TheCable

Bolaji Owasanoye, chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offence Commission (ICPC), says the commission will be ruthless in fighting corruption.

He also said the fight against corruption will only succeed if Nigerians embrace integrity, transparency and accountability as a way of life.

Owasanoye spoke at an occasion to mark the 2019 international anti-corruption day organised by the ICPC in Lokoja, Kogi state.

The meeting was organised in collaboration with ActionAid, Nigeria and Participation Initiative for Behavioral Change in Development (PIBCID), its partner in the state.

He said the commission will be ruthless in dealing with corruption cases within permissible limits under the law “to bring the menace to it knees” .

The chairman, who was represented by Chilezie Ogwuegbu, Kogi commissioner of ICPC, said: “When a country’s institutions are weakened by corruption, its security forces would not be trusted, its borders would become porous, criminality will fester and its insecurity may be internationalised.”

He also said ICPC will intensify efforts at detection and investigation of acts of corruption.

Halima Sadiq, acting executive director, PIBCID, said the country has the potential to achieve greatness but that corruption has created poverty and other challenges.

“It has been established that corruption leads to massive poverty, lack of facilities such as good roads, electricity, water , health facilities and other infrastructure such as industries and educational facilities, among others,” Sadiq said.