ICPC

Alh Bako Abdullahi

victor — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:43:25 +0000

Prof Olu Aina

victor — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:49:36 +0000

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15-Year-Old-Nigerian-Girl-In-Harverd

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Minna Pix

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Advert for Youth Integrity Camp - Nigeria

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2. (1)

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Read Letter of Appreciation

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photo

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ICPC's Arrest 2

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STORY. (1)

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List of Seized Passports

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ICPC Lecture Good Governance Forum Delivered by Governor of Osun State Rauf Aregbesola

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:25:45 +0000

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OPENING REMARKS BY ICPC CHAIRMAN AT GOOD GOVERNANCE FORUM

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OPENING REMARKS BY ICPC CHAIRMAN AT GOOD GOVERNANCE FORUM

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OPENING REMARKS BY EKPO NTA

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VISA FRAUD INVESTIGATION

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:53:31 +0000

ICPC TETFUND ADVERT

icpcuser — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:54:29 +0000

image

icpcuser — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 13:48:13 +0000

meeting on the Anti corruption intervention in Aviation sector

icpcuser — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 14:29:44 +0000

I was a Saint

icpcuser — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 13:40:47 +0000

Letter of Appreciation and Confirmation of Payment

icpcuser — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 08:48:32 +0000

How Corruption Contributes to Poverty

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Letter of Appreciation

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Letter of Appreciation

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Letter of Appreciation

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 16:18:22 +0000

CfP Anti-Corruption Research and Policy Conference Final Conference Advert2

icpcuser — Wed, 13 May 2015 11:24:10 +0000

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Notice of Seizure

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wanted_

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WANTED PERSON

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olx 2

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Dr. Ephraim .M. Iroakazi 2

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Mr. Olatunji Adewale2

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Employment Scam

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image

okon — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 14:05:17 +0000

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roundcube

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photo 1-1

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photo 3

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SIGNED COMMUNIQUE0001-1

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AJANAKU BIOLA DAVID

okon — Tue, 24 May 2016 13:38:44 +0000

OLABODE PHILIPS OLAJIDE

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AKINOLA OLATUNDE

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OSHO OLATUNJI TONY

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IBRAHIM ABU BELLO

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NOAH OMOROGIE FELIX

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JOHN MUSA TADA

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Ekpo-Nta

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Dr. Victoria Enape conferring the ICPC Chairman, Ekpo Nta with an honorary fellowship award by the Association of Forensic and Investigative Auditors (AFIA)

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actu

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okon — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 08:36:06 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 14:48:01 +0000

09 ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta officially introducing the Commission's Spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni, to members of the media

okon — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 15:48:52 +0000

DSC_0623(L-R) Nasir Said, Nneka Oleh, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, Nnenna Akajemeli, Gad Bako and Jummai Abdullahi at the training

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DSC_0101 ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta presenting the report to the CMD National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Jaffar Mommoh

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okon — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 16:09:19 +0000

DSC_0071 ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta discussing with NFF Gen. Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi

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ICPC Spokesperson

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MD-Microfiance Sunday Akinola

okon — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 15:27:44 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 13:28:31 +0000

DSC_0919 ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta delivering his welcome address at the retreat

okon — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:29:44 +0000

DSC_0938(L-R) ICPC Board Member, Hon. Bako Abdullahi, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta and Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Anthony Mkpe Ayine

okon — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 08:23:00 +0000

NFIU Pics

okon — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 16:16:52 +0000

Hareter Oralusi

okon — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 13:42:54 +0000

ICPC HQ

icpc — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:43:19 +0000

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WhatsApp Image 2017-05-12 at 8.55.52 PM

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ACAN

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Acan 2

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icpcuser — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 09:39:21 +0000

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Paul Bassi 3

okon — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 20:17:50 +0000

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okon — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 10:09:55 +0000

FCMB donates 40 computers to ICPC

icpc — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 10:31:12 +0000

ICPC, Cameroonian Anti-Corruption Body seek African Cooperation

icpc — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 10:49:52 +0000

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okon — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 13:50:44 +0000

App

okon — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 21:23:55 +0000

SAV Induction Sokoto State University

okon — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 09:16:22 +0000

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ephraim akpan

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Oyo State High Court

okon — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 17:17:51 +0000

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Debate pix (86)

okon — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 07:34:22 +0000

Percy Ndam 2

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okon — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 11:56:10 +0000

Ex-gov Dakingari of Kabbi State

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Dr.-Saadu-Alanamu

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okon — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 12:32:33 +0000

Kebbi Seminar

okon — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:29:01 +0000

(L-R) Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar and ACAN Provost Prof. Sola Akinrinade who represented ICPC Acting Chairman Hon. Bako Abdullahi

okon — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:03:20 +0000

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Lagos State High Court

okon — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 14:54:04 +0000

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okon — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 15:27:09 +0000

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dg smedan

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icpcuser — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 08:35:14 +0000

Enugu Court 2

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High Court Uyo 2

okon — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 10:11:29 +0000

Esvolayinka

okon — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 15:59:56 +0000

Baba Ashiru tribute

okon — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 16:01:48 +0000

Micah Piman [L] and Mohammed Musa Abimiku [R]

okon — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 11:19:38 +0000

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okon — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 12:17:26 +0000

Chisom Alex Port Harcourt

okon — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 13:46:54 +0000

ACTU CERT Kaduna

okon — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 13:40:19 +0000

03 Hon. Akinloye Azeez Babajide, Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption making his remarks during the visit

okon — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 13:34:21 +0000

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okon — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 11:54:35 +0000

Anayochukwu

okon — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 12:07:49 +0000

Bello

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icpcuser — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 11:33:58 +0000

Excursion

icpcuser — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 16:04:52 +0000

DSC_0104 ACTU excos taking oath of office

icpcuser — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 15:49:01 +0000

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okon — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 10:40:12 +0000

male-md

okon — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 10:53:22 +0000

Unknown

icpcuser — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 14:13:53 +0000

Mr-Clement-Uwaifo

icpcuser — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 13:26:52 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 16:32:17 +0000

Dr Musa Usman Abubakar

icpcuser — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 08:37:15 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 08:20:56 +0000

Jang

icpcuser — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 08:15:07 +0000

ACTU Members taken Oath of Allegiance

icpcuser — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 08:55:57 +0000

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okon — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 14:01:48 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 08:43:50 +0000

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okon — Wed, 02 May 2018 15:10:37 +0000

DSC_0379 The new exco members taking their oath of office

okon — Thu, 03 May 2018 12:29:00 +0000

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okon — Thu, 10 May 2018 13:13:12 +0000

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DSC_0970

okon — Thu, 17 May 2018 11:32:49 +0000

IMG_20180516_151606

okon — Thu, 17 May 2018 12:39:33 +0000

DSC_1130

okon — Mon, 21 May 2018 14:17:43 +0000

masari-300x215-300x215

icpcuser — Fri, 25 May 2018 08:28:33 +0000

DSC_1323

icpcuser — Fri, 25 May 2018 14:42:47 +0000

DSC_0072

icpcuser — Thu, 31 May 2018 08:35:33 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Jun 2018 12:46:52 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Jun 2018 12:56:29 +0000

DSC_6159 copy

icpcuser — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 16:55:10 +0000

DSC_0395

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 08:33:41 +0000

Exif_JPEG_420

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 08:48:56 +0000

DSC_0113

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 11:47:04 +0000

ICPC HQ

icpcuser — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:37:56 +0000

ICPC HQ

icpcuser — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:42:51 +0000

IMG_2117

icpcuser — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 10:25:00 +0000

DSC_0357

icpcuser — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 11:32:50 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 11:35:45 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 13:03:42 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 13:17:11 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 10:19:11 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 10:16:36 +0000

DSC_0968

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:55:32 +0000

Unknown 2

icpcuser — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 16:10:24 +0000

b463ea3e-7111-4529-86eb-504afcb4d9bb

icpcuser — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 12:38:35 +0000

Participants at one of events

icpcuser — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 12:39:24 +0000

20180801_115103

okon — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 16:15:07 +0000

DSC_0149

okon — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 08:21:35 +0000

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okon — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 08:48:12 +0000

DSC_0079

okon — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 13:48:03 +0000

DSC_0148

okon — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 16:06:13 +0000

Screenshot_2018-08-13 ICPC NIGERIA ( icpcnigeria) • Instagram photos and videos

okon — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 11:58:23 +0000

IMG-20180813-WA0033

okon — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:27:11 +0000

mp

okon — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 11:18:16 +0000

DSC_0207

okon — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 17:24:00 +0000

Dr. Musa Usman Abubakar, Acting Chairman, ICPC

icpcuser — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 11:04:00 +0000

DSC_0244

icpcuser — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 12:50:44 +0000

DSC_0275

icpcuser — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 09:51:25 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:19:40 +0000

DSC_0392

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 10:07:27 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 13:45:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 15:45:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 15:46:51 +0000

DSC_0489

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 15:40:48 +0000

Dr. Musa usman Abubakar, Ag. Chairman

icpcuser — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 10:37:59 +0000

Visa Fraud

icpcuser — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 15:31:29 +0000

IMG_3170

icpcuser — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 16:03:42 +0000

DSC_0509

okon — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 16:00:55 +0000

DSC_0533

okon — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 16:53:25 +0000

Dakingari

icpcuser — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 11:33:51 +0000

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okon — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 11:02:52 +0000

DSC_0576 copy

icpcuser — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 12:46:37 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:24:11 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:27:21 +0000

Suspect 1

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 13:54:27 +0000

Suspect 1

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 13:58:17 +0000

Suspect 1

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 14:02:09 +0000

Suspect 1

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 14:08:35 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 19:02:02 +0000

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okon — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 14:03:38 +0000

IMG_3612

icpcuser — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 13:03:19 +0000

DSC_0577

icpcuser — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 15:54:48 +0000

Olude Adeniyi Lateef

okon — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:55:10 +0000

Olatunji Dada

okon — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:55:58 +0000

Olude-Adeniyi-Lateef-300x226

icpcuser — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:10:28 +0000

Olatunji-Dada

icpcuser — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:11:01 +0000

Prof. Akindele

icpcuser — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 15:50:24 +0000

DSC_0647

icpcuser — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 15:53:09 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 10:50:29 +0000

Kawu

icpcuser — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 15:52:04 +0000

IMG_3877

icpcuser — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:39:33 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2018-11-22 at 3.10.19 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 16:35:18 +0000

DSC_0617

okon — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 13:55:09 +0000

DSC_0780

okon — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 10:32:53 +0000

IMG-20181211-WA0000

okon — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 13:10:33 +0000

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okon — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:27:43 +0000

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okon — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:59:50 +0000

DSC_0561

okon — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 16:18:33 +0000

IMG-20181224-WA0002

okon — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 14:45:59 +0000

Unknown

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 16:13:35 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-01-21 at 4.36.28 PM

okon — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 16:07:53 +0000

DSC_0166

icpcuser — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 11:01:03 +0000

IMG_4778

icpcuser — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 15:55:17 +0000

Okolo Titus Maduabuchi

icpcuser — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 12:56:23 +0000

DSC_0576_edit

okon — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 11:00:41 +0000

DSC_0801

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 14:06:03 +0000

DSC_0865_edit

okon — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 14:22:32 +0000

DSC_0225

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 14:37:47 +0000

FCT

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 14:43:26 +0000

Kaduna-State-High-Court

icpcuser — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:03:14 +0000

FCT-High-Court-Building

okon — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 09:54:13 +0000

DSC_0166

icpcuser — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 17:01:06 +0000

Unknown

icpcuser — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 17:04:12 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-02-27 at 4.26.30 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 17:09:15 +0000

IMG_2145

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:12:05 +0000

IMG_2148

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:13:00 +0000

IMG_2153

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:13:44 +0000

IMG_2150

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:15:04 +0000

IMG_2172

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:15:55 +0000

IMG_2264

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:16:36 +0000

DSC_0232

icpcuser — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 14:46:08 +0000

Faustina Conviction

icpcuser — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 17:01:18 +0000

77F426EE-46F5-407F-A687-C3676D726B86

icpcuser — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 19:52:03 +0000

fullsizeoutput_15b3

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 13:51:31 +0000

Kawu Infographic

icpcuser — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:27:27 +0000

Daniel Obah

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 16:28:39 +0000

Paloma

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 16:29:35 +0000

Paloma 2

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 16:30:17 +0000

Daniel ph 2

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 16:30:49 +0000

DSC_0411

icpcuser — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:30:38 +0000

DSC_0442

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 11:11:45 +0000

DSC_0687

icpcuser — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 10:47:32 +0000

IMG-20180611-WA0013-555x470

icpcuser — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:50:09 +0000

Yaradua Foundation

icpcuser — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 14:41:23 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 13:17:03 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 13:17:59 +0000

Unknown

icpcuser — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 13:29:18 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 13:24:29 +0000

th

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 13:30:18 +0000

Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman ICPC

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:03:36 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:07:17 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 17:37:40 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 10:52:46 +0000

IMG_5426

icpcuser — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 08:25:21 +0000

DSC_0162

icpcuser — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 13:44:05 +0000

DSC_1163

icpcuser — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 11:33:29 +0000

IMG_5515

icpcuser — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 14:40:49 +0000

DSC_1278

icpcuser — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 15:54:05 +0000

D3T6bGSW4AARw5e

icpcuser — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 16:15:38 +0000

DSC_0062

icpcuser — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:52:06 +0000

DSC_0059

icpcuser — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:52:47 +0000

Unknown

icpcuser — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:39:07 +0000

DSC_0090_Edited

icpcuser — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 15:34:22 +0000

ICPC CHAIRMAN PROF. BOLOAJI OWASANOYE

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:43:40 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 10:48:45 +0000

DSC_0152

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 08:11:25 +0000

Screen Shot 2019-04-10 at 4.20.41 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 11:17:35 +0000

DSC_0155

okon — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 13:33:45 +0000

DSC_1485

icpcuser — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:03:29 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-04-17 at 10.23.36 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 09:30:57 +0000

DSC_0221_edit

okon — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 09:17:23 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 11:52:51 +0000

DSC_0288

icpcuser — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 11:28:55 +0000

Oyo Arraignment Ogunbanwo

okon — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 16:20:43 +0000

D3Db4MSXcAA5kYF

icpcuser — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:24:12 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-04-26 at 9.32.11 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 09:10:49 +0000

vlcsnap-2019-04-30-13h44m29s180

icpcuser — Thu, 02 May 2019 13:16:29 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-05-03 at 11.36.37 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 03 May 2019 11:27:15 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 03 May 2019 17:26:56 +0000

DSC_0208

icpcuser — Mon, 06 May 2019 16:18:55 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 08 May 2019 09:06:33 +0000

Kawu Modibbo

icpcuser — Fri, 10 May 2019 08:56:40 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 10 May 2019 13:54:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 13 May 2019 20:37:27 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-05-14 at 1.00.09 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 14 May 2019 12:54:58 +0000

DSC_0039

icpcuser — Wed, 15 May 2019 19:29:53 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 15 May 2019 19:52:20 +0000

DSC_0150

icpcuser — Thu, 16 May 2019 19:25:53 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-05-17 at 10.20.17 AM(2)

okon — Fri, 17 May 2019 09:56:01 +0000

DSC_0171

icpcuser — Thu, 23 May 2019 06:21:27 +0000

DSC_0112

icpcuser — Fri, 24 May 2019 11:30:45 +0000

DSC_0026

icpcuser — Fri, 24 May 2019 14:34:45 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-05-22 at 12.39.46 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 24 May 2019 14:53:28 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-05-28 at 3.50.12 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 28 May 2019 14:54:44 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 28 May 2019 18:52:30 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 30 May 2019 08:16:24 +0000

DSC_0452

okon — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 13:51:36 +0000

Sir-Lucky-Omoluwa

okon — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 16:42:03 +0000

images

icpcuser — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 17:47:41 +0000

DSC_0134

icpcuser — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 08:26:50 +0000

Screen Shot 2019-06-18 at 11.02.30 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 10:10:37 +0000

DSC_0120

icpcuser — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 09:19:14 +0000

DSC_0207

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 16:22:58 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 07:09:59 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 07:13:51 +0000

Mrs. Folake Abiodun Oguneye

icpcuser — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 17:36:38 +0000

IMG_6482

icpcuser — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 16:25:35 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 14:45:13 +0000

DSC_0099

icpcuser — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 13:12:02 +0000

DSC_0418

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 11:12:10 +0000

DSC_0426

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 16:10:45 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 12:37:33 +0000

DSC_0005

okon — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 14:59:42 +0000

DSC_0098

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 15:54:44 +0000

DSC_0731

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 16:00:14 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:01:22 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 15:41:15 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 15:46:10 +0000

Screen Shot 2019-07-24 at 2.20.00 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 13:22:55 +0000

DSC_0153

okon — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 12:16:07 +0000

DSC_0020

icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 09:28:37 +0000

DSC_1076

icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 11:00:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 15:31:59 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 15:38:21 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 15:45:49 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:06:08 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:37:47 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:38:42 +0000

DSC_0026

icpcuser — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 14:25:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-08-04 at 2.20.51 PM

icpcuser — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 13:39:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-08-05 at 10.09.36 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 13:25:24 +0000

DSC_0174

icpcuser — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 14:20:15 +0000

DSC_0217

icpcuser — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 20:50:14 +0000

DSC_0034

okon — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 15:38:38 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-08-09 at 4.49.57 PM (1)

icpcuser — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:45:56 +0000

DSC_0252

icpcuser — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 13:44:13 +0000

th-2

icpcuser — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 18:52:27 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 15:41:47 +0000

FRSC

icpcuser — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 13:16:14 +0000

DSC_0035

icpcuser — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 13:32:00 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-08-23 at 6.04.46 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 12:51:46 +0000

IMG_8624

icpcuser — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:28:48 +0000

Search video.avi_100

icpcuser — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 14:31:22 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 12:57:45 +0000

scan0002_Moemeke

okon — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 11:41:00 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-09-02 at 3.13.21 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 16:21:28 +0000

DSC_0156

icpcuser — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 11:39:33 +0000

DSC_0060

icpcuser — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 16:10:35 +0000

PNG image 4

icpcuser — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 12:42:53 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-09-16 at 5.53.38 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 15:25:06 +0000

DSC_0047

icpcuser — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 16:04:37 +0000

DSC_0074

icpcuser — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 15:32:28 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-09-26 at 3.03.07 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 13:46:47 +0000

DSC_0450

icpcuser — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 14:47:47 +0000

SECOND004

icpcuser — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 13:57:30 +0000

DSC_0016

icpcuser — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 20:18:37 +0000

DSC_0164

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 16:04:44 +0000

DSC_1068

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 10:35:06 +0000

Obla

icpcuser — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 12:29:21 +0000

Obla

icpcuser — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:11:30 +0000

Mr. Onosemuode Roland

icpcuser — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:40:19 +0000

ICPC Image

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:38:22 +0000

Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MCAN), Members Fall Meeting in London

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:21:08 +0000

3rd left, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole (Presidency); Centre, Mr. Moses Fadipe (Ng Shippers Council); Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa (ICPC) Mr. Soji Apampa (Convention on Business Integrity) & Mr. Vivek Menon ( MACN)

WhatsApp Image 2019-10-31 at 2.48.19 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:26:37 +0000

MACN Members Fall Meeting in London

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:31:26 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-10-31 at 2.48.19 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:33:51 +0000

MACN Members Fall Meeting in London

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:34:21 +0000

MACN Members Fall Meeting in London

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:36:48 +0000

MACN Members Fall Meeting in London

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:36:59 +0000

MACN Members Fall Meeting in London

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:37:04 +0000

IMG_0145

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:09:55 +0000

DSC_0151

okon — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:02:16 +0000

Collage 2019-11-01 12_18_09

okon — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:19:57 +0000

ICPC Image

icpcuser — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 15:39:46 +0000

DSC_0415

okon — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 11:09:59 +0000

ICPC HQ FASAD

icpcuser — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 15:26:56 +0000

ICPC HQ FASAD

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 16:00:45 +0000

Vote Buying One

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:29:57 +0000

DSC_5278

icpcuser — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 10:20:17 +0000

President Buhari

icpcuser — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 10:22:06 +0000

"President Buhari".

