The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has explained why the Commission, under his leadership, is focusing more on strengthening its prevention mandate.
The Commission, as outlined in Section 6 (a-F) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act of 2000, has three thematic mandates: Enforcement, Prevention, and Public Education/Enlightenment.
Speaking at a one-day National Policy Dialogue on Anti-Corruption organized by the Centre for Media Policy and Accountability (CMPA), Dr Aliyu noted that experience has shown that preventive measures significantly reduce corrupt practices.
He emphasized the need for effective collaboration among all stakeholders, so the preventive strategies proposed by anti-corruption agencies can be strengthened.
Dr Aliyu also revealed that the synergy and effective partnership between the ICPC and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) led to the recent discovery and blocking of approximately $300,000 intended for students in the ICT sector.
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He stated, “I encourage all agencies to open up to one another. This collaboration will help streamline our efforts. No single arm or tier of government or agency can combat corruption alone, so we need to unite locally, regionally, and internationally to fight it. Our partnership with the BPP was instrumental in uncovering irregularities related to certain funds earmarked for ICT students. As a result, we were able to make recoveries and block $300,000 in one of the accounts, as well as recover an expensive vehicle.”
Earlier in his address, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Abiodun Fagbemi, SAN, who was represented at the event by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, expressed satisfaction with the gathering.
He noted that it provided stakeholders the opportunity to exchange information and explore how best to report and sustain the successes achieved in anti-corruption efforts.
On his part, Mr. Kole Shettima, Director of the MacArthur Foundation, West Africa, and keynote speaker at the event, highlighted four key elements and agendas that the Foundation is pursuing to promote accountability and transparency in efforts to combat corruption.
He listed these areas as: supporting the independence of the media, addressing behavioural change in the fight against corruption, strengthening the criminal justice system, and supporting civil society organizations.
