Tag: ICPC

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Commission Related Offences (ICPC) has resolved to stop terrorism financing to curtail illicit finances.

ICPC Chair, Dr. Musa Aliyu, spoke at a dialogue on preventing terrorism financing, organised by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre with Transparency International in Nigeria and Inter-Governmental Action Against Money Laundering in West Africa in Abuja.

Aliyu reaffirmed its commitment to combat terrorism financing, adding by targeting causes of illicit financial flows, ICPC would disrupt funding channels and uphold integrity of global financial systems.

He noted ICPC’s determination to dismantle networks facilitating illicit flows, which sustain terrorism through arms procurement, terrorist recruitment and operational logistics.

Aliyu stressed the essential nature of addressing terrorism financing, highlighting its role in debilitating extremist groups’ capacities and restoring peace and security to Northeast.

He listed poverty and illiteracy as key drivers of terrorism in Nigeria, noting that addressing these is imperative.

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Aliyu said ICPC would lead collaboration with international partners, law agencies and financial institutions to prevent corruption and safeguard national and global security against terrorism.

Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), echoed concerns about rising financing of terrorist activities, citing adverse global terrorism indices and government identification of entities involved in terrorism financing.

He stressed the need for collective action to combat terrorism and its adverse effects.

Chairma of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede,  highlighted prolonged suffering endured by Nigerians in Northeast due to insurgency, banditry and kidnapping.

…saves ₦30 billion in first quarter of 2024

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) said it has uncovered a startling revelation over the allocation and management of public funds in Nigeria.

At a press conference held in Lagos on Tuesday, April 30, the ICPC chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed that the commission, through its Constituency and Executive projects Tracking Group (CEPTG), has meticulously tracked a total sum of ₦219.844 billion disbursed to 176 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) since 2019.

Aliyu emphasised the importance of directing government funds towards impactful projects that serve the most vulnerable segments of the population. 

According to him, the tracking exercise, spanning critical sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, and infrastructure, has covered 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) across all six geopolitical zones.

“This initiative ensures government funds are directed towards impactful projects that benefit the most vulnerable Nigerians”, he said.

The ongoing Phase 6 exercise initiated in November 2023 and extending through the first quarter of 2024, focuses on scrutinizing projects in the Health, Agriculture, Education, Water Resources, and Power sectors. 

With 1,721 government-funded projects under review, the commission has uncovered various infractions, including underperformance, shoddy execution, abandonment, and premature certification of incomplete projects.

Among the most alarming discoveries are instances of hoarding empowerment projects intended to alleviate poverty among the populace.

However, relevant MDAs have been directed to invite ICPC for monitoring the distribution of such projects to ensure transparency and accountability.

“The commission is conducting further investigations on some infractions discovered, which are: Under performed projects; Shoddily executed projects; Abandoned projects; Certification of projects as completed when such projects have not been completed.

“Hording of projects such as empowerment projects meant to be distributed to intended beneficiaries to empower them or serve to alleviate their poverty were hoarded, while some other items were distributed through proxies.

“It was observed that some agencies were in the habit of handing over empowerment items to stakeholders for onward distribution to the intended beneficiaries.

“This practice encouraged hoarding and politicization of the empowerment sharing processes.

“To stem the tide of empowerment items being converted to personal use or for personal aggrandisement, and to engender value for money on government funds as well as for impactful socio-economic development of the citizenry, relevant MDAs have been mandated to invite ICPC to monitor the distribution of empowerment items on their budget,” Aliyu said.

Key findings from the Phase 6 Tracking Exercise include projects where contractors returned to sites 176, appropriations for all tracked projects ₦220 billion, contract value of all projects tracked ₦285 billion, value of projects on which contractors returned to sites ₦30 billion, cash recoveries made (so far)₦163 million, recoveries made in assets (so far) ₦513.3 million, cumulative savings to government: ₦30 billion and contractors/companies involved 1,355. 

In addition to its scrutiny of development projects, ICPC has extended its purview to the maritime sector, conducting a corruption risk assessment of key Nigerian seaports.

The assessment has led to the implementation of measures aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability, including standardized operating procedures, a port service support portal, and a Nigerian Port Process Manual.