DSC_0015

okon — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 15:10:30 +0000

DSC_7707_edit

okon — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 16:04:00 +0000

C868AAA5-FBB8-4165-B080-BBA9BF98759F

icpcuser — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 15:51:07 +0000

DSC_0039_edited

okon — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 15:21:22 +0000

DSC_8192

okon — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 12:16:15 +0000

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okon — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 13:36:13 +0000

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okon — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 12:04:36 +0000

18

okon — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 13:17:20 +0000

DSC_0313

okon — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 15:48:42 +0000

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okon — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 14:57:47 +0000

DSC_0009_EDIT

okon — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:12:07 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2019-12-19 at 2.03.25 PM

okon — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 13:06:30 +0000

Yaradua+Centre

okon — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 16:03:19 +0000

Dr. Musa usman Abubakar, Ag. Chairman

icpcuser — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 09:48:20 +0000

5F51D2C6-DCD4-460B-BF01-076C1BDF64F6

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 19:12:26 +0000

IMG_1637

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 08:56:49 +0000

DSC_0197

icpcuser — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 09:45:17 +0000

images

icpcuser — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 09:22:45 +0000

DSC_4707

icpcuser — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 11:24:33 +0000

Hon.-Zacchaeus-Atte-Agric-Commissioner

okon — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 12:31:00 +0000

DSC_4887

okon — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 14:51:02 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2020-02-03 at 6.48.43 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 18:43:45 +0000

Alanamu

icpcuser — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 14:43:13 +0000

IMG_1420

icpcuser — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 14:45:55 +0000

DSC_0013

icpcuser — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:45:48 +0000

chima igwe

icpcuser — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 19:59:27 +0000

Exif_JPEG_420

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 15:47:26 +0000

Mohammad Buhari Yusuf

icpcuser — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:11:47 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 10:58:14 +0000

2019 Performance

icpcuser — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 14:19:14 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 16:30:23 +0000

Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun SSG Oyo State

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icpcuser — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:14:59 +0000

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okon — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 16:29:53 +0000

BPP Visit to ICPC

okon — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 10:34:42 +0000

Visit by ICPC to Auditor General

okon — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 11:10:09 +0000

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okon — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 16:23:07 +0000

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okon — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 09:43:32 +0000

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okon — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 10:28:52 +0000

Dikko Inde

okon — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 16:41:25 +0000

Kano 2

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 14:01:26 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 12:08:50 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 09:40:44 +0000

ICPC HQ FASAD

icpcuser — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 16:42:47 +0000

Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman ICPC

icpcuser — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 05:53:29 +0000

AMENDED GUIDELINE Brochure 2

icpcuser — Wed, 13 May 2020 12:15:55 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 29 May 2020 21:44:45 +0000

icpc_banner

victor — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 11:11:35 +0000

ICPC AT 20

icpcuser — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 07:38:37 +0000

Mrs. Roseline Uche Egbuha

icpcuser — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 20:00:34 +0000

Mrs. Roseline Uche Egbuha

icpcuser — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 20:05:13 +0000

Mohammed Sani Nuhu

icpcuser — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 14:42:31 +0000

Azuka Ogugua

icpcuser — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 05:16:39 +0000

Elih

icpcuser — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 13:35:48 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 16:32:48 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 09:43:59 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 09:22:19 +0000

Trio of Sadiq, Bababida and Mirian

icpcuser — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 14:04:45 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 14:25:49 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 13:46:33 +0000

ICPC 2ND NATIONAL SUMMIT new

icpcuser — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 20:17:37 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 10:12:06 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 08:29:46 +0000

Alh Ahmad Balarabe

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:11:17 +0000

Arrested NIS Officials

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icpcuser — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 18:10:19 +0000

obono-obla

okon — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 14:18:37 +0000

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Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN

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icpcuser — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 13:42:47 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:42:37 +0000

ICPC Chairman discusing with Sultan of Sokoto

icpcuser — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:50:32 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:41:47 +0000

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okon — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 12:14:36 +0000

Picture 1

okon — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 12:16:05 +0000

Courtesy call on ICPC Chairman by ES NEITI

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victor — Sat, 01 May 2021 13:22:33 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 07 May 2021 09:45:05 +0000

ICPC Chairman and Hon. Members of House of Representatives

icpcuser — Fri, 07 May 2021 10:55:59 +0000

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Ports

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 15:41:40 +0000

Ports

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 15:41:44 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 10:01:37 +0000

IFFs Programme Banner

icpcuser — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 10:42:37 +0000

VP

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icpcuser — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:44:03 +0000

Awudu i Court

icpcuser — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:46:15 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 03:25:55 +0000

African Bar Association delegation with ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 11:33:50 +0000

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okon — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 10:09:49 +0000

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okon — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 16:44:11 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 08:33:58 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:34:20 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:42:14 +0000

Imam Aminu

icpcuser — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:08:44 +0000

ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN and House Reps Committee Members on Anti-Corruption

icpcuser — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 13:20:37 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 13:55:37 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 11:04:19 +0000

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ICPCuser3 — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 14:25:11 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 18:12:45 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 15:18:41 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 18:22:24 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 18:37:00 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 18:58:21 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 08:22:46 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 13:25:46 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 13:21:49 +0000

NIQS Award

icpcuser — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 21:17:30 +0000

Summit Banner

icpcuser — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 21:20:06 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 08:57:32 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 13:00:12 +0000

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okon — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:02:08 +0000

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okon — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:06:32 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-11-26 at 1.06.59 PM (3)

okon — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:08:48 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-11-16 at 2.08.55 PM

okon — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:18:48 +0000

Screenshot 2021-12-03 at 17.28.42

okon — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:29:10 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-11-25 at 11.32.40 AM

okon — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:35:20 +0000

Screenshot 2021-12-03 at 17.42.33

okon — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:43:22 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-12-06 at 10.24.25 AM

okon — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 09:39:55 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-12-06 at 11.41.59 AM

okon — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 11:32:33 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-12-02 at 1.50.31 PM

okon — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 11:26:51 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-11-22 at 12.04.06 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 12:30:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-12-10 at 3.08.36 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 14:36:01 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-12-16 at 11.03.13 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 10:47:15 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-12-16 at 2.23.24 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 15:15:55 +0000

Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, ICPC Spokesperson collecting the award on behalf of the Commission

icpcuser — Sun, 19 Dec 2021 16:02:38 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-12-23 at 1.43.48 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:49:33 +0000

6B4BEC50-E96A-4943-BB4C-C9FF31633316

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 14:03:42 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2021-12-23 at 3.13.34 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 14:17:03 +0000

3A21B075-D549-4E9B-90A9-6A17DF5AFC6F

okon — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 17:42:34 +0000

IMG_20220106_153530130_processed

okon — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 16:07:38 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 09:08:35 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 18:00:17 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 19:47:48 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-01-20 at 12.34.54 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 08:41:54 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-01-20 at 9.24.27 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:01:26 +0000

0C137FBD-9E1B-44A1-BBC4-153E7BAF63FC

icpcuser — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 08:16:36 +0000

ICPC Chairman Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN; and Mrs. Souad Aden-Osman

icpcuser — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 18:36:46 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-01-28 at 11.12.18 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 15:46:45 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-01-26 at 1.22.22 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 15:54:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-01-28 at 4.53.36 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 11:22:00 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 21:57:01 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-01-26 at 1.40.23 PM

icpcuser — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 13:00:28 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-01-31 at 3.12.25 PM

icpcuser — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 13:10:27 +0000

IMG_6132

icpcuser — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 09:11:25 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:03:49 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 15:57:56 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:03:30 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:03:56 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 09:57:27 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-02-11 at 7.05.21 PM

icpcuser — Sun, 13 Feb 2022 13:04:08 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 11:04:04 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 12:55:58 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 12:58:48 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-02-21 at 3.30.26 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:37:02 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:21:25 +0000

Mrs Dorathy Amalili

icpcuser — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 15:53:37 +0000

Mr. Bello Muhammed Abubakar

icpcuser — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 15:55:25 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 16:07:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 02:40:52 +0000

the-sto

icpcuser — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 15:45:16 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-03 at 2.33.50 PM

okon — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 10:38:52 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-03 at 2.26.14 PM

okon — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 10:48:38 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-02-23 at 3.59.27 PM

okon — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 10:56:05 +0000

Abdulazizi-Yari

okon — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:55:19 +0000

ICPC Katsina at NSITF

okon — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 10:22:09 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-03 at 11.12.44 AM

okon — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 11:05:27 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-11 at 8.25.45 PM-2

icpcuser — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 09:04:28 +0000

IMG_6338

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 08:25:29 +0000

IMG_6338

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 08:27:09 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-16 at 10.13.50 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 10:07:26 +0000

Innocent Ezeonwuka

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:15:24 +0000

Innocent Ezeonwuka

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:19:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-17 at 9.04.34 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:20:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-17 at 9.19.42 PM (1)

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 08:45:10 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-17 at 7.48.36 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 09:00:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-18 at 11.58.43 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 11:29:49 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 20:10:37 +0000

Alh. Ahmed Balarabe

icpcuser — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 14:40:37 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 01:58:52 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 00:55:52 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 01:02:45 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 08:54:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 08:56:29 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 11:17:19 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 13:21:18 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 13:26:28 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-28 at 8.47.53 PM (1)

icpcuser — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 08:35:22 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 20:07:34 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 20:12:31 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 10:24:13 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-28 at 10.21.17 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 13:23:06 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:40:17 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 09:39:27 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-31 at 2.48.45 PM (1)

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 13:55:31 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 10:44:44 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-30 at 1.47.07 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 15:25:52 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 08:01:33 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 08:07:07 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 08:13:41 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 15:34:10 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 15:44:00 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 15:50:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-04 at 4.35.34 PM-2

icpcuser — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 08:04:33 +0000

WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-04-at-4.35.34-PM

icpcuser — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 08:05:22 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-06 at 12.38.40 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 12:33:21 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-07 at 11.57.39 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 07:59:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-05 at 9.35.55 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 08:10:41 +0000

WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-05-at-9.35.55-PM-2

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 08:13:15 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 08:13:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-24 at 10.37.12 AM-2

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 08:16:46 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-07 at 3.22.03 PM (1)

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 09:39:00 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-06 at 12.38.40 PM (1)

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 10:18:51 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-24 at 10.37.12 AM-2 (1)

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 10:21:54 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-07 at 11.57.39 AM (1)

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 10:31:48 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-10 at 5.04.18 PM (1)

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 07:53:42 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 12:52:41 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 19:38:27 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-06 at 7.35.45 PM (1)

icpcuser — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 10:33:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-04 at 2.13.38 PM-2

icpcuser — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 10:41:16 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 21:51:13 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 21:51:16 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 22:00:38 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 22:05:15 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 11:04:28 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 16:16:23 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 09:24:04 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 08:35:49 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 09:54:44 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 14:18:06 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 20:05:26 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 20:19:41 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 09:08:48 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 03:40:37 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:58:02 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 16:56:12 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 17:03:06 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-29 at 10.13.48 AM

okon — Sun, 01 May 2022 18:01:00 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-27 at 3.05.39 PM

okon — Wed, 04 May 2022 08:26:38 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-05 at 12.37.11 PM

okon — Thu, 05 May 2022 13:15:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-06 at 12.17.13 PM

okon — Fri, 06 May 2022 12:26:45 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-06 at 12.19.34 PM

okon — Fri, 06 May 2022 12:32:23 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-06 at 12.20.58 PM

okon — Fri, 06 May 2022 12:37:20 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 13 May 2022 20:04:24 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 16 May 2022 07:49:26 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 16 May 2022 18:53:43 +0000

Prof Kester

icpcuser — Tue, 17 May 2022 09:53:26 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 17 May 2022 15:36:56 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 18 May 2022 13:07:20 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 18 May 2022 20:31:05 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 19 May 2022 09:30:52 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-18 at 11.06.23 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 19 May 2022 09:55:07 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-18 at 11.06.23 AM (1)

icpcuser — Thu, 19 May 2022 09:58:39 +0000

Mr. Amdii Gideon

icpcuser — Thu, 19 May 2022 15:33:41 +0000

Mr. Amdii Gideon

icpcuser — Thu, 19 May 2022 15:45:17 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-18 at 1.41.14 PM (1)

icpcuser — Fri, 20 May 2022 13:15:57 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-18 at 10.21.05 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 20 May 2022 13:36:46 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-16 at 12.50.13 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 20 May 2022 13:55:05 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 20 May 2022 14:04:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 20 May 2022 15:35:12 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 23 May 2022 19:59:15 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-24 at 6.01.50 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 24 May 2022 11:15:30 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 25 May 2022 08:08:01 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-25 at 9.44.46 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 25 May 2022 14:20:06 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-25 at 9.18.44 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 26 May 2022 08:13:00 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-26 at 10.09.05 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 26 May 2022 09:42:19 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-26 at 10.09.05 AM (1)

icpcuser — Thu, 26 May 2022 09:45:05 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:38:53 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-27 at 5.24.49 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 31 May 2022 10:43:25 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-27 at 1.15.47 PM-2 (1)

icpcuser — Tue, 31 May 2022 13:07:54 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-26 at 12.45.38 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 31 May 2022 14:23:53 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 08:58:07 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 11:25:22 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-05-27 at 2.12.59 PM (1)

icpcuser — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 11:29:41 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-09 at 11.00.00 AM-2 (1)

icpcuser — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:44:00 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 20:01:53 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 12 Jun 2022 07:52:08 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-14 at 9.17.24 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:25:27 +0000

Mrs. Ramat Mba

icpcuser — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 16:28:13 +0000

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Rashidah — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 11:03:56 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-01 at 2.40.28 PM (1)

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 11:08:20 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 15:53:41 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 20:56:18 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 09:49:50 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-09 at 11.29.58 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 10:25:42 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-03 at 1.12.00 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 12:59:50 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-20 at 3.03.57 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:50:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-20 at 3.03.55 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:52:26 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-20 at 3.11.40 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:57:09 +0000

ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 18:32:40 +0000

Mr. Oleghe Nelson (1)

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 18:24:41 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 08:16:43 +0000

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Rashidah — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 17:23:32 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-29 at 11.45.25 AM (1)

icpcuser — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 10:54:17 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 21:20:27 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-06-29 at 2.42.09 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 08:18:44 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 08:51:46 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 10:24:12 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 09:49:23 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 10:11:53 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 10:47:49 +0000

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Rashidah — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 08:29:32 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 18:36:12 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-14 at 5.42.35 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 20:00:06 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-13 at 2.26.42 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 20:08:12 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-13 at 2.26.43 PM-2

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 08:20:21 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-13 at 2.26.43 PM-2 (1)

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 08:22:33 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 21:34:10 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-18 at 10.03.30 AM (1)

icpcuser — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:36:23 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-18 at 10.01.33 AM-2

icpcuser — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:44:54 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-18 at 10.06.04 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 10:19:31 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 09:14:29 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 14:38:26 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-25 at 11.56.24 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 11:08:22 +0000

Mr. Alanamu Olayemi

icpcuser — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 16:09:14 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 14:37:45 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-27 at 4.03.36 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:28:44 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-27 at 4.03.36 PM (1)

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:32:04 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 16:52:18 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-27 at 4.59.09 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 08:49:21 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-27 at 4.59.09 PM (1)

icpcuser — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 08:49:58 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-20 at 10.43.31 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 09:03:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-28 at 12.11.30 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 09:15:46 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-26 at 10.01.43 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 09:23:37 +0000

Mrs, Olubukola Balogun, ICPC Board Member

icpcuser — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 19:03:14 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-28 at 2.57.14 PM (1)

icpcuser — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 14:03:09 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 09:50:37 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-04 at 5.33.40 PM (1)

icpcuser — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 15:33:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-22 at 1.09.01 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 08:49:57 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-10 at 6.30.51 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 08:58:42 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-09 at 1.43.05 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 11:07:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-09 at 1.43.05 PM (1)

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 11:09:32 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-07 at 7.04.32 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 11:17:10 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 20:17:50 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-22 at 10.16.37 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:45:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-17 at 12.37.46 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 10:47:37 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-25 at 11.38.43 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 16:20:54 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-26 at 8.48.32 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 13:38:46 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-23 at 5.22.28 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 14:20:49 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-08-30 at 1.34.28 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 13:04:11 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-09-05 at 7.11.06 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 10:39:02 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 18:30:10 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:07:17 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:09:25 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:16:47 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:18:51 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:21:05 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:26:52 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:39:08 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:44:50 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:52:54 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:56:48 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:07:20 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:07:25 +0000

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Rashidah — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 08:38:41 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-09-21 at 11.03.59 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 15:27:01 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:47:13 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 13:02:58 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 18:37:05 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-05 at 11.41.43 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 09:26:38 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-06 at 11.09.14 AM-2

icpcuser — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:32:40 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-13 at 3.17.09 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:18:12 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-19 at 1.01.37 PM-3

icpcuser — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 13:04:08 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-19 at 1.01.37 PM-3

icpcuser — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 13:04:38 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-19 at 2.09.24 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 13:20:42 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-19 at 4.33.36 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:11:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-18 at 2.12.19 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:24:58 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-19 at 3.12.11 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:40:14 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-25 at 11.00.11 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 12:37:04 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-25 at 1.51.41 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:23:10 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-26 at 12.43.33 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 08:33:49 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-27 at 6.18.11 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 08:41:32 +0000

1

icpcuser — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 14:17:35 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-09-26 at 1.14.03 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:35:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-26 at 2.35.15 PM-2

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:54:53 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-24 at 1.18.36 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 17:07:25 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-24 at 2.41.52 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 17:18:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-01 at 9.23.34 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 10:28:18 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-27 at 1.28.57 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:50:37 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-03 at 5.44.01 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 09:18:52 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-07 at 1.03.21 PM-3

icpcuser — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 13:49:09 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-09 at 10.33.31 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 10:26:50 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-09 at 10.32.57 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 10:38:57 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-09 at 10.31.17 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 10:44:59 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-08 at 12.00.34 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 13:50:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-09 at 8.35.19 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 08:41:42 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-09 at 3.50.57 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 12:55:10 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-11 at 10.37.34 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:42:08 +0000

WhatsApp-Image-2022-11-11-at-10.37.35-AM

icpcuser — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:47:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-15 at 12.00.14 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 11:15:34 +0000

WhatsApp-Image-2022-11-15-at-12.00.17-PM

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 11:16:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-15 at 8.14.40 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:02:13 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-16 at 3.24.28 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:35:12 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-16 at 4.32.56 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:34:55 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-16 at 12.03.59 PM-2

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 10:04:09 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-17 at 1.27.51 PM-3

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:55:39 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-17 at 6.14.03 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 14:26:06 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-09 at 4.22.10 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:42:40 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-22 at 2.58.43 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 14:29:54 +0000

Mr. Odewale

icpcuser — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 15:56:12 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-22 at 1.50.16 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 15:21:21 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-24 at 2.18.36 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 14:32:04 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-23 at 5.01.33 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 15:23:35 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-22 at 1.29.22 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 10:39:17 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-22 at 1.29.22 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 10:39:20 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-24 at 2.51.10 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:11:07 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-24 at 11.54.00 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:43:29 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-11-23 at 10.40.07 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:04:59 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 18:15:57 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 18:18:52 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-12-07 at 12.14.25 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 11:48:57 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-12-07 at 4.20.24 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:30:35 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 05:26:00 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-12-01 at 1.58.59 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:20:46 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-12-06 at 3.27.14 PM-3

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:27:56 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-12-08 at 11.07.56 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 13:14:25 +0000

Screen Shot 2022-12-14 at 9.55.36 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 08:56:33 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2022-12-15 at 1.18.48 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:14:14 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 07:14:31 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 11:37:49 +0000

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okon — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 15:35:14 +0000

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okon — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 15:53:51 +0000

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okon — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 08:23:39 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-01-21 at 9.24.12 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 11:33:50 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-01-21 at 9.05.05 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 13:54:14 +0000

Dibu Ojerinde

icpcuser — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 15:58:18 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-01-26 at 5.42.47 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 20:52:08 +0000

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icpcuser — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 12:41:01 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-02-01 at 7.42.19 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 20:29:50 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-01-12 at 12.39.06 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 15:42:33 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 17:35:26 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-02-08 at 3.08.43 PM

okon — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 14:13:06 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 08:23:26 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-02-14 at 1.58.59 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 20:18:02 +0000

image

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:49:05 +0000

image1

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:52:59 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:54:24 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:59:32 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 14:01:02 +0000

image1

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 14:03:24 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-02-21 at 4.12.48 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:43:52 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-02-21 at 3.37.18 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 19:18:16 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-02-22 at 4.50.44 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 19:41:19 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 20:36:42 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-02-24 at 2.57.30 PM-2

icpcuser — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 17:26:19 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-02-16 at 5.03.56 PM

icpcuser — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 17:42:56 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-08 at 2.28.17 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 09:42:05 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-09 at 11.43.31 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 19:47:17 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-15 at 2.51.39 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 11:50:33 +0000

IMG_7783

icpcuser — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:50:37 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-15 at 3.03.07 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 19:32:26 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-17 at 4.06.57 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 19:35:50 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-14 at 12.00.05 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 19:39:29 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 06:45:41 +0000

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okon — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 16:43:19 +0000

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okon — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:19:06 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 19:37:48 +0000

Dibu Ojerinde

icpcuser — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 20:15:37 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:40:18 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:43:02 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:43:50 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:42:16 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:49:32 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-30 at 10.28.05 AM-2

icpcuser — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 09:41:19 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-30 at 10.41.02 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 09:55:58 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-31 at 11.02.28 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 10:42:16 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-31 at 4.11.04 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:41:05 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-27 at 6.35.40 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:56:37 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 09:50:21 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 18:43:11 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 18:52:45 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 21:03:55 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 20:06:23 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 12:43:35 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 20:12:14 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-04-14 at 1.28.41 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 08:47:34 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-04-12 at 2.44.59 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 09:09:32 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-04-05 at 3.27.58 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 09:27:58 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-04-18 at 2.10.47 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 08:19:35 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 21:48:05 +0000

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Rashidah — Mon, 08 May 2023 09:11:36 +0000

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Rashidah — Mon, 08 May 2023 09:15:33 +0000

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Rashidah — Mon, 08 May 2023 09:15:37 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-05-18 at 2.51.08 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 18 May 2023 13:57:22 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-05-18 at 2.54.15 PM-2

icpcuser — Thu, 18 May 2023 14:15:47 +0000

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Rashidah — Fri, 19 May 2023 15:06:48 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 23 May 2023 18:33:36 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:23:32 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:37:45 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-05-25 at 12.16.41 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:57:57 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-05-17 at 12.38.59 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 30 May 2023 16:12:32 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-05-25 at 10.05.45 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 30 May 2023 16:21:01 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-05-18 at 1.18.22 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 30 May 2023 16:32:09 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-05-30 at 4.44.08 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 30 May 2023 16:38:05 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-05-19 at 4.44.22 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 30 May 2023 16:45:58 +0000

1

icpcuser — Wed, 31 May 2023 11:26:13 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-07 at 4.08.23 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:42:26 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 08:46:55 +0000

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Rashidah — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 11:53:58 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-13 at 18.21.20

okon — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 17:50:33 +0000

Head of Secretariat of the African Union High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows and Working Group on Common Africa Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR), Mrs. Souad Aden-Osman (left); the Head of Transparency International in Senegal, Mr. Birahime Seck, and Executive Secretary of the AU Advisory Board Against Corruption, Mrs. Charity Nchimunya, during the opening ceremony of the Conference on IFFs and Asset Recovery in Dakar, Senegal on Tuesday, 13th June, 2023.

