Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has said that the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units in Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) are expected to do their utmost as corruption watchdogs in order to help eliminate corruption from the systems and procedures of government institutions and establishments.
Mr. Nta gave this charge through Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) at the inauguration of ACTU members in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in Abuja.
He said, “The unit serves as an in-house check mechanism within the ministry to monitor, identify and address lapses in processes and procedures where unethical practices could be found.”
The ICPC Chairman stressed that the Commission was given the mandate to ensure that corruption was reduced to the barest minimum in the country through the entrenchment of transparency and accountability in the way business is conducted in government establishments.
He further advised the Management to make sure the unit was given the maximum support it required for effective service delivery.
Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Belema Wakama, represented by Director, Information and Communication Technology Unit (ICT), Mr. Leo Aliboh commended ICPC for its efforts in checkmating corruption-prone systems in agencies of government.
She said, ‘Transparency and accountability are key elements in delivering good governance; while its lack breeds corruption and retards economic growth.
‘The Ministry is therefore ready to partner with ICPC through the ACTU members to ensure those moral values are put in place to entrench anti-corruption ethos in the agency.”