Ant-graft Crusade: ICPC Boss Tasks Heads of MDAs on Avoiding ‘Banana Peels’

Ant-graft Crusade: ICPC Boss Tasks Heads of MDAs on Avoiding ‘Banana Peels’

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, has charged Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of government agencies to embrace leadership by example and avoid any acts of omission or commission that can damage their integrity.

The Chairman gave this charge during a two-day anti-corruption training for CEOs organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the ICPC in Abuja.

ICPC boss noted that some of the excuses being given for indulging in corrupt practices were intimidation from external quarters, saying however that if one was not complicit, “the external forces will have nothing to hold on to or use against you.”

Declaring the event open, the ICPC boss stated that the havoc corruption has done to the public service and the nation at large cannot be quantified. According to him, the ICPC recognises the importance of leadership in ensuring that corruption is diminished in the public sector.

“This executive session is designed to generate discussions that will focus on how best we can collaboratively prevent corruption in our MDAs, with the understanding and agreement that prevention is better than cure.

“When I was attorney general, I could remember that seven million naira was paid for a project which would be carried out with N100,000.

“I only discovered this when I looked closely. The point I am trying to make is that if you are not careful, those working under you will try to push things that after you leave office, you will be called to account for what you do not know, and nobody will believe that you have never seen or that you do not know anything about it because the buck stops at your table” he said.

“In recognition of the importance of leadership in ensuring that corruption is diminished in the public sector, this present experience and knowledge sharing session is designed to support the CEOs of public agencies to understand how social norms are a double-edged sword that can either enhance or prevent corruption.’

“The ICPC will not shy away from its enforcement mandate that allows it to prosecute CEOs who are found guilty of engaging in corrupt practices.

“The objectives of this session include helping the chief executive officers identify corruption risk in their agencies so as to develop appropriate prevention measures to avoid common leadership pitfalls,” he said