The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN has charged Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Special Advisers of Gombe State Government to continue to uphold the culture of integrity, transparency and accountability in carrying out their official duties.
The ICPC Chairman gave the charge recently in Gombe at a 2-day Executive Retreat for political appointees of Gombe state government, saying that the Retreat was apt and timely, coming at a time when Nigeria, under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari was bent on killing corruption.
Represented by the Director, Public Enlightenment and Education, Alhaji Mohammed Ashiru Baba, fsi, the ICPC boss reminded the participants that their actions and inactions could make or mar the success of the fight against corruption and the provision of good governance in Gombe state, because they were the drivers of the governance in the state.
He commended the state Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya for the foresight in organizing the retreat on the theme: The Art and Practice of Integrity in Governance, describing the initiative as a practical testimony of the Gombe state Governor’s resolve to fight corruption in the state to a standstill.
L-R: Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yayaha and Director, Public Enlightenment & Education, ICPC, Alhaji Mohammed Ashiru Baba, fsi
The ICPC Chairman also commended the State Governor for establishing the Ministry of Ethical Orientation and Internal Security, saying that the State Governor had, by doing so, provided the necessary political will to fight corruption, adding that the participants also had a duty to put to practice what they learned from the retreat in order to ensure that the dream of the state government, of killing corruption materialized.
Declaring the retreat open, Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya said that his administration had zero tolerance for corruption in line with the anti-corruption principles of the Buhari administration.
Governor Yahaya pointed out that his administration would continue to collaborate with relevant anti-corruption agencies, especially the ICPC and the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) in order to nip corruption in the bud.
He said that his administration organized the Retreat in order to build the capacity of top government functionaries in the state in the art and practice of integrity so as to “destroy this cankerworm, corruption, because as President Muhammadu Buhari said, if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill all of us.”
Earlier, the Resident Anti-corruption Commissioner in charge of Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe States, Alhaji Gali Rogo had solicited the support and cooperation of the government and people of Gombe state in the implementation of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy and the Constituency/Executive Projects Tracking Initiative of ICPC.
Alhaji Rogo emphasized that the Bauchi office of ICPC was always ready to collaborate with individuals, corporate organizations and relevant government agencies in the fight against corruption.
The 2- day Executive Retreat was facilitated by a training consulting firm, Value Plus Creation & Data Technology Managers in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN). It attracted about 80 participants including Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Special Advisers from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Gombe State Government.