THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recovered nearly Four Billion Naira (N4,000,000,000.00) n in public funds within 24 hours, from the 18 to 19 September 2024.
ICPC Chairman Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu announced the recovery, which involved funds illegally diverted into private accounts, during a National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) Members Interactive Forum held in Abuja.
Dr. Aliyu reiterated the Commission’s dedication to reclaiming more public funds and emphasized Nigeria’s growing challenge of corruption.
The ICPC boss, while advocating for a united front to tackle the issue, stated, “Corruption remains one of Nigeria’s most persistent challenges. It undermines economic growth, erodes public trust, and weakens governance. Our experience at the ICPC has shown that a proactive, multi-faceted approach—encompassing enforcement, prevention, deterrence, and reform—is crucial.”
Dr Aliyu said digital transformation remained key in combating corruption, noting that digital platforms offered powerful means to track, analyze, and expose corrupt practices, including salary padding and ghost workers, even as he stated that the ICPC had seen the potential of such tools through their review of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The ICPC Chairman who reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, referencing recent Supreme Court rulings on local government autonomy, stressed that the judiciary played a vital role in promoting accountability, particularly at the local level.
His words, “The Supreme Court’s decision underscores the need for democratically elected local government councils to manage public funds. In response, ICPC will intensify efforts to ensure compliance with the judgment and prevent the diversion of local government resources,”.
He emphasized the importance of local government autonomy in reducing corruption and ensuring effective community development.
Dr. Aliyu also unveiled his policy thrust for his tenure, focusing on fighting corrupt practices with an emphasis on prevention, leveraging technology, and promoting the values of Culture, Accountability, Responsibility, and Efficiency (CARE) within the ICPC.
“This policy will guide and assess my leadership at the Commission. Our anti-corruption efforts must remain focused and deliberate,” he added.
He expressed his gratitude to ICPC staff, NACC members, and civil society organisations (CSOs) for their ongoing commitment to combating corruption in Nigeria.
The Deputy Director of the Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), Mr Jimoh Sulaimon, urged NACC members to actively monitor and track constituency and government projects in their communities to prevent corruption, such as low-quality work or abandoned projects to ensure higher standards of execution and long-term preservation.
The Head of the External Cooperation Unit, Mr Kingsley Obi, reiterated that NACC served as a coordination platform for CSOs and NGOs in tracking corruption and was not a parallel authority to the ICPC, adding that the coalition operated under the direct oversight of the ICPC to support its anti-corruption mission.
NACC, a coalition of CSOs, acts as an outreach arm of the ICPC, promoting anti-corruption education, public awareness, and preventive measures aimed at curbing corruption across Nigeria.
Eighteen-Eleven Media