File photo of Musa Aliyu
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says 92 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) are yet to set up anti-corruption and transparency units (ACTUs) as of the end of 2024.
Aliyu Musa, ICPC chairman, spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while addressing the house of representatives committee on anti-corruption.
Represented by Olusegun Adigun, the ICPC director of system study and review, Musa told the panel that 26 MDAs’ ACTUs are very effective, 58 are effective, while 127 are ineffective, and five are dormant.
The ICPC chairman did not name the indicted MDAs but called for legislation or policy directive that will make it mandatory for government establishments to allocate a specific percentage of their annual budget to ACTU operations, with strict accountability mechanisms for utilisation.
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He recommended implementing comprehensive and regular training programmes for ACTU members on various aspects of anti-corruption work, including financial investigation, digital forensics, ethics, and integrity promotion.
Earlier, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, while declaring the public hearing open, harped on the importance of MDAs’ integrity.
Represented by Umar Ajilo, a Kaduna lawmaker, the speaker said corruption “erodes our institutions, diminishes public trust, and stalls our national progress”.
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“This hearing is an opportunity to reaffirm our resolve and take decisive action,” he said.
“This hearing allows us to assess the functionality of ACTUs, hear from stakeholders, and explore legislative solutions to strengthen their operations. We must dismantle the structures that allow corruption to thrive and institutionalise transparency and accountability.”
Kayode Akiolu, chairman of the committee, said the ACTUs are intended to tackle corruption in MDAs.
“Through ACTUs, ICPC has extended its presence across over 400 MDAs without the need for a bloated workforce. That’s brilliant public sector innovation,” Akiolu said.
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“Over time, we have received reports of both commendable efforts and serious lapses in the work of ACTUs. Some have failed to uphold their core duties, while others may have become entangled in the very practices they were created to stop.
“Our task is not only to assess performance but to ensure that our institutions are truly committed to integrity, not just in word but in deed.”
The committee chairman added that lawmakers must make it clear that corruption “has no place in our governance system, whether from within or without”.
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