The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has warned accounting officers in Ekiti State that breaches of financial regulations could result in imprisonment, dismissal, and loss of benefits.
The warning was issued by the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, ICPC Ondo State Office, Mr. Tiku Andrew Menge, during a two-day induction and training programme for Permanent Secretaries, General Managers, and Executive Secretaries in the Ekiti State Public Service.
The programme aimed to strengthen fiscal discipline, ethical leadership, and accountability among key officers responsible for managing public funds. The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Habibat Omolara Adubiaro, emphasised that ethical conduct and accountability were central to Ekiti State’s development agenda.
The Head of Service, Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, commended ICPC for its consistent partnership with the Ekiti State Government in promoting transparency and professional excellence. She described the session as timely, noting that effective service delivery depended on strict adherence to financial rules and ethical conduct.
Mr. Menge outlined the legal and moral obligations of accounting officers as custodians of public trust, warning that violations attract both administrative and criminal consequences under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. He cited recurring infractions such as procurement manipulation, diversion of funds, unauthorised transfers of funds, and conflict of interest.
He stressed that such actions constitute clear offences under the law and recalled instances where officers faced imprisonment, dismissal, or forfeiture of benefits due to poor adherence to due process. Mr. Menge warned officers to treat every approval with gravity, saying “Every time you append your signature, you are making a statement of integrity and public trust.”
To promote preventive compliance, he introduced practical tools such as the 90-Day Action Checklist and the Five-Question Approval Test, which help officers assess the legality and propriety of transactions before endorsement. The training forms part of ICPC’s nationwide preventive mandate to strengthen institutional integrity and reduce financial misconduct across Nigeria’s public sector.