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-15 at 4.37.46 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 15:50:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-19 at 2.35.10 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 15:48:03 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:43:53 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:48:09 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-20 at 12.43.27 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:46:30 +0000

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icpcuser — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:16:33 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-20 at 3.37.14 PM

okon — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:34:56 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-21 at 11.43.08 AM

okon — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:45:34 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-26 at 12.50.25 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 11:57:06 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-23 at 3.36.57 PM-2

icpcuser — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:10:07 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-23 at 3.36.57 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:11:32 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-21 at 2.43.50 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:27:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-27 at 2.45.12 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:54:27 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-06-13 at 2.28.30 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 16:01:05 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-07-05 at 4.45.15 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:27:31 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:28:36 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:28:55 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 09:58:32 +0000

9843e062-12fe-4aa8-97fb-3eb0549e3ad7

icpcuser — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:02:03 +0000

IMG_8188

icpcuser — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:53:16 +0000

IMG_8185

icpcuser — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:53:45 +0000

IMG_8195

icpcuser — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:54:26 +0000

PHOTO-2023-07-11-13-43-33

Rashidah — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 11:45:17 +0000

c37849cf-254e-41db-882d-b340c9fa6e72

Rashidah — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 11:45:28 +0000

PHOTO-2023-07-11-13-43-32

Rashidah — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 11:47:03 +0000

PHOTO-2023-07-10-13-51-43

Rashidah — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 11:49:25 +0000

cb26fee2-5bde-4bbd-966c-66ee14e26605

Rashidah — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 11:51:28 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-07-12 at 5.08.30 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 18:52:08 +0000

3220abb6-9963-4c95-bc4c-9a1cfe780c3e

icpcuser — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 18:31:52 +0000

f8c1f7c9-eaa2-4730-ac01-c3afb380fa37

icpcuser — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 11:00:21 +0000

3a6092ed-a0fb-4e83-87fa-86a26e341a8f

icpcuser — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 11:19:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:00:05 +0000

e31b5eae-d567-454a-95cd-f9c34ca4ae2f

icpcuser — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:08:25 +0000

8b2875e3-10db-4445-ac7f-7056bdfb54dc

icpcuser — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 19:00:58 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:44:30 +0000

c2753852-a0f7-4c2e-a93b-f9e2589621da

icpcuser — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 14:30:30 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-07-27 at 10.49.21 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 08:38:03 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-07-26 at 10.39.13 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:06:43 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-07-26 at 2.58.21 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:35:23 +0000

PHOTO-2023-07-14-13-02-36 2

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:48:03 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-07-18 at 2.07.56 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:58:31 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-07-19 at 3.47.58 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:18:00 +0000

PHOTO-2023-07-18-15-05-14 2

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:30:05 +0000

PHOTO-2023-07-26-14-31-45

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:42:51 +0000

17ae7963-8723-4af1-b421-ca31fd41cc68

Rashidah — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:40:36 +0000

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Rashidah — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:40:44 +0000

b9140b9e-0793-44a9-806c-035f59640722

icpcuser — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 16:00:14 +0000

IMG-20230807-WA0019

okon — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:42:24 +0000

c7383259-c825-4cdd-ac76-85d65e81039e

Rashidah — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:23:17 +0000

1425f1b6-4170-45b5-b363-22c2f32604d7

Rashidah — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:25:34 +0000

Policy Dialogue New

okon — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 13:35:25 +0000

IMG-20230802-WA0011

okon — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:00:57 +0000

IMG_6703

okon — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 22:57:56 +0000

IMG_6703

okon — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 22:59:05 +0000

IMG_6707

okon — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 23:12:30 +0000

IMG_6761

okon — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 17:35:39 +0000

IMG_6766

okon — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 18:07:37 +0000

IMG_6777

okon — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 18:16:42 +0000

IMG-20230819-WA0020

okon — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 10:41:18 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-08-29 at 6.26.05 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 08:31:21 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-08-30 at 12.42.25 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:12:01 +0000

09409374-a320-4ecb-af0f-49ada725b55b

icpcuser — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 15:21:51 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 15:49:20 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 15:59:14 +0000

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icpcuser — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 11:14:05 +0000

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icpcuser — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 09:36:22 +0000

7a0e052f-028b-43d0-a415-bdfef7b84c78

icpcuser — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 09:37:14 +0000

2c916d5a-58ff-4bf2-85cf-92b538b1e3c0

icpcuser — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 19:10:44 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:36:45 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:39:28 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:39:57 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:40:35 +0000

d0fb5d98-b1dc-4265-9c02-2a2a7ad59f5b

icpcuser — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:41:09 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-03 at 11.18.52 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 10:21:05 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-03 at 11.21.26 AM

icpcuser — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 10:32:03 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-05 at 12.09.03 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 11:45:56 +0000

IMG_8540 2

icpcuser — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 17:58:17 +0000

IMG_8558

icpcuser — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:16:01 +0000

IMG_8557

icpcuser — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 20:22:25 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-16 at 7.25.24 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:31:15 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-11 at 1.42.40 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:47:00 +0000

96cfba20-db16-40e8-8bf2-3a572e278cb1

icpcuser — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 13:36:59 +0000

WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-19-at-2.34.12-PM

icpcuser — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:10:20 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-19 at 4.27.17 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:19:54 +0000

b1421c06-c144-4237-9cda-f4deadcc0474

icpcuser — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 18:11:15 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-26 at 5.09.22 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:21:35 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-23 at 12.20.49 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:32:25 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-30 at 3.35.08 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 16:41:12 +0000

Prof. Cyril Ndifon

icpcuser — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 16:49:04 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 19:47:47 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 13:07:47 +0000

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icpcuser — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 13:28:23 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-11-01 at 11.18.39 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:22:33 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-25 at 8.42.56 AM-2

icpcuser — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:32:00 +0000

606edeea-d5b9-4e5a-b90a-5e372941c40f

icpcuser — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 08:06:58 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-11-10 at 11.30.30 AM

icpcuser — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 14:07:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-11-09 at 10.32.56 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 14:19:28 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-11-12 at 7.14.31 AM

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 13:10:17 +0000

ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 09:43:51 +0000

image1

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:47:58 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-11-15 at 6.16.17 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 14:10:15 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-11-20 at 3.26.13 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 14:30:43 +0000

IMG_8707

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 16:10:54 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-11-23 at 9.49.51 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 10:21:33 +0000

IMG_8719

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 14:05:35 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-11-14 at 2.45.20 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 14:18:57 +0000

IMG_7016

okon — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:07:37 +0000

IMG_7017

okon — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:11:53 +0000

IMG_7014

okon — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:14:10 +0000

60e8033a-40af-41bc-a5ba-e9953c47fd51

Rashidah — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:14:56 +0000

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Rashidah — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:19:25 +0000

832b30a7-a160-4615-b302-865b2bbc4f4e

Rashidah — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:21:20 +0000

289c8aa2-5852-4a9d-a34e-863807877353

Rashidah — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:25:34 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-05 at 11.30.51 AM

icpcuser — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 11:51:55 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-11 at 10.21.43 AM

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:19:08 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-11 at 10.25.00 AM-3

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:58:49 +0000

IMG_8773

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 16:22:42 +0000

f17427fb-6a58-4ce2-8d7a-5f99d7099f9a

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 19:06:35 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-12 at 5.43.44 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:14:23 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-11 at 5.04.26 PM-2

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:19:56 +0000

FAGBEMI.jpg

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:23:20 +0000

b3b313f3-99ee-46f8-898e-c364d080ece7

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:54:50 +0000

e6587d88-ca2e-4d60-b368-3349df852abe

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 03:39:02 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-14 at 3.55.39 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:28:42 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-12 at 12.09.32 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:47:10 +0000

PHOTO-2023-12-09-16-19-44

Rashidah — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 12:36:04 +0000

PHOTO-2023-12-09-21-59-25

Rashidah — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 12:39:57 +0000

PHOTO-2023-12-09-12-36-57

Rashidah — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 12:46:28 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-21 at 1.05.08 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 13:44:54 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-18 at 2.55.08 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 13:55:40 +0000

1

icpcuser — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 20:25:47 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-18 at 2.12.27 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 20:44:14 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-18 at 2.12.27 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 20:47:57 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-01-05 at 5.45.00 PM-3

icpcuser — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 17:14:06 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-01-09 at 1.42.33 PM

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 17:06:31 +0000

WhatsApp-Image-2024-01-09-at-1.41.40-PM-2

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 17:10:51 +0000

WhatsApp-Image-2024-01-09-at-1.42.32-PM-2

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 17:11:22 +0000

WhatsApp-Image-2024-01-09-at-1.42.32-PM

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 17:12:03 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:36:39 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 19:49:33 +0000

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icpcuser — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 19:49:47 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:56:40 +0000

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icpcuser — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:57:37 +0000

IMG_9137

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:19:29 +0000

IMG_9133

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:21:06 +0000

IMG_9134

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:21:29 +0000

IMG_9131

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:21:45 +0000

IMG_9135

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:22:00 +0000

IMG_9136

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:22:16 +0000

22ad5330-5e02-427a-98dc-11784b18c0e9

icpcuser — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 18:10:06 +0000

IMG_9157

icpcuser — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 19:15:56 +0000

IMG_7145

okon — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 20:16:44 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-01-24 at 20.24.11_4d1d6de5

okon — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:48:12 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-01-24 at 20.24.10_7daeddc0

okon — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:48:46 +0000

IMG-20240126-WA0008

okon — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:35:26 +0000

IMG-20240118-WA0046

okon — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:01:02 +0000

IMG-20240118-WA0024

okon — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:03:34 +0000

IMG-20240124-WA0003

okon — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:05:40 +0000

IMG-20240129-WA0019

okon — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:07:18 +0000

IMG-20240129-WA0001(1)

okon — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 18:26:52 +0000

IMG_7426

okon — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:16:57 +0000

IMG_7426

okon — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:17:18 +0000

a1428912-e29c-405a-b889-6d0ba0a6071e

icpcuser — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 19:49:12 +0000

b92428f6-c689-47ee-98af-6dcefe9f4386

icpcuser — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 20:29:15 +0000

58f28859-0022-481a-afe3-ecfd714e8b01

Rashidah — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:36:56 +0000

58f28859-0022-481a-afe3-ecfd714e8b01

Rashidah — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:40:31 +0000

PHOTO-2024-02-09-12-59-23

Rashidah — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 14:51:42 +0000

498110f3-1cce-44bb-8a4d-475a3b79d132

Rashidah — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 10:50:55 +0000

a85fa7d8-ca45-4661-a92b-5a011572e6c2

Rashidah — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 10:53:52 +0000

7852f69a-eded-490d-8d29-6337b81de10f

icpcuser — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 14:17:31 +0000

IMG_0590

Rashidah — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:29:31 +0000

8cb6d4e2-32d6-45b5-8111-6ccb5be89516

Rashidah — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 14:32:23 +0000

IMG_9283

icpcuser — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 18:30:01 +0000

3e315d40-ead9-4ff0-801a-76298bf3b8d7

icpcuser — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 21:19:29 +0000

de47080e-ff70-4e03-aa8e-82f9bb44426a

icpcuser — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 21:26:31 +0000

3f6c380b-b234-4e71-80ef-ff7688475a37

Rashidah — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 18:37:01 +0000

63178570-e324-4e53-8f8a-3db50397eb3e

icpcuser — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 22:01:23 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-02-22 at 12.59.10 PM

icpcuser — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 19:32:45 +0000

IMG-20240223-WA0010

Onoolapo — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:32:48 +0000

IMG-20240223-WA0019

Onoolapo — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 19:41:28 +0000

IMG-20240223-WA0018

Onoolapo — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 19:41:35 +0000

IMG-20240223-WA0017

Onoolapo — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 19:41:50 +0000

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Rashidah — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 20:03:55 +0000

866b6209-a427-448f-8f62-b267a4e25fc4

Rashidah — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 20:05:21 +0000

IMG-20240226-WA0019

Onoolapo — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:00:30 +0000

IMG-20240226-WA0018

Onoolapo — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:00:38 +0000

IMG-20240226-WA0020

Onoolapo — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:00:42 +0000

IMG-20240226-WA0023

Onoolapo — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:15:43 +0000

21ca9a0b-2fe6-4049-910d-e64481844481

Rashidah — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 19:38:58 +0000

IMG-20240226-WA0025

Onoolapo — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 19:47:15 +0000

91e8d63b-ae89-4e8c-918f-fba11d755f8c

icpcuser — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 20:27:41 +0000

IMG-20240228-WA0002

Onoolapo — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 19:44:25 +0000

19c9affb-2300-4e5f-b649-bc9968724da4

Rashidah — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:37:30 +0000

IMG-20240229-WA0004

Onoolapo — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:23:07 +0000

96b1a928-0c47-4bf4-9d9d-c09c518cdfd0

Rashidah — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 07:43:48 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-03-07 at 1.01.18 PM

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 09:19:37 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-03-12 at 3.58.51 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 11:06:32 +0000

IMG-20240314-WA0010

Onoolapo — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:46:10 +0000

IMG-20240315-WA0003

Onoolapo — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 13:38:30 +0000

78aecad7-6281-45d3-bacc-8854b859ddde

icpcuser — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 03:51:33 +0000

d0e8a782-e7ed-4133-840b-b9bde123a57a

Rashidah — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 18:31:28 +0000

d0e8a782-e7ed-4133-840b-b9bde123a57a

Rashidah — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 18:33:10 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-03-19 at 3.56.17 PM

icpcuser — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 09:04:15 +0000

814bc2f4-265c-4f14-9788-b440625c68b3

Rashidah — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:17:52 +0000

dd46d439-9314-4196-9b61-548152842025

icpcuser — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 09:55:14 +0000

IMG_0908

Rashidah — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:05:48 +0000

436252839_756854506620320_3264179694290989571_n

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 20:33:41 +0000

WhatsApp Image 2024-04-18 at 1.44.55 PM

icpcuser — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:07:40 +0000

DSC_0604

Onoolapo — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 15:44:01 +0000

GLi9wvOWkAA7R4q

icpcuser — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 09:10:33 +0000

Nuhu-Ribadu-1200x1167

icpcuser — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:20:10 +0000

IMG-20240425-WA0015

Onoolapo — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:21:13 +0000

IMG-20240425-WA0024

Onoolapo — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:02:29 +0000

IMG-20240425-WA0026

Onoolapo — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:02:31 +0000

IMG-20240425-WA0029

Onoolapo — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:13:04 +0000

IMG-20240430-WA0000

Onoolapo — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:37:33 +0000

61cf7fac-1c9f-456e-9d56-b20ce2a214f5

Rashidah — Wed, 08 May 2024 13:23:00 +0000

ICPC-HQ-FASAD-1

Onoolapo — Wed, 08 May 2024 16:02:39 +0000

IMG-20240509-WA0013

Onoolapo — Thu, 09 May 2024 12:11:43 +0000

IMG-20240512-WA0006

Onoolapo — Sun, 12 May 2024 13:46:32 +0000

Federal-High-Court-Abuja1

Onoolapo — Tue, 14 May 2024 17:57:51 +0000

DSC03011

Onoolapo — Thu, 16 May 2024 13:40:53 +0000

IMG-20240517-WA0009

Onoolapo — Fri, 17 May 2024 16:04:08 +0000

IMG_20240526_141448_465_1

Onoolapo — Sun, 26 May 2024 14:17:54 +0000

IMG-20240527-WA0002

Onoolapo — Mon, 27 May 2024 19:01:43 +0000

IMG-20240527-WA0015

Onoolapo — Mon, 27 May 2024 19:42:56 +0000

DSC03097

Onoolapo — Fri, 31 May 2024 08:06:07 +0000

ICPC-HQ-FASAD-1

Onoolapo — Fri, 31 May 2024 12:24:21 +0000

DSC03797

Onoolapo — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 14:29:13 +0000

IMG-20240604-WA0000

Onoolapo — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 17:38:13 +0000

IMG-20240609-WA0001

Onoolapo — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 15:54:02 +0000

DSC03094

Onoolapo — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 16:53:48 +0000

DSC03096

Onoolapo — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 16:54:36 +0000

IMG-20240609-WA0004

Onoolapo — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 16:59:25 +0000

IMG-20240609-WA0005

Onoolapo — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 17:01:52 +0000

IMG-20240609-WA0000

Onoolapo — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 17:10:06 +0000

IMG-20240612-WA0002

Onoolapo — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 07:51:05 +0000

IMG-20240612-WA0004

Onoolapo — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 08:06:22 +0000

new imagez

Onoolapo — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:07:28 +0000

IMG-20240613-WA0001

Onoolapo — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 14:30:54 +0000

IMG-20240614-WA0000

Onoolapo — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 03:23:55 +0000

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Welcome to ICPC Official Website

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Corruption in Nigeria undermines democratic institutions, retards economic development and contributes to government instability. Corruption attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law, and creating bureaucratic quagmires whose only reason for existence is the soliciting of bribes.

Anti-Corruption and its Relevance to the Public Sector

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“Save Your Love For Lecturer Till After Graduation”, ICPC Boss Tells UNICAL Students

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The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has advised the students and staff of universities in the country to eschew corruption in all its ramifications or be ready to face the wrath of the Commission. Mr. Nta gave this advice in an address he presented at the 22^nd Annual International Conference on African Literature and English Language at the University of Calabar. The ICPC Chairman said following the system study the Commission conducted in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC) in several Nigerian universities, it became obvious that Nigerian universities are plagued by various forms of corruption which include: sexual harassment of both staff and students; examination malpractice; falsification of official documents like transcripts; nepotism; plagiarism which may attract civil and criminal sanctions; contract manipulation, etc Mr. Nta condemned the high rate of sexual harassment of both staff and students and warned that the excuse of ‘matured consent’ would no longer be acceptable in the new legal framework being crafted to address the problem. According to him, under no circumstances should a student be romantically involved with a lecturer. He said, “If you are in love with your lecturer, it’s better for you to save it till after your graduation, because mutual matured consent will no longer be tenable as defence for immoral behavior”. The ICPC Chairman also said that the universities would now be required to report to the ICPC students that they have punished for examination malpractice so that their records will be included in the Commission’s data base of offenders. He further revealed that the ICPC was investigating quite a number of university officials and students who had allegedly engaged in various corrupt acts and would soon be charged to court if they were found culpable. Mr. Nta told the audience that not reporting corruption is an offence punishable under the ICPC law and said that the ICPC has set up toll-free telephone lines to enable members of the public report acts of corruption to the Commission at no cost to themselves. Speaking on the theme of the conference which was, “Corruption and National Security”, the ICPC boss commended the organizers for the aptness of the theme. In his words:“This year’s theme, which focuses on corruption and National Security, could not have come at a better time when our country, alongside some other nations, is facing severe security threats arising from violent challenges to state authority and which are fueled by international terrorists and criminal cartels.” He added that,” The symbiotic relationship between corruption and national security can only lead to an unhappy marriage…..It puts under threat the territorial integrity of a nation if corrupt officials do not ensure compliance with immigration, customs and excise laws and requirements.” He declared that the ICPC was at the conference to support and acknowledge the role of writers in positively shaping national consciousness by throwing their weight against corruption as they did in the fight against colonialism, and also to seek ”novel ideas that will enrich our fight against corruption….” Mr. Nta promised that the ICPC was prepared to assist in supporting writers’ workshops in the area of corruption, good governance and integrity The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. James Epoke, in his speech, told participants at the workshop that corruption was “in the mind” and that people could choose not to be corrupt. He held up the ICPC Chairman as a symbol of integrity and declared: “If the ICPC chairman who is one of us can be a man of integrity, we also can choose to be upright.” The conference attracted literary writers from far and near including Elechi Amadi, the famous author of The Concubine and The Great Ponds.

