The Oyo State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commended the Medical Director and management of Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta for taking necessary steps to re-constitute the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Medical Center in compliance with government directives on establishing ACTU in all MDAs to serve as an in-house check mechanism for corruption prevention.
The Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner (RACC) of the ICPC Oyo State office, Mr. Lucky Erewa, who was represented by Mr. Andrew Kunlere, stated that the Unit is intended to complement the efforts of ICPC in the fight against corruption, especially in the public service sector and the nation at large.
The RACC added that the Commission has developed some far-reaching initiatives in prosecuting the war against corruption with the firm belief that strategic preventive engagement involving systems study and review, corruption risk assessment and the administration of the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) in government institutions will help to restore the right ethical values in public service.
He appealed to the management of the medical centre to ensure that members of ACTU work under a conducive environment to fully carry out the duties entrusted to them by the Unit. These duties, he added, include the mandate of ICPC except the prosecution of offenders.
He stressed that members of the Unit should be incorporated into relevant committees as observers and stated that members, who were chosen based on integrity, must strive to portray accountability, transparency and fairness in the service of the Centre.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu, who represented by the Head Clinical Services, Dr. A. S. Adediran, applauded ICPC for reconstituting the Unit and implored the Commission not to cut the umbilical cord between the anti-graft agency and the ACTU members, as this, he said, “will help strengthen the Unit and the management to steer clear of all red flags that could aid corruption.”
In the speech, the new ACTU Chairman, Dr. Akindipe Jabez, expressed gratitude to ICPC for choosing them to lead the affairs of the Unit and help in the fight against corruption in the establishment, pledging that the members will do their best executing the onerous tasks.
The new ACTU members took the oath of allegiance and were sworn in appropriately.