, Nuhu Gidado (Works and Transport Ministry).

    Abubakar  also inaugurated a committee chaired by retired Justice Dahiru Saleh review the issue of additional District, Village and Hamlet Areas in view of their dissolution by the State House of Assembly in 2015.

    Its terms of reference include to recommend the number of districts to be created or reinstated, to demarcate and delineate boundaries of both the old and the new district and village areas, to identify constituent village areas, among others.

  • ‘NDIC has zero tolerance for corruption’

    The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has zero tolerance for malpractice, its Managing Director/Chief Executive, Umaru Ibrahim, has said.

    He spoke during the inauguration of the re-constituted coporation’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) by the Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), Abdullahi Bako.

    Ibrahim, represented by the Head of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit, Mr. Justin Kuatsea, said the NDIC is at the forefront of the fight against corruption through the enforcement of good corporate governance, transparency and accountability to minimise the risk of bank failure to protect depositors and ensure safety and soundness of the financial system.

    He described the inauguration of the NDIC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) as good development as it would further strengthen the corporation’s resolve and its partnership with other government agencies involved in the anti-corruption fight towards promoting credible and effective service delivery in the public sector.

    Ibrahim further noted that the NDIC has been organising seminars in financial crime investigation for strategic stakeholders, such as the ICPC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Special Fraud Unit and Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

    He expressed the readiness of NDIC to sustain its participation in the capacity building programmes organised by the ICPC Training Academy.

    Bako said ACTU was created by the ICPC in 2001 in all government agencies to curb corrupt practices and to establish transparent processes and procedures in the public sector.

    He commended the NDIC for its commitment to transparency and accountability. He added that the inauguration of the unit would create a synergy for effective collaboration between the two agencies.

  • SON to adopt ISO 37001:2016 to fight corruption

    The Standards Organi-sation of Nigeria (SON) will boost the Federal Government’s fight against corruption by adopting the ISO 37001:2016 standard, its Director-General, Osita Anthony Aboloma, has said.

    He spoke during the project’s committee meeting on the adoption of ISO 37001:2016 in Abuja.

    He said it is a tool to support the government’s fight against corruption.

    He said: “Today you will be making significant contribution to the current administration’s fight against corruption as you adopt this standard.

    “As posited by the international standard, bribery is a widespread phenomenon that raises serious social, moral, economic and political concerns. It undermines good governance, hinders development and distorts competition.”

    Aboloma said corruption erodes justice, undermines human rights, adding that it increases the cost of doing business, introduces uncertainty into commercial transactions, increases the cost of goods and services and as well diminishes the quality of products and services.

    He said these could lead to loss of lives and properties, destruction of trust in institutions and interference with the fair and efficient operations of markets.

    As you may be aware, fighting corruption in the country seems insurmountable, this standard alongside the Nigerian industrial standard on good governance NIS 902:2017 can therefore be proactive tools to reduce the incident, he said

    Aboloma said the SON will push for the promotion and use of this standard by government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as business entities as tool to fight and work towards the eradication of corruption in the system.

  • Oyo-Ita warns Perm Secs against corruption

    Oyo-Ita warns Perm Secs against corruption

    Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita has warned permanent secretaries to resist corrupt practices and always ensure compliance with due process.

    Speaking at the 2018 Procurement Retreat for Federal Permanent Secretaries in Calabar at the weekend, Oyo-Ita urged them to key into the momentum created by President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against corruption to restore hope and dignity in the service.

    The retreat had as its theme, “Public Procurement for Sustainable National Development”.

    She urged institutions and individuals who seek to do business with the Federal Government to ensure they abide by extant rules and regulations.

    Mrs. Oyo-Ita hailed the present administration for leading the country out of recession and increasing Nigeria’s ranking in the World Bank ease of doing business index.

    She said: “Permit me to seize this opportunity to reiterate my vision of the EPIC (Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-centred) civil servant towards restoring hope and dignity to the service from the bottom up by reversing the current reputation for inefficiency, low productivity, corruption and insensitivity to the needs of the public.

    “In this era of profound changes, civil servants must stand firm on due process. Institutions and individuals, who seek to do business with the government must commit to playing by the rules.

    “This is the only way to achieve 100 per cent budget implementation. While it is true that civil servants may work under political pressure, we have a responsibility to resist attempts to subvert extant rules and regulations”.