“Save Your Love For Lecturer Till After Graduation”, ICPC Boss Tells UNICAL Students

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Pensioner Expresses Appreciation to ICPC for its Intervention in the Payment of his Gratuity

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ICPC arrests 17 more fake youth corp members

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Opening Remarks of ICPC Chairman Mr Ekpo Nta at Good Governance Forum

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It is indeed my pleasure to welcome you all, particularly our Distinguished Guest Speaker, His Excellency, Ogbeni (Engr.) Rauf Aregbesola, the Governor of Osun State, to this auspicious occasion to deliver a lecture under the ICPC Good Governance Forum 2014. The ICPC Good Governance Forum, formerly known as ICPC Governor’s Forum, is a non-political initiative which started in 2008 to promote the culture of good governance across all States of the federation. Click here to download full speech OPENING REMARKS BY ICPC CHAIRMAN AT GOOD GOVERNANCE FORUM

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ICPC Secures Conviction of FIRS Official, Company over N14 Million Tax Scam The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a senior staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs. Mubo Ikotun and a company, Messrs. Smit Nigerian Limited for bribery and tax evasion . The conviction of the two was pronounced by a Lagos State High Court presided over by Justice O.A. WiIIiams (Mrs.) in Charge No-LCD/17/2008/ FRN v John Fagbemi and 4 others. Messrs. Smith Nigerian Limited was convicted for allegedly bribing Mrs. Mubo Ikotun (2nd Accused) and some other staff of FIRS to reduce its tax liability assessed at N13,938,985.00 to the sum of N441, 653.00 in fraudulent manner. The Company, according to ICPC, got the tax relief through a fraudulent means and was issued a Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) upon paying the sum of N441,635.00 to the Federal Inland Revenue Services. Mrs. Ikotun, a superior officer to Mr Fagbemi (1st Accused) also of FIRS was alleged to have used her office to solicit and receive a cash gratification of N2.5 million to grant the tax relief to the said Company. The court however acquitted and discharged Mr. Fagbemi. The court also freed both Mrs. A. Temowo (3rd Accused) and Mr K.Oduneye (4th Accused) the consultants who negotiated the bribe on behalf of the company. The company, Messrs. Smit Nigerian Limited was convicted for engaging in a conspiracy to effect the payment of the gratification and also for its failure to report the obtaining of the gratification. According to ICPC's testimony at the court the convict, Mrs. Ikotun of FIRS upon receiving the gratification proceeded to purchase a Skoda Octavia salon car which she had converted to personal use. She equally concealed the ownership of the car while declining to produce the said car to the officers of ICPC who made a request to that effect in the process of their investigation. A charge sheet on the case read, “The conviction secured in the case of ICPC v Fagbemi, involves the solicitation & payment of gratification in the sum of N2,500,000 by Messrs Smit Nigeria Ltd (5th Accused) to two officers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as inducement for them agreeing to effect the drastic reduction of its earlier assessed tax liability put at #13,938,905.61 in return for its payment of a paltry sum of #441,653.42 as its downwardly reduced reviewed tax liability & subsequent issuance of its tax Clearance Certificate”. A petition detailing the tax evasion scam was submitted 2006 to the ICPC The court however, adjourned the imposition of sentences on both convicted accused persons to November 4 this year. Folu Olamiti Resident Consultant(Media &Events) Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

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30/04/2015 NEWS RELEASE A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Mr. Ugwouke Ugo30/04/2015 NEWS RELEASE A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Mr. Ugwouke Ugochukwu to two years imprisonment for forging a letter of waiver of the Federal Ministry of Health to repatriate a corpse from South Africa. Ugochukwu, 33, was charged before Justice Salihu Garba by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for forging the signature of Dr. N. Sani-Gwarzo of the Federal Ministry of Health to repatriate the corpse of his cousin, Bartholomew Ugwu who died in South Africa. ICPC counsel, Ekoi Akponimisngha told the court that the offence was committed on the 5th of November, 2014 and punishable under Section 97(2) of the Penal Code. The charge brought against him reads in part, “That you agreed with one Ogwouke Uche (now at large) to do an illegal act to make a false letter of the Federal Ministry of Health, Port Health (Quarantine) Services to wit: waiver for the repatriation of corpse with reference number HMH/AB/505/VOL/220 dated 30th September, 2014 by superimposing the signature of one Dr. N. Sani-Gwarzo for the purposes of using same to repatriate the corpse of one Bartholomew Ikenna Ugwu who died in South Africa knowing same to be a false letter and intending that same be used as genuine.” Counsel to the accused, Emeka Ugwani, admitted before the court that his client was guilty of the offence and prayed the court to be lenient in its judgment, noting that the accused has shown great remorse since the commission of the crime. He said, “He has admitted that he is guilty of the crime and he has shown maximum remorse since the commission of the crime. I pray the court to be considerate because the accused did not waste the time of the court, he has cooperated fully with the court.” Justice Garba, while ruling, observed that the accused would be punished to serve as a deterrent to others and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. He said, “I have seen that you are a young man with family. The punishment will serve as a deterrent to others. You are sentenced to two years imprisonment.” In a related development, Justice Kutigi of an Abuja High Court has sente30/04/2015 NEWS RELEASE A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Mr. Ugwouke Ugochukwu to two years imprisonment for forging a letter of waiver of the Federal Ministry of Health to repatriate a corpse from South Africa. Ugochukwu, 33, was charged before Justice Salihu Garba by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for forging the signature of Dr. N. Sani-Gwarzo of the Federal Ministry of Health to repatriate the corpse of his cousin, Bartholomew Ugwu who died in South Africa. ICPC counsel, Ekoi Akponimisngha told the court that the offence was committed on the 5th of November, 2014 and punishable under Section 97(2) of the Penal Code. The charge brought against him reads in part, “That you agreed with one Ogwouke Uche (now at large) to do an illegal act to make a false letter of the Federal Ministry of Health, Port Health (Quarantine) Services to wit: waiver for the repatriation of corpse with reference number HMH/AB/505/VOL/220 dated 30th September, 2014 by superimposing the signature of one Dr. N. Sani-Gwarzo for the purposes of using same to repatriate the corpse of one Bartholomew Ikenna Ugwu who died in South Africa knowing same to be a false letter and intending that same be used as genuine.” Counsel to the accused, Emeka Ugwani, admitted before the court that his client was guilty of the offence and prayed the court to be lenient in its judgment, noting that the accused has shown great remorse since the commission of the crime. He said, “He has admitted that he is guilty of the crime and he has shown maximum remorse since the commission of the crime. I pray the court to be considerate because the accused did not waste the time of the court, he has cooperated fully with the court.” Justice Garba, while ruling, observed that the accused would be punished to serve as a deterrent to others and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. He said, “I have seen that you are a young man with family. The punishment will serve as a deterrent to others. You are sentenced to two years imprisonment.” In a related development, Justice Kutigi of an Abuja High Court has sentenced Mr. Obaemeka Ifeanyi Augustine to nine months imprisonment for forging visa documents and impersonating the Senior Special Assistant on Projects to the FCT Minister. The accused was charged by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a three-count charge that includes impersonating a public officer contrary to section 363, 364 and 132 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of Northern Nigeria 1990. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni ICPC Spokesperson nced Mr. Obaemeka Ifeanyi Augustine to nine months imprisonment for forging visa documents and impersonating the Senior Special Assistant on Projects to the FCT Minister. The accused was charged by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a three-count charge that includes impersonating a public officer contrary to section 363, 364 and 132 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of Northern Nigeria 1990. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni ICPC Spokesperson chukwu to two years imprisonment for forging a letter of waiver of the Federal Ministry of Health to repatriate a corpse from South Africa. Ugochukwu, 33, was charged before Justice Salihu Garba by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for forging the signature of Dr. N. Sani-Gwarzo of the Federal Ministry of Health to repatriate the corpse of his cousin, Bartholomew Ugwu who died in South Africa. ICPC counsel, Ekoi Akponimisngha told the court that the offence was committed on the 5th of November, 2014 and punishable under Section 97(2) of the Penal Code. The charge brought against him reads in part, “That you agreed with one Ogwouke Uche (now at large) to do an illegal act to make a false letter of the Federal Ministry of Health, Port Health (Quarantine) Services to wit: waiver for the repatriation of corpse with reference number HMH/AB/505/VOL/220 dated 30th September, 2014 by superimposing the signature of one Dr. N. Sani-Gwarzo for the purposes of using same to repatriate the corpse of one Bartholomew Ikenna Ugwu who died in South Africa knowing same to be a false letter and intending that same be used as genuine.” Counsel to the accused, Emeka Ugwani, admitted before the court that his client was guilty of the offence and prayed the court to be lenient in its judgment, noting that the accused has shown great remorse since the commission of the crime. He said, “He has admitted that he is guilty of the crime and he has shown maximum remorse since the commission of the crime. I pray the court to be considerate because the accused did not waste the time of the court, he has cooperated fully with the court.” Justice Garba, while ruling, observed that the accused would be punished to serve as a deterrent to others and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. He said, “I have seen that you are a young man with family. The punishment will serve as a deterrent to others. You are sentenced to two years imprisonment.” In a related development, Justice Kutigi of an Abuja High Court has sentenced Mr. Obaemeka Ifeanyi Augustine to nine months imprisonment for forging visa documents and impersonating the Senior Special Assistant on Projects to the FCT Minister. The accused was charged by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a three-count charge that includes impersonating a public officer contrary to section 363, 364 and 132 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of Northern Nigeria 1990. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni ICPC Spokesperson

Court Jails One to Two years, sentences another to 9months for Forgery of Documents

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ICPC Recovers N4 million from Chief Medical Director

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FBI ‘liberates’ town from corruption

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Tackling Graft in India

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Stolen Assets: Only Small Percentage Recovered By Nigeria So Far *ICPC Boss Laments The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) Mr Ekpo Nta has lamented the inability of Nigeria to access stolen assets from where corrupt Nigerians lodged them. He said only small percentage of recovered stolen assets had so far been returned to victim-states by the receiving-states where such assets where stashed. Ekpo Nta made this known during the J. K. Gadzama 7th Annual Public Lecture which held at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers Abuja on Thursday. The ICPC boss was the Chairman during the public lecture themed; "Money Laundering and Financial Crime: Problems of International Enforcement". He said, "It is not enough to recover stolen assets, but priority must be paid to the systematic and timely return of such stolen assets money to their countries of origin." Nta told the audience, which included two former Chief Justices of Nigeria: Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais (GCON) and Justice Alfa Belgore that the delay in the return of the recovered stolen funds "is now attracting discussions at the appropriate international fora on ways of reducing or eliminating discordant national laws or processes that hamper the tracing, recovery and repatriation of stolen assets especially to third world countries." He said the sophistication of money laundering and related offences had been growing geometrically to the extent that normal national and international policing could not keep pace. This, he said, had resulted in the setting up of specialized inter-governmental bodies like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), international initiatives like the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (STAR). According to him, The STAR initiative is a partnership arrangement between the World Bank and the UNODC to "reduce or end safe havens for corrupt funds and the laundering of proceeds of corruption and facilitate the systemic and timely return of such stolen assets". Nta assured the organisers of the annual lecture that ICPC would assist them to bring into public domain, especially at international fora, positions that come out of this J. K. Gadzama Lecture. He added, "It is the paucity of materials coming out of Africa that is making the Western world give us prescriptive methods to tackle the problems of corruption. But we have the capacity and resources to address the issue of corruption in the continent." The Guest Lecturer, Mr Alun Jones, QC from the UK said that the delay in implementing laws against money laundering and financial crimes was due to the fact that most national governments "do not have the will, resources, or expertise to deal with them. Sometimes, it seems to me, they simply lack the confidence or courage to implement them", he stressed. Mr Jones advised Nigerian government to consider ad hoc negotiations, in addition to fully exploiting the options available under bilateral extradition treaties, to fast-track the recovery of stolen funds from Nigeria. He opined that the lack of expertise, issue of 'forum' and the balance of convenience for the successful prosecution of trans-national money laundering criminal activities had contributed to the long delays associated with the repatriation of recovered assets.

PUBLIC NOTICE/PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND ETHICAL VALUES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in collaboration with the Presidency (Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values) are organising a conference on Transparency Accountability and Ethical Values in Tertiary Institutions for Sustainable Development. Relevant stakeholders have been invited.

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ICPC Secures 5-year Jail Term for Ex-Ondo Council Boss

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The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has been conferred with an award of fellowship by the Governing Board of the Institute of Corporate Administration (ICA). Mr. Nta was given the award during the opening ceremony of a three- day seminar on 2016 Administrative Professionals Conference organized by the Board in Abuja with the theme ‘’Rebooting Your Career for the New Work Environment.’’ Speaking during the programme, Nta urged Nigerians to invest more in proffering anti-corruption solutions rather than just talking about corruption. He highlighted the need for ICT-savvy Nigerian youths to be resourceful while taking cognizance of the necessity to join in the anti- corruption effort so that they earn money by helping to design software programmes and design systems that can prevent fraud in the country as well as reduce poverty. Addressing the participants, the ICPC Chairman advised them to always adhere to rules, regulations and procedures put in place to ensure the proper and orderly functioning of the society. Non adherence as a result of ‘’ bigmanism’’, he added,often creates an environment for corruption to thrive as systems would be compromised. While commending the Governing Board of the Institute for the award, he promised to do his very best to keep the ideals of the award. Earlier in a keynote address on `Effective Leadership and Nigeria’s Economic Rebirth,’ the Chief Learning Officer of the Institute, Dr. Godswill C. Onyekwere, stressed the need for leaders to do away with ‘’the attitude of clinging to the success factors of the past and devise ways to key into the accelerated changes happening in the world today for economic growth.’’ Mr. Onyekwere further advised that ineffective managerial skills which do not add value to the economy must be replaced with modern technology and automation in order to be in tune with current realities. Also, delivering a paper titled, ‘’Rebooting Your Career for the New Economy”, Mr. Rawlins Orobogha, a resource person at the event, said that changes at the workplace were inevitable, adding that rebooting and kick-starting a career through knowledge, change and globalization must be in place for workers to adapt to modern day challenges. According to him, “you have to keep changing, improving and updating yourself to be needed in an organisation. In our search for operational effectiveness, we must not relent but run with changes, for the future of our economy and organisations depends on the choices and changes we make today; keep changing and rebooting.”

ICPC urges Nigerians to expose corrupt officials

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ICPC Boss Charges PTAD on Elimination of Corruption in Pension Administration

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ICPC Boss Charges PTAD on Elimination of Corruption in Pens

Bauch Government Praises ICPC at Anti-corruption Summit

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The State Governor, Barr. Abubakar was delighted that Bauchi State was the first beneficiary of the Anti-corruption Initiative as the State had already embarked on the process of open and responsive governance. The initiative was a collaborative one between Bauchi State, ICPC's Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) and the Foundation for Transparency and Accountability.

The ICPC Chairman, Ekpo Nta stated that the Commission would continue to organise System Study and Review or Corruption Risk Assessments of Federal and State Ministries, Departments and Agencies to reduce corruption-prone processes in their processes, procedures and practices.

Mr. Nta called on all States to emulate the Federal Government's efforts in dealing with the scourge of corruption through severe sanctions and prosecution for infractions, proactive and innovative prevention strategies and strengthening of Institutions.

House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption Inspects FG Vehicles Seized by ICPC

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The House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption has inspected 95 Federal Government vehicles seized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from various government officials after the winding down of the activities of the defunct Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (Sure-P) by the current administration. The inspection formed part of the visit by members of the committee to ICPC on oversight duties. Speaking, while conducting the members round the seized vehicles, the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, explained that the recovery of the vehicles was an indication of the firm resolve of the Commission to tackle the various manifestation of corrupt practices perpetrated by some government officials. However, among the vehicles inspected, Mr. Nta said 40 of them were recovered from some Retired officials of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. Speaking at the visit, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Akinloye Azeez Babajide said that the essence of the visit was for his committee to acquire better knowledge of what the Commission was doing and offer support where necessary. He commended the Commission for fostering a good image for Nigeria through its preventive initiatives against corruption. Akinloye, who was visibly impressed with what he had learnt about the activities of ICPC harped on the need for the achievements of the Commission to be made public as a lot of people had the mindset that ICPC was not doing much. In his words: “The perception of ICPC not doing enough should be a thing of the past. With what I have seen, we want to contribute to the development of the Commission and eradicate wrong perceptions of ICPC.” Earlier in his remarks, while receiving the visitors, the ICPC Chairman had said that preventing corruption is a major objective of the mandate of the Commission which was also the thrust of what it was doing. Nta defined corruption as an “opportunistic crime since people tend to abuse opportunities which then lead them to engage in corruption” and therefore advocated the elimination of such opportunities. “ICPC is interested in the development and deployment of high Information and communication technology (ICT) in government processes to achieve success with greater ease. This will be the height of our prevention activities”, he said. The ICPC boss further explained to the lawmakers some preventive initiatives the Commission has institutionalised which have saved Nigeria a lot of money. According to him, some of the sectors that have benefitted from these initiatives include the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Aviation and Education Sectors. On challenges, Mr. Nta said the Commission needs realistic funding for the war against corruption as corrupt persons are well off financially to fight back.

ICPC pledges to strengthen Public Institutions in Plateau State

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), has pledged to assist Plateau State with technical assistance in carrying out System Studies and Review of practices and procedures of its public institutions in order to reduce vulnerabilities, leakages and provide a platform for sustainable development in the State. This pledge was made by ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, while delivering a keynote address at the Plateau State Anti-Corruption Summit in Jos, Plateau State. Mr. Nta said "ICPC, under its mandate, has the capability of assisting Plateau State of Nigeria, and other states, in providing technical assistance in carrying out System Studies and Reviews of your systems, practices and procedures. This will help eradicate or reduce institutional vulnerabilities, leakages and misalignments of objectives." "ICPC firmly believes that if you strengthen your public institutions, it will automatically provide the platform for sustainable development, and governance and rule of law", he added. The ICPC Chairman stated that Plateau State could banish poverty and ignorance by putting in place an anti-corruption agenda that guarantees the promotion of integrity, transparency through exploring innovative solutions and new technologies, and that Plateau State could become a reference point in eradicating public sector corruption. In his speech, the Chief Host and Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong expressed happiness for the choice of Plateau State for the anti-corruption summit. The Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden said "The choice of Plateau State for the 'I Support the Fight against Corruption Campaign' is undoubtedly an open attestation to the fact that our commitment as a government on a rescue mission to the fight against corruption is real and beyond the rhetoric that has characterized the campaign in the past." "The summit is no doubt apt, because it seeks to strengthen the fight against corruption in Plateau State. The strategy is commendable, seeing that it calls the citizen's conscience to an action which he or she will personally sign for, not as a supporter, but as a prosecutor of the corruption war. People of conscience and conviction cannot afford not to stand up and be counted." Governor Lalong added. Earlier in an opening remark, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, the Provost of Anti Corruption Academy of Nigeria, ACAN, said he was pleased that the Plateau State Government had committed itself to joining the war against corruption as demonstrated in the convening of the summit. The Provost said:"We are looking forward to working with the Plateau State Government to train staff of various agencies of government in the state to be able to identify processes and conducts that are prone to corruption, and to build systems that promote integrity, transparency and accountability, with zero tolerance for corruption." Also speaking at the event, in a goodwill message, was the Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly. The Speaker, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker of the House, commended the Commission for training Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly immediately after their inauguration.

ICPC Chairman advocates a Holistic Anti-Corruption Strategy for Education Sector

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The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has charged officials of examination bodies and education stakeholders in the country to design a holistic anti-corruption strategy for the education sector. Mr. Nta, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, made this charge while addressing participants at an anti-corruption sensitization programme for stakeholders in the education sector at the ICPC headquarters, Abuja. The ICPC Chairman said that the Commission was very concerned about the various acts of corruption associated with the conduct of public examinations, adding that there had been a lot of petitions from both foreign and local sources concerning the malaise, and that the Commission had resolved to root out the problem. He told the participants who were drawn from WAEC, JAMB, NECO NSCDC, the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian Police Force, Non-governmental organisations, National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), National Association of Parents Teachers Association (NAPTAN) etc. that the forum was not aimed at apportioning blames, but to find ways of eradicating the problem in order to improve the Nigerian public examinations system. Mr. Nta recalled that ICPC had carried out a similar exercise in the tertiary education sector in 2013, in partnership with the National Universities Commission (NUC), to address multiple corruption prone-processes in the sector, which had helped to solve the problem of illegal degree-awarding ‘mills’. According to him, many of such institutions were closed down while some of their sponsors were being prosecuted in court. Earlier in his welcome address, the Head of Education Department, ICPC, Mr. Geoffrey Anumve, emphasized the importance ICPC places on the education of children and youths in the country and explained that the programme was aimed at tackling the challenges of examination malpractice, academic dishonesty and such forms of corruption in the education sector in order to ensure that the country’s educational system was in line with internationally accepted best practices. He hoped that the participants would contribute meaningfully and actively towards the strengthening of the educational system for national progress. Also speaking at the event, the Chief Registrar of NABTEB, Prof. (Mrs.) Ifeoma Isiugo, noted that the Board had already begun to implement measures to help check examination malpractice. She listed some of the measures to include the use of bio-metrics/e-registration for candidates ; good sitting arrangement of 1.2 meters apart for candidates; appointment of credible and qualified supervisors, invigilators and examiners; involvement of credible custodians of examination materials e.g. banks and the police ; etc. Another stakeholder, Mr. Ike Onyechere, founder Exam Ethics Marshall International, an NGO, proposed that ICPC establish an examination malpractice desk in educational institutions and a task force as part of the solution to the problem.

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How College Closure Tore Oyo Community Apart-ICiR

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Be responsible, ICPC Boss charges State House ACTU Members

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The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has advised newly-inaugurated ACTU members of the State House, Abuja, to be responsible in discharging their ACTU duties. Mr. Nta, who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), made the statement during the inauguration of the new members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the State House in Abuja. He solicited the cooperation of all Nigerians in the anti-corruption campaign. Mr. Nta said, “the task of making public systems corruption-free and efficient requires sincere commitment and diligence from all citizens, especially public servants who occupy sensitive positions in public institutions.” The ICPC Chairman noted that the State House had already keyed into the initiative of a corruption-free system through the deployment of ACTU to serve as a corruption-prevention and monitoring mechanism. He told the newly-inaugurated ACTU members to brace up for the task ahead, saying that the job before them was enormous and required them to be prepared to give their best in terms of individual sacrifice, sincerity and dedication to the cause of anti-corruption. Mr. Nta further stated that the State House ACTU which hosts the key drivers of the anti-corruption philosophy of the present administration will continue to undertake the functions of the Commission as stated in Section 6 (a-f) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, except in prosecuting cases of offenders. Nta also added that “The fight against corruption would be more effective when the cooperation and involvement of our numerous stakeholders are secured.” In his remarks at the event, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Jalal A. Arabi, represented by the Director of Administration, Muhammad Abubakar, said the inauguration of the members was a continuation of the existing ACTU in the State House. Mr. Arabi also noted that the State House ACTU had gone a long way in mobilizing and sensitizing staff on the ills of corruption, which is geared towards a corruption-free State House, the civil service and the nation in general. He therefore advised civil servants especially those working in the State House to aspire to be corruption-free in line with the change mantra of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. The Permanent Secretary further affirmed his support for the ACTU to carry out their duties with assurance of non-interference from management, even as he charged the new members to ensure that they justify the confidence reposed in them by ICPC and the State House.

Inauguration of NAVC Executive Committees in Delta, Abia and Ekiti States

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ICPC Condoles with the Family of ESRBN Chairman

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ICPC Condoles with the Family of ESRBN Chairman

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Report Corrupt Practices to the Commission – ICPC tells NYSC CDS Groups

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National Youth Corp Members serving in Public Sector organisations in Nigeria have been enjoined to see themselves as the eyes and ears of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and report observed corrupt practices in their places of primary assignment. The Commissioner Education Department, Mr. Mohammed Ashiru Baba, made the call when he received the Federal Capital Territory ICPC/NYSC CDS group who paid a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Mr. Baba, who was represented by Mr. Jimoh Sulahiman, a senior officer of the department told the visitors that corruption was such a serious problem in the country that it needed the concerted efforts of all citizens including the corp-members themselves for it to be adequately tackled. He enlightened them on the three-pronged mandate of ICPC namely investigation, prosecution, as well as public education and enlightenment and said the Commission was confronting the problem with these three strategies. The Commissioner encouraged them to be gallant soldiers in the war against corruption by using their CDS group to propagate the culture of accountability, openness and integrity amongst Nigerians. He equally enjoined them to be part of the Anti-Corruption Vanguard after their National Youth Service year. The FCT ICPC/NYSC CDS group coordinator, Mrs Aisha Bature, on behalf of the group, expressed appreciation to ICPC for the good job it was doing with regards to its support to NYSC CDS groups nationwide. She also seized the opportunity to inform the Commission of some of the proposed projects of the CDS group, and solicited the support of the Commission in carrying out the projects. In his own remarks, the CDS President, Mr. Ifeonu Prof-Collins Onyedikachi, expressed the gratitude of the group to the Chairman of the Commission for the warm reception accorded them and pledged on behalf of the other corp-members to play an active role in the anti-corruption fight as advised, Having study the submission of the HOU CSFU on the subject matter, the following points are of note.

The Forensic Insight International Limited, is a non-governmental organization.
It is a forensic auditing and consultancy firm registered in Nigeria
It embarks on providing platform for conferences on anti-corruption of the Federal Government and the Agencies responsible for the fight against corruption.

