In a renewed push to curb corruption across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), Kogi State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) sensitised the staff of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kogi Command.
The enlightenment campaign was designed to enlighten the drug law enforcement officials on the nature and impact of corruption, its debilitating effect on the Nigerian state, and to secure their active support in tackling the menace while enforcing drug laws in Nigeria.Â
The ICPC team, led by Mr Mannir Muhammad, was received by the Kogi State Commandant of NDLEA, Mr Mustapha Yahuza, while the sentisation paper was presented by Mr Dauda Iliya, an Assistant Chief Superintendent from the ICPC’s Public Education Department.Â
It drew participants into the core mandates of the Commission: Investigations and Prosecution, System Studies and Review, as well as Education and Public Enlightenment. Key highlights included offences and penalties as contained in the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, the role of citizens in fighting corruption, and specific forms of corruption within the NDLEA alongside practical measures to curb them.
The Commission’s anti-corruption strategy, deployed to achieve its mandate, was also outlined. These strategies encompass: Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units in MDAs; Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management; System Studies and Review; Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation; Public Enlightenment and Education; Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Initiative; Schools Anti-Corruption Clubs; and the National Values Curriculum, amongst others.
The presentation prompted several questions from NDLEA staff, including the differences between the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the legal consequences of virement, and whether the ICPC is empowered only to investigate public officials – all of which were duly answered.
In his vote of thanks, the second-in-command, Mr Taiwo Abiodun, expressed gratitude to the ICPC for affording the Command’s staff the opportunity to better understand the Federal Government’s current anti-corruption drive, as well as how to operate strictly within the ambit of the law.