In commemoration of the 2022 edition of the African Union Anti-Corruption Day, the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) hosted a session during which members of staff were lectured on Personal Accountability and Transparency.
In a lecture titled, “Committing to Accountable and Transparent Lifestyle” delivered by a Deputy Director, Mr. Richard Bello, the staff were taken through the best ways to demonstrate personal accountability.
He stated that “transparency and accountability are interconnected concepts and constitute elements of any anti-corruption framework. Transparency serves to achieve accountability, but both are fundamental to Integrity, in personal and public life. Without transparency and accountability, trust will be lacking and then, nothing else will matter.”
Bello, who is also the head of Training of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), enjoined the staff to be committed to a lifestyle of accountability despite the challenges it poses.
According to him, “Committing to a lifestyle of accountability and transparency is not without its attendant challenges. There may be tough decisions to take, situations that you may be the only one standing, wrong accusations and counter accusations, and denials of rights and privileges, amongst others but in the end, it pays off. It always results in a win-win situation and above all, you have peace of mind with your Maker and fellow humans.”
While advising on set skills to cultivate to ensure workplace transparency, he listed speaking honestly, disclosing information based on confidentiality, respect of other peoples’ privacy, staying professional amongst others as major attributes to achieving workplace transparency.
In his remark, the ICPC Chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN) who was represented by a board member, Dr. Louis Mandama, mni, congratulated the ACTU for taking the initiative of keying into the continental event and adopting a very important theme for this year’s edition.
Earlier in her welcome address, the ICPC ACTU Chairperson, Mrs. Florence Bariboloka, stated that the adoption of the theme, “Committing to Accountability and Transparent Lifestyle” became imperative as the neglect of transparency and accountability had impacted negatively on the country.