Suggestions.

The Education department and Public Enlightenment department should request for the proposal, study it, and also interview the officials of the company.
The source of funding of the conference and the workshop is very critical. The company should be made to provide how the programme would be funded in other to guide against using ICPC name to source fund unnecessarily.
Also, the template used for the one done in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Justine should be scrutinized.

ICPC Declares Two Persons wanted over N5.6m Employment Scam

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has declared two men wanted for alleged N5.6 milllion Federal Fire Service job scam. The main suspect, Mr. Olude Adeniyi Lateef, who is a staff of the Federal Fire Service in connivance with one Mr. Dada Olatunji, an Assistant Comptroller General in the Service, who was dismissed in 2015, fraudulently obtained from fifteen persons the sum of N5, 607, 000.00 with the promise of getting them jobs with the Service. Investigations carried out by the Commission revealed that the duo of Lateef and Olatunji, had promised their victims which included officers of the Federal Fire Service, employment for their relations upon the payment of certain sums of money. The victims were said to have paid monies running into N5.6 million into Lateef’s bank account. Lateef had earlier made useful statements to officers of the Commission and was granted bail but he has so far jumped bail while his accomplice, Olatunji has since been on the run, which necessitated their being declared wanted. The matter will be charged to court once all pending actions are concluded.

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The Presidency has launched an Inter-Agency Committee to curb illicit financial flows from Nigeria to other countries in order to stem the tide of corruption bedevilling the nation. The committee is chaired by the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu, and has members that include the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial and security agencies. The committee’s terms of reference aimed at promoting financial transparency and accountability and in line with the recommendations of the findings of a high level Africa Union Panel on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) led by the former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, include coordinating and tracking progress in stemming illicit financial flows from Nigeria. Speaking at the event, the Committee Chairman, Dr. Dipeolu, stated that in its declaration on illicit financial flows, the 2011 African Union Assembly has expressed the need to ensure that illicit financial flows and their impact on domestic resources mobilization are given necessary attention, hence the need for international cooperation to address it. He noted that the Committee would seek; “To establish cooperation amongst relevant agencies in order to substantially reduce and eventually eliminate illicit financial flows from Nigeria, oversee implementation of the recommendations in the Report of the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa (Mbeki Report) in the context of Nigeria, make recommendations to the Federal Government on required improvements in legislation, rules and processes for the purposes of tackling illicit financial flows from Nigeria amongst others.” In his address, the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye noted that there was need to stop illicit monies going out from the country in order to get money for development. He further stressed that domestic resource mobilization for sustainable growth was the key factor in the Addis Ababa Action agenda for meeting 2030 goals. According to him, there was need to widen the revenue base, improve tax collection, combat tax evasion and illicit financial flows as well as asset recovery to improve the country’s finances.

NERC partners ICPC for Corruption-Free Electricity Delivery to Nigerians

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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has declared its willingness to partner with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in order to ensure corruption-free electricity delivery to Nigerians.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NERC, Prof. James Adeche Momoh, made this declaration during the inauguration and induction of members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) at NERC headquarters recently.

He said; “We love the Unit being instituted in our Commission because it will help us carry out our duties of ensuring that Nigerians always get the best in terms of electricity delivery. We are therefore, willing to partner with ICPC to curb corruption in the sector beginning with us here”.

Prof. Momoh noted that NERC always insisted on integrity in achieving their mandate because corruption is a form of dishonesty that distorts developmental institutions put in place by government.

“No form of corruption will be tolerated here at NERC”, he pledged.

In his address, ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye acknowledged that the inauguration of ACTU in NERC was a step in the right direction in installing the building blocks of transparent and accountable systems which are necessary ingredients in achieving a corruption-free work environment.

Owasanoye, who was represented by Kayode Kupolati of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department of ICPC, advised the new members of the Unit to work diligently and enlist the support of management and staff in order to achieve positive results.

On the mandate of NERC, Owasanoye charged the Commission to showcase high levels of professionalism, transparency and accountability in meeting the needs of Nigerians for safe, adequate and affordable electricity.

ICPC Chairman Visits IG of Police

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…SEEKS COLLABORATION WITH THE NIGERIA POLICE The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye has stressed the importance of collaboration among anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria to help stem the tide of corruption in the country. He made this call in his speech during a courtesy visit the Board of ICPC paid to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu in his office recently. Prof. Owasanoye said that for an anti-corruption agency like ICPC to carry out its duties effectively, it needed all the support it could get from other agencies and organisations. According to him, the Commission was of the view that there were several areas that needed rejigging in order to solidify the already existing collaboration between it and the Nigeria Police. These areas, the ICPC Chairman said, included the deployment of armed police personnel to the Commission’s offices across the country and a ‘special protection squad’ for the Commission’s big-ticket investigations like Constituency Projects Tracking, sting operations, among others. He explained that before now, ICPC had resorted to writing to the Police Commissioners in various State Commands for armed policemen when the need arose, but would now want the police hierarchy to resolve the problem on a more permanent basis. Prof. Owasanoye solicited the support of the IGP and other relevant stakeholders like the DSS in the Commission’s efforts to secure the approval of the government for some categories of its staff to bear arms due to the fact that its job was very dangerous. He noted that measures ought to be put in place to protect operatives from being harmed in the line of duty. He also said that ICPC was investing and building the capacity of some of its personnel in forensics but would require additional support where available so that corrupt people and illicit funds can be tracked electronically. In addition, the Chairman also sought the collaboration of the Police as regards uprooting corruption from the organisation and the society in general. He said having carried out a successful campaign with the Federal Road Safety Corps in a joint sting operation on the corps’ personnel involved in the extortion of money from motorists, if replicated on deviant policemen, it would help correct some of the public perception of corruption in the Police. He continued that this would show that the Police in Nigeria does not condone the bad behaviours perpetrated by a few bad eggs among its staff. The Inspector General of Police, in his response, expressed delight at the visit of the ICPC Board adding that no agency had all the resources needed to carry out its assignments. He stated that the Nigeria Police was ready to collaborate with ICPC because “you need us and we need you” in this fight against corruption, noting that the Nigeria Police had been in the forefront of the fight against corruption with the creation of X-Squad and a Unit where Nigerians could report corruption online. Mr. Adamu said his organisation was ready to support ICPC with the personnel, equipment and any other resource at its disposal for the Commission to carry out its statutory assignments, assuring that he would do all in his power to aid the fight against corruption in the country.

PTAD seeks ICPC Support to fight Pension Fraud

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The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr. Chioma Ejikeme, has sought the assistance of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in clamping down on perpetrators of various pension frauds. The PTAD Executive Secretary made the plea when she led a team of her management staff on a courtesy visit to ICPC headquarters in Abuja, recently. She stated that pensioners’ experience under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) being implemented by PTAD, had been unsavoury and that it was this bad experience that necessitated the birth of the pension reforms with the introduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Dr. Ejikeme bemoaned the fact that despite this reform, activities of scammers were making pensioners lose confidence in the scheme. She therefore solicited the support of the Commission to help the Directorate fish out such fraudsters. According to her, “We want to solicit the assistance of ICPC to help us curtail the activities of pension scammers. We have a lot of instances where pension fraudsters scam the pensioners, telling them that they can help them process their benefits. We want you to help us in this regard so that pensioners can have confidence in the scheme.” In his response, ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, noted that Nigeria was full of information scammers, stating that the trend was not likely to disappear overnight but that with proper information management and sanctions, it could be curtailed. The Chairman further advocated for intelligence-sharing between the two agencies in order to arrest the situation. Prof. Owasanoye also commended PTAD for being rated high on the Commission’s Ethics and Compliance Scorecard last year, saying that he was looking forward to a more robust relationship with the Directorate. In recent times, there has been an increase in the number of reported scam attempts targeting vulnerable pensioners. The scammers use phone calls, text messages, email and other means to advance their dubious intentions.

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PTAD seeks ICPC Support to fight Pension Fraud

The PTAD Executive Secretary made the plea when she led a team of her management staff on a courtesy visit to ICPC headquarters in Abuja, recently.

She stated that pensioners’ experience under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) being implemented by PTAD, had been unsavoury and that it was this bad experience that necessitated the birth of the pension reforms with the introduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

Dr. Ejikeme bemoaned the fact that despite this reform, activities of scammers were making pensioners lose confidence in the scheme. She therefore solicited the support of the Commission to help the Directorate fish out such fraudsters.

According to her, “We want to solicit the assistance of ICPC to help us curtail the activities of pension scammers. We have a lot of instances where pension fraudsters scam the pensioners, telling them that they can help them process their benefits. We want you to help us in this regard so that pensioners can have confidence in the scheme.”

In his response, ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, noted that Nigeria was full of information scammers, stating that the trend was not likely to disappear overnight but that with proper information management and sanctions, it could be curtailed.

The Chairman further advocated for intelligence-sharing between the two agencies in order to arrest the situation.

Prof. Owasanoye also commended PTAD for being rated high on the Commission’s Ethics and Compliance Scorecard last year, saying that he was looking forward to a more robust relationship with the Directorate.

In recent times, there has been an increase in the number of reported scam attempts targeting vulnerable pensioners. The scammers use phone calls, text messages, email and other means to advance their dubious intentions.

“Re: Ibadan varsity bursar refutes ICPC’s claim on auditor’s blindness”: A Rejoinder

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The attention of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been drawn to a report in the online version of The Guardian newspaper of February 11, 2020 titled, “Ibadan varsity bursar refutes ICPC’s claim on auditor’s blindness” in which the Bursar of the University of Ibadan, Dr. Michael Alatise was quoted to have said the Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye made “unverified claims about University of Ibadan”. After going through the news report, the Commission feels compelled to put the records straight. First, the story’s caption is misleading as nowhere in the report did the bursar attribute the story about the auditor’s blindness to ICPC. The Commission does not make offensive remarks about personalities and nowhere did it make any such reference to the University of Ibadan auditor, past or present. A social media slant on the work of the Commission independently linked the report of ICPC on personnel budget padding in academic and health institutions to the auditor’s visual disability. The Commission has no control over how the public will interpret its stories, therefore it is unfair of the news report to ascribe this linkage to the Commission. Second, within the context of the report, the Commission understood the bursar’s allegation of “unverified claims” to be with reference to the inclusion of University of Ibadan as one of the academic institutions that padded its personnel cost. To debunk the bursar’s claim, the Commission hereby states that acting on its corruption prevention powers at Section 6(b-d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, it carried out in 2019, an evidence-based study of the practices and procedures of the utilization of Personnel Cost in institutions of higher learning. Preliminary findings from the study revealed “gross abuse of personnel budget and inflation or padding of the nominal roll” by some institutions including University of Ibadan. The Chairman of the Commission , Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, made this fact known publicly at the Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector held in November 2019. The position of the Commission was based on incontrovertible evidence gathered from the study. The public should note that the Commission, being guided by professionalism in its processes, ensures that its operational conclusions are based on verifiable fact.

Lead by Example, ICPC urges Staff of FCE (Technical) Omoku Rivers State

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The management staff of Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku in Rivers state have been enjoined by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC) to lead by example, holding unto the principles of integrity in the discharge of their official assignments.

River State Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Mr. Alexander Chukwurah, who stated this recently at a one-day Sensitization Workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the College, also stressed that public office was a trust and should never be abused.

In his remarks at the workshop, the Provost of the College, Dr. Emmanuel Ikenyiri, commended the ICPC’s job in fighting corruption, adding that his tenure as provost would be fully supportive of the Anti-Corruption Transparency Unit (ACTU) in carrying out their duties effectively.

In his vote of thanks, the Deputy Provost of the College, Dr. Moses Mark Ekpa, said that the current Provost’s administration has zero tolerance for corruption in the College and all present at the event should lead by example.
The sensitization session attracted the participation thirty-five (35) top management staff.

ICPC, Police to partner in sensitization on NEIP

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-emphasized the importance of restoring public trust and confidence in governance.

The Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner (RACC) of ICPC Lagos, Mr. Kabir Elelu, made this statement when he and his team visited the Commissioner of Police (CP), Lagos Command.

He explained the role of public education and enlightenment as an effective method of sensitizing the public on and against corruption, re-orientating the ethical values of the society and building a better nation.

He introduced the National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIP) with its seven core values of Human Dignity, Voice and Participation, Patriotism, Personal Responsibility, Integrity, National Unity and Professionalism, noting that these will enhance transparency and accountability, especially in the public and private sectors, in line with global best practices.

The CP Abiodun Alabi in his response, stated his willingness to partner with the Commission on sensitization programmes for his policemen, and lauded the visit as an opportunity to know other areas where the two law enforcement agencies can work and assist each other in the fight against corruption.

Speaking further, the ICPC RACC acknowledged that the Police had been of tremendous support to the Commission and sought for its continuous support especially the deployment of more officers to the Commission as they assist in executing the enforcement aspect of the Commission’s work.
In response, the CP promised to increase the numerical strength of the policemen attached to the office.

ICPC to Continue Valuable Relationship with Punch, Other Media

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The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), has stated that the Commission will continue to engage productively with the Punch Newspaper and other media houses in the fight against corruption.

Professor Owasanoye made this declaration during a courtesy visit to the Commission by officials of the Punch Newspapers recently.

The ICPC boss acknowledged the critical role of the media in curbing corruption but insisted that the media must remain responsible in discharging its duty. He maintained that media houses must find effective ways to act as checks and balances while retaining economic solvency.

The Chairman noted that quite a few media houses were guilty of click-baiting in order to increase their audience and drive traffic, but Punch Newspapers, however, has remained a largely credible and reliable source of information.

Discussing the Commission’s press relations strategies, the ICPC boss explained that interactions with the press are limited to official releases due to the sensitive nature of its duties. While the press is established to disseminate information, the mismanagement of information, especially in ongoing cases, could be pre-emptive as people involved may be forewarned and take measures to conceal incriminating evidence that may be crucial to a case.

He added that the Commission would remain fair and transparent in its dealings with the press and not be seen to favour one above the other.

Professor Bolaji commended the team for their resilience through the current economic climate and expressed the hope that the relationship between the Commission and the newspaper remained mutually beneficial.

The visiting team led by Mr. Ademola Oni, who is the head of Content Division at the newspaper, expressed their gratitude to the Commission and stated that amongst other things, Punch was committed to improving its relationship with the ICPC while ensuring they function appropriately to limit corruption.

Mr. Oni further explained that the visit was to strengthen the existing structures and obtain feedback from the Commission to improve their service delivery. He noted that while the newspaper may be seen as confrontational by some people, the objective remains to keep people on their toes in line with the legacy of the founding fathers of the newspaper.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of publication materials as well as a group photograph with the Chairman and the Punch team.

2023: ICPC Warns Politicians against Frivolous Petitions

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Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has warned politicians to desist from sending frivolous petitions against political opponents.

The ICPC Chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN) stated this while hosting the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the Commission’s Headquarters.

Professor Owasanoye noted that some politicians tend to weaponize anti-corruption agencies with politically motivated petitions in order to outdo their opponents warning that such moves will not work with the ICPC.

“Usually when the season for competition comes, there is a spike in politically motivated petitions for wild-goose chases. Some are brazen enough to tell you that “we should make sure to stop Mr A from contesting” and they will bring a petition forward. That is not our job, and we will not get involved in those things. We pack those type of petitions aside basically. Even if there is implication of merit within the complaint, we will say “go and compete first”. We are not going to be the one to be used to give you the fair or unfair advantage. When the competition is over, we will decide on the merit or otherwise of what you have brought forward”.

He however noted that ICPC has an existing understanding with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on how to go about genuine electoral petitions when the need arises.

“We do have an understanding with INEC that in cases where contestants challenge each other in court and the decision says somebody forged a certificate for example, INEC will send those things to us, and we are prosecuting a few of them at the moment. Those are ways we will add value without compromising ourselves or exposing our officers to the compromise and desperation of politicians during the contest.” he said.

The ICPC boss also challenged political parties to do a self-check of candidates they field as the fortune of any nation relies on the type of leaders it gets, noting that the pruning process should start with political parties so that “charity should begin at home”.

Earlier in his address, the chairman of IPAC, Engineer Yabagi Sani, stated that the motive for the visit was for effective collaboration and support of the anti-graft agency in ensuring that politicians with questionable characters were not elected into office.

“The activities that will lead to the emergence of a government that will preside over the affairs of this nation is something that all stakeholders must buy into so as to have a free, fair and credible elections come 2023.

“Politics is management of crisis and we believe that if we can get the recruitment of leadership right, which will come from due diligence we are expected to carry out, they (political office holders) will conduct themselves in a manner that will give this country the kind of respect which we are expected to showcase in the eyes of the committee of nations, that is by ensuring that governance is free from all shades of corruption.”
Engr. Sani concluded

Submission of Proposal for the Lease of Commission’s Integrity Kitchen

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ICPC charges Traditional, Religious Leaders to use their Influence for Behavioural Change

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has admonished traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations in the country to help effect behavioural change amongst their subjects as part of their contribution to the fight against corruption.

The Chairman of ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye SAN, gave this charge in his keynote address at a one-day sensitization dialogue with traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Professor Owasanoye, who described traditional and religious leaders and community based civil society groups as character moulders, noted that without combining behavioural change advocacy, much may not be achieved in the fight against corruption hence the need for the input of these stakeholders in the society.

"As religious leaders, you our Pastors and Imams, are not only spiritual guides but also moral compasses by which we measure the positive growth or otherwise of the society. As players in the civil society, you are leaders on your own right with the task of standing as the voice of the voiceless to call attention of relevant authorities to the plight and conditions of the ordinary people of our rural communities”.

The ICPC boss who maintained that the country was blessed with a lot of good people with a few bad eggs, urged the traditional and religious rulers to use their influence to support ICPC and other stakeholders in ensuring the promotion of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2020.

He also charged them to be mindful of checking the constituency projects sited in their communities saying they had the right to ask questions or call the attention of ICPC when they are not satisfied with the states of the projects.

In her paper titled: "Advancing the Core Values of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy for Behavioural Change: The Role of Traditional Rulers and Religious Leaders" the spokesperson of ICPC, Azuka Ogugua explained the seven core values of the policy and how traditional and religious leaders could get involved.
On his part, the ICPC Deputy Director in the Constituency and Executive Tracking Division, Mr. Jimoh Sulahiman, identified how religious and traditional rulers can play a huge role in ensuring value for money in the constituency projects budgeted for their communities.

He said influencers such as traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations were to closely monitor corrupt practices and transparency issues which have become rampant in the delivery of public projects in their various communities and cause change to happen by reporting observed sharp practices to ICPC.

"Participate in the governance process, engage your representatives in project determination. Do not confer undue advantages such as chieftaincy titles or positions on those you are expected to demand accountability and transparency from in the discharge of their service to your communities. By virtue of your positions, you are GOLD (if gold should rust, what would the iron do?)” he stated.

The programme had in attendance the Primate of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria, His Grace Henry C. Ndukuba, as well as representatives of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), traditional rulers, civil society organizations and youth groups.

ICPC to Collaborate with Health Institutions to Fight Corruption in the Health Sector

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The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Kano State on Health Sciences and Technology, Hon. Auwalu Abdullahi Yola, has expressed willingness to collaborate with Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to fight corruption in the health technology institutions in the state.

Auwalu Abdullahi Yola made the declaration during a courtesy visit to the ICPC Kano State office recently with students of some health institutions in the state, which was aimed to foster partnership with the Commission in the fight against corruption in the health sector.

The SSA stated that the health sector was very vital to human development and as such, there was need to promote transparency, accountability and good governance, and to block all the loopholes and vulnerability to corruption that will manifest in the sector. This would help the government to provide good public services to the populace.

Also, he added that it is imperative for the management of public organisations to adopt measures that could help enhance development and foster public confidence.

In his response, the ICPC Kano State Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner (RACC), Barr. Ibrahim Garba assured the support of ICPC and its readiness at any time to partner with any organisation or individual in the fight against the corruption.

Ibrahim Garba urged the students and the entire citizens to report corrupt practices to the Commission in order to help find a solution to the menace that eats deeply into the fabric if Nigerian society like a cankerworm.

Towards the end, the visiting students spoke out against the corruption which occurs during admissions and registration processes in their institutions. They were advised to report corrupt practices to ICPC and establish anti-corruption vanguards in their institutions.

ICPC charges leaders of the Association of Federal Agencies to Lead by Example

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called on the Anambra State chapter of the Association of Federal Agencies to not just preach integrity to their staff, but to continue to lead by example.

ICPC’s Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner (RACC) for Anambra State, Mr. Godwin Oche, made the call on Monday while receiving in audience the executive officers of the Association led by its Chairman, Mr. Dara Chijoke, in his office.

While welcoming the leaders of the Association to his office, Mr. Oche expressed his appreciation for the visit, and also commended them for doing a good job of piloting the affairs of the Association in the right direction.

Oche told the visitors that the Commission’s doors were open for complaints and petitions on corruption, while calling for collaboration among member organizations to bring corruption to a standstill in Anambra State.

In his response, the Chairman of the Association, Mr. Chijoke thanked the RACC on behalf of the Association, saying that he was delighted to have ICPC as a dedicated member of the Association.

Chijioke used the opportunity of the visit to brief the RACC on the Association's preparation to elect new executives.

ICPC, NJC Reinforce their Existing Collaboration in the Fight against Corruption

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Judicial Council (NJC) have agreed to reinforce its existing collaboration through the implementation of preventive mechanisms and prohibition of corrupt practices in the judiciary.

The drive for the reinforcement was mooted during the inauguration and induction of nominees of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) held at NJC Office, Abuja.

An Assistant Commissioner who represented the Commission, Mr. Hassan Salihu, noted that ICPC and the judiciary had a strong existing collaboration saying the inauguration of ACTU at NJC would further the ties.

“This event has added advantage to efforts of the ICPC in promoting and entrenching values of integrity, accountability and transparency in government establishments. This Unit being the first to be established in this Council is encouraged to faithfully discharge the ACTU mandate which will in-turn benefit both Management and Staff of the Council.”

The ICPC officer also charged the newly inaugurated ACTU members of the Council to uphold virtues of integrity, while discharging their duties just he warned that the unit was not set up as a parallel authority to the management.

