The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasaonye has called on the members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to entrench the culture of accountability and discipline in the agency.
Prof. Owasanoye gave this charge at the reconstitution of the ACTU of the Commission, which held recently at its headquarters, noting that the members should not use their position to witch-hunt or victimise their colleagues or the management of the agency.
Owasanoye, who was represented at the event by Mr. Lawrence Abuo of the ICPC Systems Study and Review Department, stated that “the mandate of NBC, which impacts on peace and security within the country and internationally, requires that the Commission discharges its tasks diligently and efficiently.”
He noted that the inauguration and induction of ACTU was a step in the right direction to install the building blocks of transparent and accountable systems necessary for achieving a sanitised work environment.
In his words, “The ACTU is expected to effectively carry out its assigned duties of building ethical culture, risk assessments; systems study and review of processes and procedures; sensitization of staff; development and implementation of code of ethics and conduct of preliminary investigations into complaints received amongst others”.
He called on the management to adequately fund the activities of the Unit as statutorily required vide extant circulars by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation with reference number OHSCF/SPSO/CSTD/314/T2/61 dated 5th October 2016.
To the reconstituted Unit members, Owasanoye said: “…bear in mind the ACTU is not set up as a parallel authority; rather they are to work closely with the management to build an accountable system within the Commission”.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of the Commission, Mr. Adamu Adaji who was represented by the Director Administration, Mrs. Aishatu Abdullahi, stated that the National Boundary Commission understands the importance of ACTU and was happy that the Unit members were being inaugurated to enable them function well.
Speaking to the new members of the unit, “I hope and pray that you will put in your best in the performance of this important national assignment without fear or favour”.
In her acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Unit, Mrs. Monica Isoah Omoayena expressed the appreciation of her team to ICPC for the inauguration, stating that they have been waiting to be inaugurated to be very active.
“I and my team have agreed to do the work and by the Grace of God, we would do the work judiciously and make sure that corruption in NBC is minimized”, she pledged.