Read Also: ICPC urges Nigerians to take pride in honesty

The enforcement team, Ports Standing Task Team (PSTT), has been instrumental in effecting positive changes, resulting in improved port efficiency, streamlined operations, and the dismantling of corruption networks causing traffic congestion, particularly at Apapa and Tin-Can ports.

Chairman Aliyu affirmed ICPC’s commitment to combatting corrupt practices in the public sector while emphasizing the importance of support from all stakeholders, including the media.

 He assured Nigerians that ICPC remains dedicated to upholding the rule of law and international best practices in its enforcement mandate.

The ICPC’s vigilant pursuit of transparency and accountability underscores the importance of robust oversight mechanisms to safeguard public funds and ensure their effective utilization for the betterment of Nigerian society.

The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu, has urged Nigerians to take pride in the honest work they do.
He gave the advice at the opening of a two-day Strategic Plan Development Workshop held in Lagos.
Aliyu said honest work would not only improve individuals’ and organisations’ competence, performance and outcome, “our contributions will be valued, recognised and encouraged.”
On ICPC strategic workshop, the chairman said they were gathered to plan for excellence through action plan, which entailed collaborative and shared responsibility.

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The Chief Judge of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Justice Husseini Yusuf, said the workshop gave them the opportunity to take stock of how the commission fared in the last five years, based on its policy framework.
The CJ, represented by Justice S. C. Oriji, said the workshop also gave them the opportunity to chart the way forward in the fight against corruption.
The Deputy Chief Registrar, Legal, Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Joy Ugbomoiku, who represented the Chief Judge of Lagos, Kazeem Alogba, said there was no strategic plan without a goal.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Sen. Emmanuel Udende, said Nigeria needed concerted and drastic efforts in the fight against corruption.

An investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Michael Agboro, made conflicting claims yesterday about whether or not former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele conferred corrupt and unfair advantage on himself while in office.

Agboro, who described himself as the Head of the Financial Unit of the ICPC, told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) while testifying in chief that his investigation revealed that Emefiele conferred corrupt advantage on himself in the award of some contracts.

But under cross-examination, he claimed that Emefiele did not confer corrupt advantage on himself while in office.

The former CBN governor is standing trial on a 20-count amended charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conferring corrupt advantage, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence while in office, among others.

He was alleged to have used his position to award six contracts for the supply of different vehicles between 2018 and 2022 valued at N1,210,600,000 to a firm, April 1616 Investment Limited, in which Sa’adatu Ramalan Yaro, a staff of the CBN is a director and shareholder.

Emefiele is also accused, among others, of conferring corrupt advantage on his wife, Omoile Margret, and brother-in-law, Omoile McCombo, by awarding a contract for the renovation of the CBN governor’s residence at 2 Glover Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, at N82,086,129.30 to Messrs Architekon Nigeria Limited in which both are directors and majority shareholders.

Agboro, who was led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said the investigative team found out that Emefiele conferred unfair and corrupt advantage of April 1616 Investment Limited, where Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero was a director and shareholder, while being a public servant as a staff member of CBN and Archtekon Nigeria Limited, in which Emefiele’s wife and brother-in-law were directors and shareholders.

He said investigation revealed that Archtekon never had any contractual dealings with the apex bank until Emefiele was appointed.

He said April 1616 was incorporated a few days after Yero was employed by CBN and posted to the bank’s Lagos branch. The witness added that April 1616 started enjoying CBN patronage with procurement of vehicles, particularly the Toyota brand, without being an accredited dealer of the vehicle brand.

Agboro, who was the seventh prosecution witness, said investigation revealed that though Yero’s husband had other companies, they were not patronised, except the one in which his wife was a director while she was a CBN worker.

The witness said Architekon Nigeria Limited was incorporated in 2009, five years before Emefiele was appointed CBN governor.

Agboro added that during the investigation, his team wrote banks and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), requesting for documents on the registration and bank statements of Architecture Nigeria Limited and April 1616 Investment Limited.

At a point, Oyedepo tendered some documents through the witness, which the court admitted in evidence.

The documents included company registration documents, contract award and payment documents on the two companies.