“Let me state clearly that the ACTU is not set up as a parallel authority to management, rather it is expected to operate under the direct oversight of the Executive Secretary, so as to complement management's effort in promoting transparency and accountability within the Council. We implore management to see the ACTU as a strong complementary initiative whose presence and activities would be beneficial to the Council.”

In his remark, the Executive Secretary of the NJC, Mr. Ahmed Gambo Saleh congratulated the inaugurated members of the ACTU just as he promised that the management of NJC was ready to give them the needed support to deliver on their mandate.

He said “This is a clear testimony of your recognition and I have a strong confidence that you will deliver on the given task. I want to assure you that the Council will also give you the needed support in order to succeed.”

ACTU is mandated to conduct periodic sensitization of staff on corruption; examination of systems, processes and procedures that are prone to corruption and proffering solutions.

It is also tasked with developing or reviewing domesticated Code of Ethics for the Council and ensuring staff compliance with same; monitoring budget implementation; coordinating the deployment of the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard and other tools as well as undertaking preliminary investigations into complaints/reports received amongst others.

Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption Commends ICPC’s Operational Strategies, Successes

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The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Kayode Moshood Akiolu, has commended the operational strategies and achievements of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), describing as highly professional its fight against corruption and other related offences in the country.

Hon. Akiolu, who gave this commendation recently during a One-Day Roundtable on Examining Parliamentary Oversight of Anti-Corruption Agencies, organised by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), stated that ICPC had been quietly accomplishing great achievements, especially in the area of corruption prevention and recovery of stolen loots.

Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani, emphasised that achieving political integrity was dependent upon effective parliamentary oversight of anti-corruption and other regulatory agencies; adding that recommendations proffered at the end of the event if implemented, would tackle challenges in the attainment of political integrity.

Mr. Rafsanjani stressed that lack of political integrity has been the cause of political corruption that had been translating into very huge economic, political and social crises bringing hardship and extreme poverty to Nigeria.

Delivering a goodwill message, the ICPC representative at the occasion, Mr Hassan Salihu, stated that since political integrity as defined by Transparency International was about exercising political power consistently in the public interest, and not using power to maintain the office holder’s own wealth and position, it was necessary for ICPC to participate in the event.

ICPC Delta Schools Anti-Corruption Sensitisation Campaign

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** Federal College ofEducation (Technical), Asaba Students and Teachers sensitized

** College gets Students Anti-corruption Vanguard

Members of the ICPC Delta State Office schools anti-corruption sensitisation campaign team were at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State, to
propagate the Commission's anti-corruption message and to inaugurate a Students Anti-corruption Vanguard for the institution.

These were done in line with the public enlightenment and education mandate of the Commission.

Both students and staff were enlightened on the effects of corruption on the Nigerian society and the need for them to join in the fight against it.

After Mr F.O. Oyakhilome, the school's P.R.O introduced the ICPC team members and Pastor Moses Adaghese took the opening prayer, ICPC's
Nathan Ifenkwe who represented the Delta Resident Anti-corruption Commissioner, Edet Ufot, implored the staff and students of the college to eschew corruption in all its ramifications. He explained that Students Anti-corruption Vanguards (SAV) were ICPC's vehicle for harnessing the energy of tertiary institutions students for the anti-corruption war.

Thereafter, Stella Chibuzor made a presentation on: An Overview of ICPC Act 2000. This was followed by another presentation by Life Kakogbe also of ICPC who enjoined the students and staff to fight for their future by joining the anti-corruption war.

The event also featured speeches such as that of Mr John Okara, the Deputy Provost who represented Mrs J.E. Anene Okeakwa, the Provost of the college who was "unavoidably absent".

Okara used the opportunity to inform the audience that the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the college was very active and effective, and that the school's management had been supportive to it.

He also congratulated the SAV Exco nominees who were going to be inaugurated, while promising that they would be given the same support which was being given to the ACTU.

The D.Provost urged them to help expose any form of harassment, intimidation, extortion and such acts in the institution.

Following the swearing in of the SAV Exco members, the President , Miss Adishi Jane, on behalf of her colleagues gave an acceptance speech, stating that they were ready to work with the school management and ICPC to entrench transparency and noble values in the college.

Others who gave goodwill messages at the event included the SUG President, ESAN (Education Student's Association of Nigeria) President, PDE (Post Diploma Education) while the college's ACTU chairman gave the vote of thanks.

The event was graced by 55 participants including the Deputy Provost, Dean of Student's Affairs, Bursar, Deputy Registrar, ACTU members, staff and students.

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FUTURE OF THE NATION DEPENDS ON UPHOLDING ANTI-CORRUPTION VALUES
… ICPC NIGER STATE INAUGRATES 30 CLUBS

The Niger State office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in collaboration with Niger State Ministry of Education, recently inaugurated 30 Students Anti-Corruption Clubs (SACs) in 30 secondary schools in the state to promote ethical values and combat corruption among students.

The event which took place in Minna, Niger State inaugurated 30 Anti-Corruption Clubs, which signifies a good step towards fostering a culture of integrity and accountability among the youth.

This initiative aims to empower students with the knowledge and skills necessary to combat corruption and contribute to the development of a transparent society.

In his remarks, the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Mr. Zayyana Dan-Musa emphasised the need for students to develop a strong sense of responsibility and accountability, urging them to actively participate in the fight against corruption.

Mr. Dan-Musa affirmed that instilling anti-corruption values at an early age plays a crucial role in shaping the future of the nation.

“The youths anywhere in the world represent the backbone of national development. They possess the energy, the talent, and valor which, if properly galvanized and channeled, could lead to positive national transformation, growth and development. Therefore, any nation that undermines its youth population or engages its youths in nothing but political thuggery does so at its own peril.”

Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Wasa Jonathan K, noted that the best way to fight corruption was to mainstream it on the younger ones, as the crusade can only be sustained by “catching them young”.

The event featured a lecture by the Head of Public Enlightenment and Education (PE&E), Mr. Baba Alaro Shuaib, who provided students with a comprehensive explanation of corruption, its effects on society and the strategies to combat it effectively.

Highlights of the inauguration ceremony was the administration of Oath of Office to the students by the head of the ICPC Legal Unit in the Niger State office, Barrister Usman Ya’u.

The establishment of the Anti-Corruption Clubs in 30 schools of Niger State is expected to create a ripple effect, spreading the message of integrity and inspiring more young Nigerians to actively participate in the fight against corruption.

Nwadibia Oyinyechi Lopez

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The person whose picture appears here, Nwadibia Oyinyechi Lopez is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for trial over allegations of obtaining gratification to facilitate employment.

Mr Nwadibia, an indigene of Imo State, was born on 11th April 1981 (42 Years old). His last known address is: 34Clifford

Anyone who has useful information about his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices, or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272)

Azuka C. Ogugua
Spokesperson for the Commission

SGF and ICPC Chairman Advocate for Enhanced Anti-Corruption Efforts Through Religious Leaders

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The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, have concurred that anti-corruption efforts could be more effective if championed by religious leaders.

The duo who spoke at the first quarterly meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, convened by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who co-chair NIREC, emphasized that religious entities wield significant influence over their followers, making them crucial in disseminating anti-corruption messages.

The ICPC Chairman in his remarks at the event urged religious leaders to prioritize the fight against corruption, cybercrimes, and related offences for the common good of the masses.

According to the ICPC Chairman, "Religious leaders from different faiths can collaborate on interfaith initiatives that promote accountability and combat corruption and cybercrime".

Dr. Aliyu charged religious communities to be more actively involved in the anti-corruption drive stressing that, "Religious communities should unite in their commitment to ethical conduct. This fight is a collective responsibility that transcends religious boundaries".

In his address, Senator Akume conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s appreciation for the contributions of religious leaders to peace and nation-building, assuring them that NIREC would remain a key development partner in the administration’s efforts.

The SGF reiterated that the Tinubu administration was dedicated to saving the economy through various programs and difficult decisions aimed at preventing systemic collapse.

Senator Akume acknowledged the hardships faced by Nigerians and expressed the government's deepest sympathy noting that the government was working daily to reduce the burden of Nigerians.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, said "Corruption in Nigeria is a persistent issue discussed in every forum, yet it remains entrenched”, enjoining the Commission, “It is crucial to commission research to understand why corruption is so difficult to eradicate."

Sultan Abubakar pointed out that corruption pervades political, traditional, faith-based, community, social, youth, and family institutions. He stressed that key participants in corrupt practices include parents, community leaders, business leaders, politicians, religious leaders, public sector employees, security agents, public office holders, judges, and school administrators.

ICPC Arraigns Dismissed NECO Staff over Alleged Certificate Forgery

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Mrs. Rose Deffi, a former employee of the National Examination Council (NECO), who was dismissed over allegations of certificate forgery.

The trial was first scheduled for May 30, 2024, before Honourable Justice G.D. Fwomyon at the Plateau State High Court but was stalled due to the defendant's absence.

The court ruled that Mrs. Deffi should be served the charge sheet through substituted means and be produced in court by her lawyer at the next hearing.

On Friday, when the case was called, Mrs. Deffi who was present in the court pleaded not guilty to all seven counts of forgery against her.

In light of her plea, the ICPC counsel Mr. O.G. Iwuagwu requested another date for the trial's commencement while the defense counsel Mr. P.M. Lere did not oppose this but asked the court to consider the bail application for his client.

The ICPC Counsel Mr. Iwuagwu did not oppose the bail application but requested the court to set conditions ensuring the defendant's availability for trial.

The Presiding Judge Justice Fwomyon after listening to the arguments of both counsels granted Mrs. Deffi bail at N2 million with two sureties of the same amount and he adjourned the case till September 26, 2024, for trial commencement.

In 2020, NECO conducted a nationwide certificate verification exercise, resulting in 89 staff members being indicted for using fake certificates.

The Council’s Governing Board subsequently approved their dismissals and referred their cases to the ICPC and the Nigerian Police for prosecution.

ICPC Arraigns Dismissed NECO Staff over Alleged Certificate Forgery

Onoolapo

The trial was first scheduled for May 30, 2024, before Honourable Justice G.D. Fwomyon at the Plateau State High Court but was stalled due to the defendant's absence.

The court ruled that Mrs. Deffi should be served the charge sheet through substituted means and be produced in court by her lawyer at the next hearing.

On Friday, when the case was called, Mrs. Deffi who was present in the court pleaded not guilty to all seven counts of forgery against her.

The ICPC Counsel Mr. Iwuagwu did not oppose the bail application but requested the court to set conditions ensuring the defendant's availability for trial.

In 2020, NECO conducted a nationwide certificate verification exercise, resulting in 89 staff members being indicted for using fake certificates.

The Council’s Governing Board subsequently approved their dismissals and referred their cases to the ICPC and the Nigerian Police for prosecution.

DEBRIEFING FOR BIDDERS ON 2024 CAPITAL PROJECTS

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ICPC Imo State Office Supports NIS on Qualitative and Corruption Free Service Delivery to the Public

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In recognition of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Imo State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has resolved to support Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Imo State Command, to ensure qualitative and corruption free delivery of Immigration services to the public.

The resolution made at the Sensitisation and Awareness Campaign Programme jointly facilitated by NIS ACTU Unit and the ICPC, themed "Mitigating Corruption and Improving Service Delivery in Nigeria Immigration Services, held recently at Owerri, Imo State; reaffirmed the commitment of both agencies to ridding the service of all forms of corruption in order to achieve effective service delivery.

In his remarks, the ICPC Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Imo state office, Barrister Peter Alumbugu, represented by an Assistant Commissioner of the Commission, Mrs. Chinwe Egbeocha further urged NIS staff to build a firm moral fiber that could resist all forms of corruption.

The ICPC Commissioner Alumbugu, emphasised on management decentralisation, upgrade of Website and deployment o

Putting edge technology to reduce contact between applicants and their officers in order to achieve a fast process and less opportunity for malpractices.

Mr. Uchendu John Achi, an Assistant Comptroller of Immigration Service and Chairman of NIS Anti-Corruption Unit outlined various measures the Service adopted to help eradicate corruption in the system, including directing applicants to come the office rather than giving money to touts to process their passports and other related services.

Mr. Achi pointed out that applicants could conveniently apply for their passports at the comfort of their homes online; further enjoining all NIS officers to shun corruption of any forms and be honest, discipline and diligent in executing their duties for the betterment of the nation.

The event attracted dignitaries and representatives from other organisations such as the Nigerian Correctional Service, Federal Fire Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Federal Road Safety Corps.

ICPC commences probe of contract awards by MDAs

icpc — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:12:24 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission(ICPC) is to commence investigations into award of contracts through an audit of financial records of federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs from 2007 to date. The federal Ministry of Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, the University of Abuja, the Federal University of Technology Minna, the Education Trust Fund, and the National Universities Commission are among the MDAs to be investigated in the first phase. According to a press release by the Commission’s head of public enlightenment, Mike Sowe, The Commission is to examine and review the due process procedures adopted by the MDAs in the award of contracts, the exercise will inquire into “the budgetary provision, advertisement of tender and composition of the tenders board as well as the tender analysis and selection of bidders”. “ICPC operatives will also establish the approval limit and the appropriation act for each MDA, and study the actual expenditure. The legal status of contractors and ownership of companies will be investigated, as well as evidence of payment of tax and audited accounts of companies”. He added. The ICPC says it is concerned with contracts awarded over and above the benchmark and others awarded without cash backing. “The authority to incur expenditure (AIE) and the enabling act of each MDA as it relates to internally generated revenue (IGR) will be scrutinized”. The Commission is to look into “cases of multiple awards of contracts to a single company, insider trading and abandoned projects. They are to examine all project monitoring and evaluation reports, the Completion certificates and carry out physical inspection of projects executed”. The statement declared that the Commission is to forward its findings to President Goodluck Jonathan; and will prosecute any Chief Executive Officer that breaches the ICPC Act.

ICPC orders PHCN to fight internal corruption

icpc — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:10:01 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) has directed the Nigerian Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to fight corruption within the organization to serve Nigerians better. A statement by the Commission’s Resident Media Consultant, Mr. Folu Olamiti, quoted the Commission’s Secretary, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, as saying that PHCN could not succeed in its task of providing required electricity for the country without fighting internal corruption. Oglafa noted with regret that consecutive audit reports by SERVICOM since 2003 had shown that nothing had changed in its services. He said the PHCN could not afford to fail Nigerians in the task of providing transparent service delivery. Source: Daily Trust

ICPC, theatre practitioners align against graft.

icpc — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:39:54 +0000

TO boost the war against corruption, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is joining the Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners to produce an advocacy film that will depict its evils in the country. The National film project is titled “The efficacy of law.” Resident Consultant for ICPC on Media, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said the project is being packaged by the Lagos State chapter of National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corp (NAVC), an arm of commission. He added that the parties had agreed at the end of a two-day meeting in Lagos that the advocacy anti-corruption film would help send the right message to Nigerians about the war against corruption. Lagos State coordinator of NAVC, Ambassador Akinyemi Badejo, at the meeting, had lamented the level of moral decay in the country, saying that it was time to rewrite the history of Nigeria. “We have the men to clean our environment and fashion out something positive about the whole nation that we can sell to the entire world.”

ICPC recovers N216.7m unspent funds from RMRDC

icpc — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 02:41:30 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered N216.7 million from the Raw Materials Research and Development Council as unspent recurrent funds between 2006 and 2010, it was learnt yesterday. The commission said that RMRDC has not been remitting is unspent funds to the treasury as statutorily required. A statement by the Resident Media Consultant to the commission, Mr. Folu Olamiti said the discovery of the unspent funds was part of a system review exercise carried out by ICPC. The statement said: “This discovery was contained in a report of the system study review exercise carried out by the anti-graft agency meant to ensure full compliance and strict adherence with government policies on remittance of unspent balances at the end of financial year. “The total recovered from the council had been paid into the ICPC recovery account domiciled with one of the old generation banks in the country. “Besides, the backlog of un-remitted taxes (VAT & WHT) amounting to N21.9 million for the periods of October 2009 to December 2010 has also been remitted directly to Federal Inland Revenue Services by the council as directed by ICPC. “The report indicated that “during the same period, 2006-2010, the councils total Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the various sources amounted to N69.5 million, from the IGR, the council was expected to retain 20 percent for its operations and remit 80% to the Federal Government, consolidated revenue fund account. “The review report however confirmed that only N30.9 million has so far been remitted to the federal government account, leaving a short fall of N24.7 million as un-remitted before the study was carried out. “It was in the course of the review exercise that operatives of the ICPC discovered that the council has not been remitting its unspent balances under the personnel and overhead cost at the end of each financial year, instead such balances were unusually rolled over to the following financial year in gross violation of the extant rules and regulations. “ The statement gave details of unspent balances uncovered by ICPC team. It added: “At the end of the system study review exercise, the following amounts were confirmed as unspent balances under the personnel and over head cost. Accounts as well as the outstanding credit balance under the internally generated revenue account (IGR) respectively all amounting to N217, 606,106.08 as at 31st December 2010. “The report showed. “The review exercise which was carried out between April and July this year also indicated that the sum of N33.1 million was paid to the council by the NDIC through Ecobank Nigeria Plc as part payment of money trapped at the defunct All states Trust Bank Nigeria Plc. This money, the report said was subsequently transferred to the over head account where it was utilized alongside with other allocations. “A total sum of N11.7 billion was received by the council as allocation for its activities under personnel and over head costs between the periods 2006 and 2010 reviewed by the ICPC.”

ICPC detains Alao-Akala's aides over N6.5bn fraud

icpc — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:37:47 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and related offences Commission on Wednesday detained two commissioners in the administration of a former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala. They are being held at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja as investigations into the Alao-Akala administration continues. Our correspondent learnt that the former commissioner in charge of commerce and cooperatives, Dr. Kola Balogun, his counterpart in the finance ministry, Chief Bayo Bankole, as well as the commissioner in the ministry of finance, Alhaji Majekodunmi Aborode, were quizzed for several hours by operatives of the ICPC. Although Aborode was later released on health grounds, he was told to return to meet with investigators in three weeks with the necessary documents on the contract awards. Our correspondent learnt that the men had earlier been invited and granted bail to enable them to provide the necessary documents required by the anti-graft agency in connection with an alleged N6.5bn fraud and contract awards in the state when Alao-Akala was governor. ICPC spokesman, Mr. Folu Olamiti, confirmed that the men were being interrogated at the ICPC as a part of ongoing investigations. Although Olamiti did not confirm if Alao-Akala would be invited for questioning, he said the turn of the investigation would determine the situation. “We want to be sure we have a watertight case before we invite him, these men were his aides and they worked directly with him,” he said. The ICPC had arrested five former commissioners and the former accountant-general of the state in June following a barrage of petitions against the administration from members of the public. The five commissioners were, however, granted administrative bail while operatives of the anti-graft agency continued with the investigation. Our correspondent learnt that a female contractor (names withheld), who is at the centre of the contracts scam, however, did not show up on Wednesday at the ICPC headquarters. Her lawyers had appeared on her behalf, with the excuse that her daughter was ill at an undisclosed hospital in Ibadan, the Oyo State, capital. A source close to the investigation told our correspondent that the female contractor had been summoned to appear next week to explain the details of the contracts awarded to her by the Alao-Akala administration. The aides of the former governor are being investigated in connection with alleged fraud and internal corruption, particularly on the award and mismanagement of N8.2bn excess crude funds accrued to the state during Alao-Akala’s tenure as governor. Source: The Punch

ICPC arrests judge over bribery, to try agencies' ex-chiefs

icpc — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:09:33 +0000

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested a Magistrate’s Court judge in Enugu for demanding and receiving bribe from a surety. . ICPC said the judge, with the Enugu North Local Council Magistrate’s Court, was brought to its headquarters on Friday for interrogation. Its Head of Public Enlightenment, Mike Sowe, described the arrest as a sting operation, which was carried out following a petition from a citizen who is standing as a surety for two suspects in the judge’s jurisdiction. . “The petitioner alleged that after granting bail to the two suspects, the judge demanded for the sum of N500,000 as settlement. . “An initial sum of N100,000 was paid to the judge’s account in addition to another payment of N50,000 cash which he collected from the surety”, he said, adding that in his determination to collect more money, the judge continued to harass and intimidate the surety, who finally decided to report the matter to the ICPC. “The Commission then dispatched some operatives with N50,000 marked notes which the magistrate received and was promptly arrested”, Sowe said. Meanwhile, the commission has threatened to take four former chief executive officers of some federal agencies to court over their refusal to appear before it last week. . Those affected are former chief executive officers of the National Judicial Council, National Board for Community Bank, Federal Ministry of Interior and Federal Ministry of Cooperation and Integration in Africa. Source: The Guardian

Jonathan appoints ICPC acting chairman

icpc — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 05:25:38 +0000

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Alhaji Bako Abdullahi, as acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),until the appointment of a substantive Chairman. The appointment was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati. Abdullahi, the most senior serving Commissioner in the ICPC, replaces former acting Chairman, Dr. Rose Abang-Wushishi, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), whose four-year tenure expired on July 22. Jonathan had on Thursday forwarded the names of five members of ICPC to the Senate for screening and confirmation. The names of the nominees were forwarded in a letter to the Senate dated July 27 and read on the floor at Thursday’s plenary. The five ICPC nominees are Alhaji Abdullahi Ado Bayero (North-west), Alhaji Isa Ozi Salami (North-central), Ekpo Una Owo Nta (South-south), Professor Olu Aina (South-west) and Dame Julie Onum-Nwariaku (South-east). They are to fill the existing vacancies in the commission in accordance with Section 3 (3) of the ICPC Act, which requires that in addition to the Chairman, the commission shall consist of 12 members made up of two representatives from each of the six geo-political zones of the country. The ICPC nominees were referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for screening.

