TheCable

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has blamed civil servants for endemic corruption in the nation’s public service.

Musa Abubakar, acting chairman of the commission, gave the position on Thursday at an event to mark the 2018 Africa Public Service Day hosted by the ICPC in Abuja.

Abubakar, represented by Nathan Bako, ICPC head of administration, said contrary to popular perception, civil servants were also to blame for the menace.

“There is trading of blame between the civil service and the political class as to who is more responsible for corruption,” he said.

“The fact is that if the politicians are strangers to the service, they won’t succeed if we don’t cooperate with them.

“Every single act of corruption will involve one civil servant or the other, and that is the fact, either by way of facilitating the act of corruption or by keeping quiet.”

Abubakar called on all civil and public servants to live above board in their dealings, adhere to the ethics of integrity and join the fight against corruption.

The ICPC boss decried public apathy in the fight against corruption, noting that the campaign would fail without the active participation of the citizens.

According to him, most Nigerians look the other way when corruption is perpetrated in their presence, only to turn around and accuse anti-graft agencies of doing nothing.

He said it is the constitutional responsibility of every citizen to not only report crime but also to arrest and hand over criminals to law enforcement agents.

“This is why we use this opportunity to invite everyone to join the war against corruption,” he said.

“It is very important everybody plays a role, otherwise when we measure the fight against corruption, its failure is going to be mainly because of public apathy.”