Read Also: ICPC investigator makes conflicting claims on Emefiele’s allied corrupt practices

Under cross-examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Burkaa (SAN), Agboro said the defendant did not confer any corrupt and unfair advantage on himself when he was in office.

The witness said there was no evidence that Emefiele was a director, a shareholder, or a signatory to the accounts of the two companies.

He added that April 1616 did not pay any money to the defendant.

When asked about the whereabouts of the report of the team’s investigation, Agboro said it was submitted to the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), Yusuf Bichi.

Again, when asked about the procedure for the award of contract in the CBN, the witness identified three bodies responsible for contract, including the Tenders Board, Contract Approval Council, and the Committee of Board of Governors, where contract bids go through before they are awarded.

On whether the awarded contracts went through the statutory bodies responsible for contract in the bank, Agboro stressed that the contracts were vetted through the procurement department of the bank.

Further hearing in the case was adjourned till April 25.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a former President of the Senior Civil Servants Association of Nigeria (ASCSN), Bola Audu for alleged N72 million fraud.

He was arraigned before Yusuf Halilu, a judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court at Maitama, Abuja.

Audu is a civil servant in the Office of the Accountant General who was recently suspended by the Federal Government over alleged involvement in corruption.

He has been expelled as a member and President of ASCSN over anti-union activities.

In the five-count charge, the government accused Audu of alleged misappropriation of N69 million that was meant for the purchase of a sport utility vehicle for the office president of ASCSN.

In another charge the prosecution told the court that Audu allegedly diverted N3 million into the union’s election.

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Audu denied the five-country charge when it was read to him on Thursday.

Following his not guilty plea, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer at the ICPC, requested a date for commencement of trial.

But the defendant’s lawyer, Babatunde Adewusi, urged the court to admit his client to bail.

A bail request filed by Adewusi on 15 February moved because the prosecuting lawyer did oppose the application.

“My Lord, we are interested in the defendant attending trial,” Akponimisingha said.

In his reaction, the defendant’s lawyer commended Akponimisingha “for his professional conduct in the handling of the case.”

In a bench ruling, the judge, Halilu, said bail is a constitutional right of an accused person depending on the nature of the alleged offense.

Halilu noted that a defendant was presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

“The prosecution must lead credible evidence to establish the guilt of a defendant,” the judge said.

In considering Audu’s bail request, the judge said the alleged offenses were bailable.

“The offenses are all bailable. My concern is to have the defendant return to court to stand trial. I am minded to admit the defendant to bail,” Halilu said.

Subsequently, the judge admitted Audu to bail on the grounds that he produces two sureties who must be directors in the federal civil service.

The judge added that the directors must produce their letters of employment and promotion to the directorship rank in the civil service.

Halilu said the defendant would be remanded at Kuje Prison in Abuja if he fails to meet the bail condition.

The suit was adjourned until 6 May for commencement of trial.

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), has said the commission will not condone corrupt practices under his watch.

Aliyu said this when he hosted a delegation from the Civil Society Legislative Centre (CISLAC) at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja on Monday.

He said the ICPC would continue to live above board and run a responsible organisation that would work within the confines of the law to tackle corruption in Nigeria.

 “As the Chairman of ICPC, I have told Nigerians that we are going to work within the confines of the law.

 “And, also in accordance with the national best practices to ensure that we tackle this challenge of corruption in this country.

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 “We are determined to ensure that we promote good ethical justice and also run a responsible organisation that is efficient in its targets and responsibility.

“We will continue to sustain that reputation and integrity which ICPC is known for and we are not going to tolerate any corruption within the commission.

“Whatever we are going to do, we will ensure that we do it logically,” he said.

The ICPC boss also harped on the role of civil society organisations like CISLAC in the fight against corruption, saying they had been keeping agencies like ICPC on its toes through constant demands for transparency and accountability.

He promised that ICPC will continue to sustain its collaborative efforts with CSOs through many of its initiatives which include Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiatives (CEPTI), System Studies and Review and others.

Earlier, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, stated the visit was to reignite the partnership that exists between the centre and ICPC.

According to Rafsanjani, CISLAC will continue to partner with ICPC, “to support the good work that you are doing and support your leadership to ensure that we minimise the cost of corruption in Nigeria”.