IMF to help ICPC in anti-corruption campaign

icpc — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:32:27 +0000

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it would collaborate with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in fighting corruption in Nigeria. IMF officials, who visited ICPC headquarters in Abuja, said the body will enhance the relationship between the commission and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for the sustenance of anti-corruption campaign. Marilyne Laudry, Technical Assistant with IMF, said the fund would provide the necessary assistance to make ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies more focused and effective in their duty. She said IMF stressed the importance of establishing a strategic analysis framework by ICPC, NFIU and other anti-graft agencies. Representing the acting ICPC chairman, the commission’s secretary, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, said it would continue to collaborate with NFIU and consider and implement the areas highlighted by IMF. Source: Daily Trust

5 customs officers in ICPC net over forgery

icpc — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:29:28 +0000

Five senior customs officers are being interrogated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over their alleged involvement in the issuance of fake documents to release containers of PHCN equipment worth N15 billion. Daily Trust reliably gathered that the containers were said to have been donated by the Iranian government to boost the power generation in the country. It was also gathered that the containers, said to be 10 in number, were dropped at the Ikorodu Terminal warehouse before distribution to power stations. It was gathered that the affected customs officers have been invited by the ICPC and have made statements in connection with the matter. When contacted yesterday, the Resident Consultant, Media and Event of the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti who confirmed the development said the affected officers have been quizzed for their alleged role in the matter. Sources close to the presidency told newsmen in Ilorin yesterday that after dropping the containers at the Ikorodu terminal warehouse, some people were said to have forged fake documents for the release and thereby took them away. Sources added that the development led the management of the customs to set up a panel of inquiry with the aim of fishing out those behind the act. The panel according to the sources has submitted its report to the management which in turn submitted it to the federal government but the government was said to be unsatisfied with the report and thereby ordered the ICPC to take over the matter in order to unravel the circumstances. Source: Daily Trust

Alleged $20m scam: Panic in NDDC over arrest, release of MD

icpc — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:22:47 +0000

Palpable tension and fear have gripped the top echelon of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) following last Friday’s arrest and interrogation of the Managing Director, Mr Chibuzor Ugwoha, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Ugwoha’s arrest on Friday followed allegations that he used a forged resolution of the NDDC’s governing board, dated September 24, 2011, to illegally transfer $20 million from the commission’s offshore account in Union Bank in the United Kingdom to the branch of First Bank at Finsbury Circus in London, in collaboration with the Director of Legal Services, Mr Harrison Onwon and Acting Director, Finance and Supply, Mr Oma Egbejule. But ICPC’s Media Consultant, Mr Folu Olamiti, who confirmed the arrest, said the NDDC boss was granted administrative bail in order to prepare for a proper defence of the allegations. He said Ugwoha was taken into custody because he had shunned the ICPC’s invitation for over three weeks. This is even as he told the Nigerian Tribune on telephone that other officials of the interventionist agency were being expected in Abuja to answer ICPC’s invitation on various allegations bordering on financial infractions in the running of the NDDC, a development that has caused panic and fear at the NDDC. Already, letters inviting affected officials had been dispatched to them at the NDDC’s head office in Port Harcourt, it was gathered. An official of the commission who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity said some top officials of the NDDC, particularly those affected were in the office at the weekend. “The news of the arrest was initially taken for a rumour until we read it in about two news papers on Saturday; as I am talking to you now, some of those who were invited by the ICPC are in the office, may be they are preparing papers of defence when they get to Abuja. “Even on Friday, it was like a work-free day because all that concerned people at the commission was the issue of the ongoing investigation by the ICPC for which some of our bosses have been invited,” he said. Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yahale Ahmed, had set up an administrative panel of enquiry to probe the scam in November 2010 in line with a presidential directive, following a letter written to him by the Air Vice-Marshal Larry Koinyan led board, dated November 24, seeking President Goodluck Jonathan’s permission to suspend the embattled chief executive of the commission on the alleged transfer of the money, saying it was done without board resolution. It will be recalled that Ahmed had, on November 29, 2010, issued a query to Ugwoha on the matter and directed that his response must get to his office by Friday, December 3, 2010. The query was signed by the Permanent Secretary, General Service Office, office of SGF, Dr. S.D. Kassim, on behalf of the SGF. Ahmed, in another letter to Koinyan dated the same day, had assured that “the government would thoroughly investigate the allegations and take appropriate actions as required by the extant rules. “Pending the conclusion of this investigation, the status quo be maintained. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the managing director nor the two directors mentioned in the letter under reference should be sanctioned pending the conclusion of the investigation. You will be duly informed of the process and outcome of the investigation in due course,” the SGF had stated in the letter. It could not be confirmed, however, that the arrest of Ugwoha was as a follow-up to the steps Yayale took before leaving office, as Olamiti said he could not make any comment on that. “I cannot make any comment whether we are acting on that or not; all I know is that there are several petitions from different sources, alleging top officials of the NDDC of financial recklessness. “What we did was to invite those affected to come and defend their actions and inaction; but for upward of three weeks, the managing director refused to turn up; in fact we were on the verge of declaring him wanted when he showed up. “I can tell you that as now, he is on administrative bail and he, alongside other officials of the commission, is still being expected at the ICPC because we have to do a proper investigation in order to avoid mistakes,” he said. Asked whether or not those officials would be arraigned soon, Olamiti said only the outcome of their investigations would determine the next step to be taken. When contacted on the development, Special Assistant to the NDDC boss on media, Abraham Ogbodo, said he was not prepared to speak with the Nigerian Tribune. “I am not prepared to talk to the Nigerian Tribune on this matter; why are you calling me to find out whether the man has been released or not? Have you not published the arrest alongside one other paper? What else do you want? You should not call me again please,” he said. Written by Donald Ojogo, Regional Editor, South-South Nigerian Tribune

8 ICPC staff bag Merit Awards

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 08:52:29 +0000

Eight staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently bagged merit awards for outstanding performances. The award winners are prosecutors that secured several convictions in Criminal and Civil Cases in 2014. Chairman of ICPC, Barrister Ekpo Nta who presented the awards in a ceremony organized by the Prosecution Department of the Commission applauded the award winners for coming out top in their jobs. He also pledged to support outstanding staff at all times by providing all the necessary tools needed for the over all performance of the Commission. He charged all staff to protect and promote the mandate of the Commission at all times by ensuring all individual goals of the various departments that makes up the ICPC are achieved promptly. While making this charge, Nta said “A special motivational package awaits outstanding performance by any staff that goes the extra mile in making the commission relevant in the country”. A commitment he revealed is already in practice. Mean while, Heads of Departments and Units were also challenged to emulate the Prosecution Department and come up with such motivational avenues in ensuring the best in all staff is applied in the fight against corruption. Stressing the need for more extra hard work to achieve the Commission’s goals, a Board member, Alhaji Abdullahi Bako encouraged prosecutors, investigators and the entire staff to apply professionalism in delivering their respective duties to the ICPC and the general public. He also encouraged the lawyers to put in for Senior Advocates of Nigeria having displayed great knowledge of law to secure some difficult convictions for the ICPC. Director of Legal Department, Mrs. Christiana Onogwu in her opening remarks said she always appreciates her team of lawyers for their tireless efforts in making sure all cases filed secure convictions in court. She added that, the Merit Award Ceremony was put in place to motivate prosecutors for better performance in curbing the menace of corruption in the country. A number of Investigators were also given commendation letters for meritorious services. Some of the people convicted for corrupt practices by the Commission include the Chairman of Shinge Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Alhaji Salisu Garba and Takure Garba, and the Chairman of Pateni Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Austin Bebeteidoh. Other convictions are Director of Works, Federal Polytechnics Offa, Mr. Illiya Philemon and the former Assistant Internal Auditor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mohammed Karakkai.

ICPC Spokesperson Visits Trust Media

icpcuser — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 08:45:06 +0000

The Head of Public Enlightenment and spokesperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, mni, paid a working visit to the Headquarters of the Daily Trust Media in Utako on Tuesday. The ICPC spokesperson and her team were received by the Editor in charge of Law Reports of the Daily Trust, Barrister Adelanwa O. Bamgboye. Speaking on the purpose of the visit, she said the Commission wants to enhance its relationship with the media and also promote a mutual working relationship that will be beneficial to both the media and Nigerians in regard of the anti-corruption campaign. Mrs. Okoduwa emphasised that, a symbiotic relationship between the Commission and the media, particularly the Daily Trust would encourage reportage of anti-corruption stories and issues so that the public would be more informed of the activities of ICPC. In his response, Barrister Bamgboye explained that as Editor of the Law Desk, some of the articles and stories published in their pages come from anti-corruption agencies. He stated that he would be glad to work with ICPC and asked for first right to statements and pictures released by the Commission on its activities, in addition to being alerted on high profile corruption cases prosecuted by ICPC so that a reporter could be sent to cover such cases for the pages of Daily Trust Law Report. In the area of publishing articles and stories that emanate from ICPC, he advised that it should not be more than 1000 to 1500 words so that it could be published by Daily Trust Law report.

ICPC Declares Hareter Babatunde Oralusi Wanted

okon — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 09:06:28 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. HARETER BABATUNDE ORALUSI, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Oralusi, an indigene of Osun State, is dark in complexion and was born on 28th September 1971 (45 years old). He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Capital Development Fund (NCDF Group) and African Housing Group, United Kingdom. His last known address was 24 Olopo Street, Ajamopo, Degelu Compound, Ile-Ife, Ife-East L.G.A. Osun State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Receives Commendation from an ATM User

okon — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 09:12:13 +0000

One Mr. Ubong Sunday Robert of Akwa Ibom Guest House, Area 11, Abuja has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for its prompt intervention in ensuring that his money which was wrongly paid into someone’s account was successfully reverted. Mr. Ubong had reported one Miss Arhebamhen Nelly to the Commission through a petition about a transaction of N20, 000 he made twice through the ATM machine into her account, of which she denied receipt and refused to acknowledge. When he contacted the bank concerning the issue, he was given 7 days to wait for the money to be reverted, after the seventh day the money was still not reverted. To further confirm the transactions, the bank gave him a print out of Miss Nelly’s statement of account indicating receipt of payment of the two transactions of N20, 000 each he had made. Efforts to get Miss Nelly to send back the money proved abortive. It was then that he contacted ICPC to help him recover the said sum from Nelly. ICPC in its culture of putting smiles on the faces of ordinary Nigerians investigated the matter and his money was successfully recovered. In a letter of appreciation dated 27^th January, 2017, an excited Mr. Sunday said “I wish to use this medium to inform the Commission that Miss Nelly has paid the sum of N20, 000 back into my account in January, 2017. I am thanking the Commission for quick response on the petition I forwarded late last year concerning Miss Arhebamhen Nelly.”

ICPC arraigns FERMA Staff for allegedly awarding Contract to His own Company

icpcuser — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 14:50:16 +0000

An official of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr. Anthony Odoma, has been arraigned before Hon. Justice A. O. Edong of Federal Capital Territory High Court 35 sitting in Zuba by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly awarding a contract to a company in which he was the director and a shareholder. Mr. Odoma, who is Chief Technical Officer (Highways) with the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing, was arraigned on a 1-count charge bordering on holding “a private interest in a contract awarded to Odoma Investment Limited by FERMA for the repairs of failed sections of Damaturu-Biu road worth Twelve Million Naira (N12,000,000), a contract that is indirectly connected to his office.” This was contrary to Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section. After the charge was read to him, the accused entered a “not-guilty plea.” His counsel, Mr. J. E. Adegizi, relying on the provisions of Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 158 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, sought the relief of the court to grant his client “liberal bail” pending the determination of the case. However, in a swift reaction, ICPC counsel, John Paul Okwor, prayed the court to grant bail under conditions that would compel the defendant to attend trial. Having listened to the submissions of both parties, the trial judge therefore granted bail to the accused in the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000) and two sureties in like sum who must be civil servants in the Federal Civil Service, not below Grade Level 14 and whose identities must be established. Mr. Odoma was remanded in Kuje prison pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions while the case has been adjourned to March 21, 2018 for commencement of hearing. If convicted, the accused shall be liable to 7 years imprisonment.

Constituency Project Tracking not to Witch-hunt – ICPC Boss

icpcuser — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:01:49 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, has said that the on-going tracking of constituency projects by the Commission in 12 states of the federation is not to witch-hunt anyone. Owasanoye however said that ICPC will not hesitate to prosecute any contractor that has failed to deliver on the projects, including accomplices. He said this as the guest speaker while delivering a lecture titled “The Role of Quantity Surveyors in the Fight against Corruption, Especially in the Construction Industry”, at the induction ceremony of newly qualified corporate members of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) in Abuja recently. The Chairman said that ICPC commenced the Constituency Projects Tracking Group (CPTG) initiative to ensure proper implementation of funded projects at the various constituencies across the nation He said tracking the projects was an important assignment for ICPC as the nation had spent about N2trillion on their funding since year 2000 without commensurate development at the grassroots. He added that the initiative was already yielding positive results as some contractors had gone back to site to complete unfinished projects. The ICPC Chairman urged members of NIQS to join the fight against corruption because of the critical role they play in the construction industry which is very important to the development of any nation, as the sector creates a lot of jobs and is inevitable in the society. He advised the inductees to observe the rules of their code of ethics as it underlines the important role they play and discourages corruption in the process of performing their assignments. The inductees were also advised not to use their profession against the society by engaging in corrupt acts, but to use it for public interest, as their positive efforts to rid Nigeria of corruption will not only help the profession but the society at large. The ICPC boss proposed to the institute to set up a committee to monitor projects as a public interest intervention in order to shed light on the true cost of projects. He therefore congratulated the inductees and prayed that they would become the beacons of correction, professionals with integrity as well as part of the solution and not the problem to improving the situation of corruption in the profession and the Nation. Earlier Chairperson of the event and immediate past president NIQS, QS Mercy Iytortyer, in her opening remarks told the inductees not to limit the celebratory event to their years of hard work but to the progress that lies ahead of them. She added that they were expected to observe the professional ethics and standards, and contribute positively to the development of the nation and must therefore live exemplary lives for the younger generation to follow. Later in his welcome address, the President of the institute, QS Obafemi Onashile encouraged the inductees to participate in the institutes’ activities, showcase the knowledge gathered and acquire competencies that would be at per with global standards. Certificates where handed to the inductees by the ICPC Chairman and the President of NIQS.

ICPC, FIRS Collaboration yields over =N=14 Billion to FG – ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:38:42 +0000

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) , Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, has disclosed that the ongoing collaboration between ICPC and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has brought in about =N=14 billion to the coffers of the Federal Government. Professor Owasanoye made the disclosure when he received the new Chairman of FIRS, Mr. Muhammad Mani, who was at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja recently on a courtesy visit. Owasanoye explained how the huge sum was generated: “The collaboration between ICPC and FIRS is important to Nigerians and the fight against corruption generally. The objective has been to bring more people into the tax net and not to witch-hunt anybody. ‘It is on record that FIRS forwarded a list of properties to ICPC for necessary action, while some properties were disowned by their owners, investigation revealed that over 500 companies had allegedly defaulted in meeting their tax obligations, and thus were compelled to do so. So far this collaboration has yielded over N14 billion to the government.” Speaking further on property tax default, Owasanoye said that owners of properties who cleared with FIRS had no cause for alarm. According to him, “Those affected before a final forfeiture order is given on such properties have a window of opportunity to clear with FIRS and enjoy their title rights over such properties. Of course, if you cannot account for such properties, it is a different ball game. ‘ICPC is happy towards helping FIRS close the revenue gap occasioned by illicit financial flows which constitute a major drain on government revenue.” , he noted. While congratulating Mani on his new assignment, the ICPC boss solicited his cooperation on the Commission’s planned review of activities of revenue generating agencies, saying: “You came with an intimidating and very promising profile, therefore expectations of you are very high. I wish you success from the bottom of my heart. As a Commission, we share the belief that taxation is the main source of public finance, as oil revenue is just an icing on the cake. ‘FIRS is the focal agency as we start a new collaboration with revenue generating agencies to help government meet its target for 2020. Please, don’t panic when you see our staff. I am happy that you are here even as the Commission had earlier scheduled a courtesy call on you. I wish you every success in your difficult and challenging task.”, the ICPC Chairman said, rounding off his speech. Earlier, in his opening remarks, the new FIRS Chairman had informed his ICPC counterpart that the visit was in appreciation of the long-standing support and collaboration FIRS had been enjoying from ICPC. He said, “We came to meet with your management for the first time in appreciation of the good work and support you have been giving FIRS all the while. We intend to improve on what we met on ground and therefore from time to time we will come seeking your guidance on how some unwholesome practices and issues will best be tackled ‘Government gave us a revenue target of 8.5 trillion Naira to finance the year 2020 budget, which means there is a deficit of over 2 trillion Naira in the budget estimates.”, the FIRS boss lamented. Mani also spoke on the ongoing reform in the Service and how confident he was that the course of collaboration between the two agencies could be strengthened through data or intelligence sharing between them for the ultimate benefit of the Nigerian nation in general.

Reps Inspect Facilities at ICPC and ACAN

icpcuser — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 10:08:00 +0000

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-corruption have visited the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Headquarters and the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, Nasarawa State, to carry out on- the - spot assessment of facilities on ground.

Conducting the Federal Legislators round the facilities at the ICPC Headquarters, the ICPC Chairman Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN disclosed that in view of shortage of office space, the current Board of the Commission was forced to embark on expansion projects, adding that some of the facilities on ground were given facelift in order to upgrade them to modern standards.

Facilities inspected at the ICPC Headquarters included the Auditorium under renovation, new offices under construction, the new gate house, expansion of car parks and the inter locking of the office premises to stop the water logs that had been constituting nuisance.

Professor Owasanoye said that by the time the projects were completed, the Headquarters would wear a new look and many officers that are currently squatting, would have offices to themselves to be able to perform their jobs optimally.

At the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the provost of the Academy, Professor Tunde Babawale conducted the visiting legislators round the new Auditorium under construction, the three lecture theatres, the Computer – Based Center, the two hostel accommodation facilities, the out-door sports facilities and the restaurant.

Professor Babawale informed the legislators that the new Auditorium was now an abandoned project because the contractor did a shoddy job and could not proceed further because he did nothing to take care of the marshy topography before commencement of the project. He said that the new Auditorium project was provided in the 2018 budget and the contract was awarded early 2019.

Addressing a joint meeting of the House Committee and the ICPC Board and Management staff, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Anti-corruption, Hon. Shehu Nicholas Garba said that the House Committee initiated the inspection tour in order to see for itself physically, what it had been reading on paper.

He pointed out that the guided tour had exposed the Committee to many positive developments initiated by the current Board of ICPC, which could transform the Commission to a world class anti-corruption agency.

Hon. Nicholas Garba also said that very soon the House Committee would invite ICPC to defend its 2022 Budget Proposal and brief the Committee on its 2021 Budget performance.

Other House of Representatives Committee on Anti-corruption Members on the guided tour included Hon. Musa Dachun Bogos, Hon. Babangida Ibrahim and Hon. Olajide Jimoh. The ICPC team included the Commission’s Chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, Hon. Board Member, Mrs. Hannatu Mohammed, Secretary to the Commission, Professor Musa Usman Abubakar, Provost of ACAN, Prof. Tunde Babawale and ICPC Director of Public Enlightenment and Education, Mr. M.A.Baba, fsi, Director of Operations, Mr. Akeem Lawal, fsi, Director of Finance, Mrs. V.T Ayeni and the Director, Asset Tracing, Recovery and Monitoring (ATRM), Mr. Kayode Adedayo.

(MAB/PEE/ICPC/27/10/21)

ICPC Recovers N4 Billion in Public Funds Within 24 Hours, Pledges Continued Efforts

Onoolapo

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) successfully recovered nearly N4 billion in public funds within 24 hours, from September 18 to 19, 2024.

This significant recovery, which involved funds illegally diverted into private accounts, was announced by ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu during a National Anti-corruption Coalition (NACC) Members Interactive Forum held on Thursday in Abuja.

In his address, Dr. Aliyu highlighted the commission’s dedication to reclaiming more public funds and emphasized Nigeria's growing challenge of corruption.

The ICPC Boss while advocating for a united front to tackle the issue, stated, “Corruption remains one of Nigeria's most persistent challenges. It undermines economic growth, erodes public trust, and weakens governance. Our experience at the ICPC has shown that a proactive, multi-faceted approach—encompassing enforcement, prevention, deterrence, and reform—is crucial.”

Dr. Aliyu also pointed to digital transformation as a key tool in combating corruption. "Digital platforms offer powerful means to track, analyze, and expose corrupt practices, including salary padding and ghost workers.

According to him, “At ICPC, we have seen the potential of these tools through our review of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS),".

The ICPC Chairman who reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, referencing recent Supreme Court rulings on local government autonomy stressed that the judiciary plays a vital role in promoting accountability, particularly at the local level.

His words, "The Supreme Court’s decision underscores the need for democratically elected local government councils to manage public funds. In response, ICPC will intensify efforts to ensure compliance with the judgment and prevent the diversion of local government resources,".

He further emphasized the importance of local government autonomy in reducing corruption and ensuring effective community development. "By aligning our initiatives with the court’s ruling, ICPC remains committed to transparency and the enforcement of the rule of law, which are essential for good governance and sustainable development."

Dr. Aliyu also unveiled his policy thrust for his tenure, focusing on fighting corrupt practices with an emphasis on prevention, leveraging technology, and promoting the values of Culture, Accountability, Responsibility, and Efficiency (CARE) within the ICPC. "This policy will guide and assess my leadership at the Commission. It is crucial that our anti-corruption efforts remain focused and deliberate," he added.

He expressed his gratitude to ICPC staff, NACC members, and civil society organizations (CSOs) for their ongoing commitment to combating corruption in Nigeria. "I entrust my leadership to the guidance of Almighty God and pledge to be a leader who listens, building on the legacy of those who have chaired this institution before me,".

In a separate presentation, Mr. Jimoh Sulaimon, Deputy Director of the Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), urged NACC members to actively monitor and track constituency and government projects in their communities to prevent corruption, such as low-quality work or abandoned projects.

Mr. Sulaimon noted with delight, "When NACC members take ownership of project monitoring, it ensures higher standards of execution and long-term preservation,".

Mr. Kingsley Obi, Head of the External Cooperation Unit, reiterated that NACC serves as a coordination platform for CSOs and NGOs in tracking corruption and was not a parallel authority to ICPC. Rather, the coalition operates under the direct oversight of the ICPC to support its anti-corruption mission.

NACC, a coalition of CSOs, acts as an outreach arm of the ICPC, promoting anti-corruption education, public awareness, and preventive measures aimed at curbing corruption across Nigeria.

