Education Ministry Inaugurates Anti-Corruption Committee to Boost Transparency, Accountability
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) Committee in the Federal Ministry of Education as part of efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability and ethical governance in the education sector.
The inauguration, held in Abuja on Thursday, underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to institutional integrity and improved public service delivery under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, described ACTU as a critical mechanism for promoting due process, ethical conduct and compliance with public service regulations across the ministry and its agencies.
He said that as the institution responsible for formulating and implementing national education policies, the ministry must uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability to sustain public confidence and deliver quality education.
Enitan identified corruption as a major obstacle to national development, noting that it weakens institutions, diverts resources meant for education and erodes public trust.
He charged members of the newly inaugurated committee to carry out their responsibilities with courage, diligence, patriotism and impartiality by promoting ethical conduct, anti-corruption awareness, institutional reforms and compliance with extant regulations.
The Permanent Secretary also urged staff of the ministry to embrace its EPIC values—Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centred—while assuring the committee of management’s full support in executing its mandate.
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Representing the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Adamu Aliyu, ICPC official Olusegun Adigun commended the ministry for revitalising its ACTU, describing the move as a major step towards strengthening its internal anti-corruption framework.
He explained that ACTU, established through collaboration between the ICPC and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, serves as a preventive and advisory mechanism for institutionalising integrity and accountability in the public service.
According to him, the reconstituted committee will operate in line with the 2023 Standing Order for the Operation of ACTU in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Adigun said the committee would spearhead anti-corruption awareness campaigns, ethics promotion, corruption risk assessments, system reviews, budget implementation monitoring, promotion of the Ethics and Integrity Pledge, and preliminary investigation of complaints relating to unethical conduct.
Earlier, the Director of Special Duties, Murtala Tanko, said the inauguration reflected the ministry’s commitment to institutionalising transparency, preventing corruption and promoting ethical standards across the ministry, its agencies and schools.
He urged committee members to support management in improving service delivery through strict adherence to public service rules and standard operating procedures.
Responding on behalf of the committee, its Chairman, Malik Guni Kuje, expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in members and pledged transparent, accountable and collaborative leadership.
Kuje assured that the committee would strengthen preventive measures against corruption through continuous sensitisation, policy reviews and strict compliance with public service rules and ICPC guidelines, with the goal of making the Federal Ministry of Education a model of integrity and accountability.
The event also featured the administration of the Oath of Allegiance on committee members, symbolising the ministry’s renewed commitment to ethical governance, institutional excellence and transparent management of public resources in advancing quality education nationwide.
By PRNigeria
