By Amos Aar
THE Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, has charged Executive members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) to intensify the fight against corruption in public service using new skills and technics they have been equipped with.
Prof. Owasanoye gave the charge Wednesday at the opening ceremony of a 2-day zonal training of the ACTUs of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) held in Makurdi, the Benue State capital beginning from 17th-18th August, 2022.
Represented by ICPC member, Yahaya Umar Daudu, the Chairman said the training was aimed at equipping ACTU executives with the basic knowledge of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIP) and how they can contribute towards promoting the 7 core values contained in the Policy at their various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“I am convinced that with a better equipped ACTU, ready and willing to deliver on their mandates, the public service would be better for it”, the ICPC Chairman expressed hope.
He stressed the need for ACTUs to be carried along in the implementation of CEPTI which according to him is a project redemption instrument that identifies and tracks constituency and Executive projects implementation and performance from 2015 to date “with the view to ensuring value for money and citizens enjoyment of schemes designed to make life better” since the projects are housed in the budgets of MDAs as supervisors.
Earlier in a welcome address, State Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Mr Menge A. Tiku, traced that the Federal Government had in the past administration considered and approved the request of the Commission for the establishment of ACTU in all Federal Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals, through the official circular of 2nd October, 2001 and it is already making great impact in ensuring a corruption-free public service according to him.
Mr Tiku called on all hands to be on deck towards eradicating corruption, adding that ICPC fights to create and sustain corruption free and transparent working environments in all Government MDAs.
