ICPC, NITDA partner to promote National Ethics and Integrity Policy

In its continued effort to generate public awareness on the National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIP), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is collaborating with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to promote the Policy across the country.

Speaking at a sensitization meeting for management staff of NITDA, the Chairman of ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, revealed that the Commission had set a target for itself to take the Policy to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

Prof. Owasanoye who was represented at the event by Mr. Olayinka Aiyegbayo, fsi, of the Systems Study and Review Department of ICPC added that the Commission was working with the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTU) – an internal mechanism for checkmating corrupt acts in government departments and agencies – to help drive the campaign against corruption and awareness on NEIP in MDAs.

While speaking in his capacity as a resource person, Aiyegbayo advised the participants to understand and domesticate the core values of the Policy in order to entrench positive values in the society.

He further informed them that infractions under the Policy were punishable by existing laws including the codes of ethics of different professional bodies in Nigeria, while adding that the Policy could also be used by anyone to seek justice.

Aiyegbayo thereafter explained the seven core values of the Policy which are Human dignity, Voice and participation, Patriotism, Personal responsibility, Integrity, National unity, and Professionalism.

On the sustainability of the NEIP, Aiyegbayo charged private and public sectors at the federal, state and local government levels to adopt the Policy, maintaining that it could be used in negotiating procurement, trade, socio-economic, cultural/creative engagements.

In conclusion he expressed the hope that, “with the advent of the Policy, selfishness, violence, disunity and ineffective governance would become things of the past for Nigeria to take her place of pride in the comity of nations”.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of Finance, NITDA, Mr. Umar Ibrahim Ede commended the efforts of ICPC in sensitizing MDAs across Nigeria which “has been helping in curbing corruption”.