ICPC to Launch Strategic Action Plan and Youth-Centred Podcast on Anti-Corruption

Onoolapo

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), will officially launch its Strategic Action Plan for 2024-2028 as well as its foremost digital media Podcast programme called Ethicspod, the first of its kind by any anti-corruption body in West Africa

The launch of the Strategic Action Plan marks the commencement of a new five-year roadmap following the successful implementation of the 2019-2023 plan.

The event will feature prominent government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of Nigeria, Senator George Akume, who will represent President Bola Tinubu. Other notable attendees include the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, the Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Kayode Moshood Akiotu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Tuggar. The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC) supports the launch.

ICPC’s strategic planning began in 2004, and with each five-year plan, the Commission assesses its current standing, sets goals, prioritizes initiatives, and allocates resources to achieve its objectives. The Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028 will continue to focus on combating corruption through innovative methods and sustained action.

More importantly, the Commission will also launch its bi-weekly Podcast programme aimed at amplifying anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria through the power of digital media. The launch of the Podcast tagged “EthicsPod”, a youth-focused podcast spearheaded by ICPC will be unveiled by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

EthicsPod aims to educate and engage young Nigerians on the importance of transparency, accountability, and taking a stand against corruption.

The bi-weekly podcast will bring together experts, beneficiaries, victims, and key actors to discuss corruption, sharing real-life stories to expose its impact and empower listeners with practical tools to resist and report corrupt practices.

EthicsPod is an integral part of ICPC's mission to increase public reporting of corruption cases by the end of the 2024-2028 Strategic Action Plan.

Through these initiatives, ICPC continues to lead the charge against corruption, fostering a culture of integrity and accountability across Nigeria.

ICPC restates commitment to tackling corruption

icpc — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:08:56 +0000

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has vowed to prosecute all those indicted in the course of investigation into the alleged corruption in the oil sector. Besides, the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), which participated in the recent protest against the removal of subsidy on petrol, yesterday commended the on-going probe into the corruption in the sector. It said its position that the government should check corruption in the sector had been justified. A statement by a leader of the SNG, Philip Ugbodaga, made available to journalists, called on those in authority to fight corruption. “Fuel subsidy regime monitoring has vindicated the position of the coalition to save Nigeria that the problem of the country is not a non-existent fuel subsidy but the monumental corruption in the oil industry and the lack of political will by successive governments to frontally confront it. “It has now become very apparent that the government merely needed more money to carry out its activities and unwisely decided to turn to hapless and poor Nigerians to secure same. It must now be very clear to the government that the Nigerian people can no longer be taken for granted in governance as they are determined to hold them more accountable for their actions or inactions”. . Acting Chairman of ICPC, Ekpo Nta, said yesterday that the commission had been monitoring the developments in the oil sector since last year and that the body had since begun operational changes to ensure that breaches of the ICPC Act emanating from past and on-going investigations in the National Assembly were addressed. According to him, the recent fuel subsidy protests, government’s explanations, National Assembly’s public hearings and interventions have shown to government, organised Labour, civil societies, women, students and youth groups, “and indeed street urchins, that corruption poses a serious threat to the stability and security of societies, undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethical values and justice; and jeopardising sustainable development and the rule of law”. Having commended the Nigerian media for providing the platform for the unprecedented national discourse on corruption, he announced the commission’s decision to propose in its 2012 budget the idea of instituting and funding toll-free calls to assist concerned citizens to report infractions of the ICPC Act. Other plans of the agency for 2012 include sustained collaboration with local, regional and international sister-agencies to quash organised crime, which according to him, is closely related to corruption. The commission also planned to strengthen its monitoring system, aid good public sector governance at the local, state, federal and other related institutional levels. ICPC also plans to do more of system reviews at the micro and macro levels of public governance to enhance operational efficiency, reduce wastage and block corruption-prone processes. “We encourage the formation of more volunteer groups, especially at the secondary and tertiary levels of education to join the anti-corruption war”, he said, adding that more arrests and prosecutions would be made. “It is very obvious that national and international democratic institutions, economies and the rule of law have been subverted by persons having access to corruptly amassed wealth through plundering of public funds. ICPC is very confident that the current national focus on corruption will enable the nation fund adequately its anti-corruption agencies. “For example, ICPC has offices in only 14 states and, therefore, needs to provide offices in the remaining 22 states and all local council headquarters in the country. This will help us render assistance in monitoring and evaluating activities instead of waiting for offences to be committed before spending more funds on investigation”, he said. Ata also projected that in 2012, ICPC will step up the re-engineering of “our corruption-prone, faulty or non-existent public service systems” to allow the innate goodness of Nigerians to come to the fore again. He noted the need for the training of the commission’s workers to combat corruption in accordance with national and international best practices, describing corruption as a trans-border virus. He said appropriate equipment and technologies must be deployed in the sector to match rapid technological changes.

ICPC vows to prosecute offenders in oil sector

icpc — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:10:13 +0000

BPP reports Nnamdi Azikiwe varsity to ICPC

icpc — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:11:18 +0000

The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) to investigate the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State over subverting procurement process in awarding of contract. A petition filed before the Commission by the BPP faulted the process adopted by the University in awarding the contract for the construction of access roads in favour of Messrs Daniels Construction Company ahead of Messrs Earthworks Limited. ICPC’s Head Public Enlightenment, Mr. Mike Sowe said the BPP Director, Eng. Emeka Eze, explained that the contract was awarded at the cost of N332m to Messrs Daniels Construction Company instead of Messrs Earthworks Limited which submitted a superior bid with a shorter completion period and a lower tender sum of N325m. He said that by failing to award the contract to the most qualified bidder, the University has breached Section 58 of the Public Procurement Act 2007. The ICPC said it has commenced investigation into the petition. If guilty, the commission will prosecute the institution under Section 19 of the ICPC Act.

Reps order ICPC to probe corrupt NNPC

icpc — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:28:39 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) was yesterday asked to probe the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and expose corruption in the government owned oil corporation. Chairman House of Representatives committee on Anti-corruption, National Ethics and Values, James Faleke (ACN, Lagos) gave the directive yesterday during the 2011 budget performance defence of the anti-graft agency at the National Assembly. He said ICPC needs to wake up from its “slumber and show Nigerians that it was ready for the anti-corruption crusade.” “Nigerians need to know more about the effectiveness of the ICPC in the war against corruption. We are aware today that NNPC put the barrels of oil per day at 2.48million, nobody knows about the number of unaccounted barrels and it is generally believed that it is more. “Even President Goodluck Jonathan does not know the correct figures of barrels of oil that Nigeria is producing on daily basis. He like any other person relies on the figures giving by the NNPC. “Your commission therefore should go after the NNPC in the war against corruption, you should design a system that will curb corruption in NNPC, this will help the country and Nigerians will see that ICPC is working,” the lawmaker said. The MPs queried some of the expenses incurred by the Commission and asked the acting chairman Mr. Ekpo Owo Nta to furnish the committee with details. The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the expenditure of N70 million on advertisements, adding that Nigerians are yet to see what the ICPC was doing to tackle corruption. Responding, Mr. Owo Nta said the commission needs more money to open offices in all the states, adding that the ICPC lacked the required personnel to fight corruption since over 90 per cent of the staffers were recruited newly.

ICPC arraigns 2 over alleged salary scam

icpc — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:30:34 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned two Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) officials before the High Court of Edo State over a N2.5 million salary scam. ICPC’s head Public, Enlightenment Mr. Mike Sowe said this in Abuja. He said the two persons where before the court for “conferring corrupt advantage upon themselves” and illegally collecting over N2 million from the River Basin Development Authority. Mike said one of the accused officers, Mr. Monday Isiorko Okoh is a salary officer while Ehudi Lazarus is a cashier with the authority. He said between 2005 and 2008 Okoh unlawfully received the total sum of “N2,579,680” as salary. Enudi Lazarus, on his part while serving as cashier according to Mike, received from Okoh the sum of N80,000 as salary thereby using their offices to confer corrupt advantage on themselves contrary to, and punishable under various sections of the ICPC Act 2000. The two persons pleaded not guilty to the 6-count charge brought against them. The presiding judge, Hon. Justice R. I. Amaize granted the accused persons bail and adjourned for further hearing. The commission said so far nine persons are standing as witnesses against the accused persons.

ICPC Discovers N82m Unremitted tax from FUT Minna

icpc — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:17:02 +0000

The Federal University of Technology Minna may soon be directed to refund the sum of N82.7 million naira to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), being unremitted Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax(WHT) standing against the university between 2007 and 2010. This is a fall out from the review of capital projects conducted by the ICPC at the insitution. The review indicated that from january to may 2008 the university collected the sum of N24 million as Value Added Tax but failed to tender any evidence of remittance to the FIRS. From October to November 2009 thesum of N3.9million VAT deduction was not remitted, neither was the collection for September 2009 which amounted to N1.7million, as well as March, April and Julyof 2011 during which the university collected the sum of N7.3 million but again failed to forward the amount to the FIRS. The Withholding Tax that was deducted but never remitted to the FIRS covered September 2010 and January to June 2011 which all amounted to N45.6 million. The ICPC is determined to enforce the Government regulation which makes it mandatory for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to deduct and remit to the FIRS 5% Withholding Tax and 5% Value Added Tax; and any MDA that fails to remit the deductions will be prosecuted. The review of Capital projects being conducted by the ICPC, which is at the behest of Mr President, shows that the Federal University of Technology University Minna substantially complied with due process in the award and execution of contracts between 2007 and 2010. Following these preliminary findings, the ICPC may conduct a full blown System Study and Review to ascertain the level of corruption risks confronting the Institution. This will involve verification of registered companies from the Corporate Affairs Commission, as well as physical examination of projects,among others. The effectiveness or otherwise of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the university will be examined with a view to reinvigorating it. Mike Sowe Head, Public Enlightenemnt Dept. 17th November 2011

ICPC to probe Shekarau over N420m fraud

icpc — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:06:34 +0000

THE Independent Corrupt and Other Related Offences Commission is set to begin the probe of former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, over an alleged N420m fraud. Shekarau was the presidential candidate for All Nigerian Peoples Party in the April presidential elections. Although details of the investigation are still sketchy, our correspondent learnt on Thursday from ICPC sources that it was sequel to a petition by a Kano-based Non-Governmental Organisation, which alleged that the ex-governor mismanaged the fund while he was in office as the governor. When contacted, the spokesperson of the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, confirmed the planned investigation. He said, "Consequently, the acting Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Abdullahi Bako, had directed that the former governor be invited for questioning to answer questions relating to the issues raised in the petition." Shekarau was specifically accused of fraud, abuse of power, inflation of contract sums, double awards of contracts and other vices, in gross violation of the ICPC Act.

ICPC investigates director of Police Pensions

icpc — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:32:46 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it is currently investigating a deputy director with the Department of Police Pensions Office over allegations of several infractions of the Commission Act 2000. A statement by ICPC Head of Public Enlightenment Mr. Mike Sowe, said the embattled director, while serving as Deputy Director of Accounts in the Lagos bureau of the Police Pensions Office, was also at the same time serving as a director in such private companies as Status Symbol Rentals, Royal Diadem Business Logistics Ltd, Amazing Grace Property Development Ltd and Enyiuzo Ventures Ltd. “Also according to our findings so far, the companies under her management transacted business to the tune of tens of millions of naira, some of which were in cash in violation of the Money Laundering Act 2004. However, the commission is investigating the sources of the funds and taxes thereon.” Mike added, “Documents obtained from relevant agencies and banks by the ICPC indicate that she has been the main or sole signatory to the accounts of the companies from inception until December 24, 2008 and March 6, 2009 when she resigned from the companies, though she has since remained a shareholder. She is likely to be charged to court for violating the ICPC Act 2000 and the Public Service Rules after the investigation”.

ICPC recovers N13bn from MDAs

icpc — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:29:50 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it recovered N13 billion from selected ministries, departments and agencies. The Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, said this in Abuja yesterday while presenting a paper at a roundtable on the economic transformation agenda of the Federal Government, jointly organized by the Office of the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation and the African Institute of Applied Economics. Oglafa, who identified overdependence on oil as a major challenge in the fight against corruption in the country, said, “The ICPC believes that there is enough evidence of corruption which is an impediment to Nigeria`s development.” Lamenting over the shortage of funding facing the commission, Oglafa noted that the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong (ICAC) “has an average of one investigator to 5,000 people and a budget of $12.30 per/capita to fight corruption while the ICPC has a staff strength of 534 in a nation of about 150 million people and a per capita budget of 0.3 US cents to fight corruption”. According to him, “the ICPC is happy with the attempt by the National Planning Commission to ensure that all the 36 states of the federation establish Planning Commission and Board of Statistics, which, if accomplished, would create the necessary data that would ensure adequate planning thereby removing the haphazard projects that have become a cesspool of corruption”.

ICPC Arrests Local Government Chairman and Paramount Ruler of Oju LGA

icpc — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:58:23 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC has arrested and is investigating the Chairman of Oju Local Government Council of Benue State, Hon. Jackson Ikala and Paramount Ruler of Oju, His Royal Highness Dr. Augustine E. Ogbu for assault, threat to life, defamation of the Commission`s officials and obstruction of the officers in their official duty. The two persons mobilized hoodlums and some officials of the Oju Local Government Council to pursue the three officials of the ICPC who were in Oju LGA on official assignment. The hoodlums and thugs who referred to the officials as hired assassins and armed robbers pursued them with dangerous weapons and threatened to lynch them. But our operatives escaped unharmed. In addition, the chairman of Oju Local Government mischievously misled the DPO of Oju Division of the Nigeria Police to arrest and detain one Mr. Armstrong who was helping the officers with their investigation. Mr Armstrong was later transferred to the State CID Makurdi where he was detained along with his lawyer, Barrister Adikwu in connection with their alleged procurement of assassins and armed robbers (ICPC Officials) to the Local Government Council. The State CID detained the lawyer and Mr Armstrong up to Saturday 22nd October, 2011 when they were finally granted bail. Investigations are ongoing at the end of which the Chairman, the Paramount Ruler and their collaborators among the Local Government Council staff would be charged to court. Signed: Mike Sowe Head, Public Enlightenment Department

Ex-LG secretary jailed for 6 months ICPC

icpc — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:29:34 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) said an FCT High Court presided by Justice Hussaini Baba has sentenced the former Secretary of the Gwagwalada Area Council Tenders Board Mr. Etsu Iliya to six months imprisonment with an option of N50, 000 fine for the misappropriation of N250, 000. A statement signed by the Commission’s head public enlightenment, Mr Mike Sowe, said Mr Iliya was arraigned by the ICPC before the Abuja High Court in July 2007 for violating section 12 sub section 3 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The convict was said to have received the sum of N250, 000 from the Gwagwalada Area Council for the placement of an Advertisement in an Abuja based newspaper for which he tendered a fake receipt as retirement, while Investigations by operatives of the Commission however revealed that Mr. Iliya placed the said advertisement at the cost of N30, 000. Before he was arraigned in Court, Mr Iliya had confessed that he committed the offence during interrogation at the Commission`s Headquarters and refunded the sum of N220, 000.

ICPC to arraign Akalas ex-commissioner

icpc — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:16:27 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) said it has gotten an approval from an Oyo State High Court to arraign former Commissioner of Works and Housing his wife who served under Adebayo Alao Akala’s administration. “The High Court of Oyo state sitting in Ibadan has given the ICPC the go-ahead to arraign Mrs Gbonjubola Balogun and her husband Dr Kola Balogun, a former Commissioner for Works and Housing under the Administration of Governor Alao Akala,” ICPC’s head Public Enlightenment; Mike Sowe, said in a statement yesterday in Abuja. Sowe said this was the ruling by “the trial judge Justice Boade after a protracted battle by the Defense counsel to quash the 2 count charge brought against the accused persons by the Commission.” He said the case started in 2007 when the ICPC filed charges against Mrs Gbonjubola Balogun for having an indirect private interest in a contract emanating from a government office while being a public officer; and her husband Dr Kola Balogun for abetting his wife. But Justice Boade agreed with the Prosecution that the two accused persons have explanations to make in their trial with respect to the transaction upon which they stand trial.

ICPC arrests anti-corruption Director in Ibadan

icpc — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:57:02 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) has arrested a Director of Anti-Corruption Awareness Organization of Nigeria, an NGO, in Ibadan over illegal operations. Mr. Bode Olawoye was arrested for carrying out illegal investigation using the name of the ICPC, according to ICPC’s head of Public Enlightenment, Mr. Mike Sowe, yesterday in Abuja. Sowe said Anti-Corruption Awareness Organization of Nigeria claims to be an affiliate of the ICPC while carrying out its operations and so far illegally investigated more than 25 cases. “Mr Olawoye,” according to ICPC, “confessed under interrogation that he had investigated more than 25 cases involving ‘suspects’ allegedly involved in corrupt practices before he was apprehended by operatives of the Commission.” The commission said “The Anti-Corruption Awareness Organization was a Member of the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) of the ICPC but was suspended indefinitely through a letter dated 14th January 2008 followed by a disclaimer Published in the Nigerian Tribune in 2009.” “Thereafter three members of the organization were arrested and arraigned before the Court in Oyo State for allegedly demanding the sum of N300, 000 from a local government council chairman in the state. Consequently, all privileges enjoyed by members of the Coalition have been withdrawn,” the commission said. ICPC said Mr Bode Olawoye may be prosecuted by the Commission at the end of the investigation.

ICPC probes NIMET director-general, others

icpc — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:57:45 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has begun the investigation of the Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, and other directors of the body over alleged violation of due process in the execution of projects since 2009.

ICPC probes state/LGs joint accounts

icpc — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:17:14 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said on Wednesday that it was probing the controversial joint accounts of states and local government councils, with the six local governments under the Federal Capital Territory as the pilot survey. Its choice of pilot survey has reportedly led to a discovery of an alleged N82.8 million fraud in the handling of the joint accounts. A statement issued in Abuja by the commission’s spokesperson, Mr Mike Sowe read, “the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced a probe into the administration and operations of the joint account of some selected local councils in the six geo-political zones of the country starting with the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, where a pilot survey has been concluded. “The study is a fallout from the constant public outcry that the administration of the Local Government Joint Account appears to be too cumbersome making it heavily prone to corruption. “The objective of the exercise is meant to ascertain the level of transparency, integrity and monitoring mechanism in the disbursement and operations of the funds to local government councils through the joint account operations and to suggest reviews where necessary. “The pilot study which covered the period between April and September, 2011 revealed that, illegal deductions of 1per cent for joint account administration, amounting to a total sum of N82, 801,953.61 were made by the FCT Joint Account Committee. “However, it will be recalled that section 7 of the enabling Act for Joint Accounts, reserves all approving deduction rights to the National Assembly and no other authority. Therefore, a mere resolution by the committee to deduct the sum of N82, 801,953.61 for secretariat administration was illegal. “Also, the secretariat being part of the bureaucratic structure of the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, deriving its capital and overhead cost from the ministry like any other department, does not in any way execute any project on its own, thereby raising questions as to what the funds deducted are used for,” the statement added. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-corruption, National Ethics and Values, on Wednesday, declared its intention to fight corruption in Nigeria to a standstill through robust oversight on anti corruption agencies and the beaming of searchlight on federal institutions, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). With oversight jurisdiction over the ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal, the committee affirmed that its activities would be all-encompassing. This was stated by the committee chairman, Honourable James Faleke, at the inaugural meeting of the committee.

Fraudsters use ICPC to defraud foreigners

icpc — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:14:18 +0000

Unidentified internet fraudsters are using emails bearing the names of officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in an attempt to defraud people, mostly foreigners, Daily Trust heard. The fraudsters had used an e-mail text bearing the name of the acting Chairman of the Commission Alhaji Bako Abdullahi to make their letters appear real, a source in the commission said. One of the emails used by the fraudsters is: ‘ unitednations.icpcunitoffice@gmail.com’ to deceive people into paying processing fee ostensibly to get compensation for former victims of fraud. ICPC web master, Mustapha Hussain, said the commission found out about the scam through the volume of delivery failure notices they received from one of the ICPC official email account “ info@icpc.gov.ng” and icpcnews@yahoo.com as well as through enquires made by suspecting targets who alert the commission. On what to do with the case, Mustapha said it is not under ICPC’s jurisdiction to investigate cybercrime “but we have already forwarded the case to the relevant agency.” Extracts from one of the emails sent by the fraudsters bore the name of ICPC officials. It reads: “As chairman of this Anti-fraud Unit, I will like to introduce myself; I am (Mr. Godfrey Jones) a Nigerian born British Citizen appointed by the federal Government and the United Nations organization (U N O) in other to avert corruption, fraud, funds delay and impersonation. To this bestowed authority, I took an oath of allegiance to settle all fraud victims peacefully.” The fraudsters will then demand for processing fees from the victims. The is to lure victims at a later stage to pay a processing fee after obtaining their names, address, Bank details, Telephone numbers, Fax Number, and Amount previously lost. When contacted, Mike Sowe, the commission’s head public enlightenment, said the commission has carried out disclaimer adverts in newspapers and is carrying out measures to improve the website and email security.

ICPC urges states to set up anti-corruption board

icpc — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:33:25 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences (ICPC) has called on the states across the country to establish Anti-Corruption Board. ICPC acting Chairman, Barrister Bako Abdullahi, said this via a letter to Governor Isa Yuguda, urging him to establish the board in Bauchi State. Abdullahi said if states could copy from Bauchi State, the fight against corruption in the country will be achieved. The acting Chairman, who also inaugurated Kwara State chapter of National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC), called on Nigerian to brace up in support of anti-corruption agencies in the fight against corruption.

ICPC urges states to set up anti-corruption board

icpc — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:33:43 +0000

ICPC: NAFDAC illegally spent N14bn revenue---By Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar

icpc — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:15:34 +0000

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control illegally spent N14.1 billion out of the N15.5bn revenue it generated from 2006 to 2010, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission has said. Federal Government agencies are by law mandated to remit what they collect in revenues to the treasury, but there have been incidents when certain agencies were accused of illegally retaining part of such revenues. ICPC yesterday said its investigations found that NAFDAC realised over N15.5 billion in the period under review but spent N14.1 billion in violation of the financial regulations. Spokesman for the commission Mike Sowe said in a statement in Abuja that NAFDAC left a credit balance in its various bank accounts of only N850 million despite generating those billions. But NAFDAC yesterday issued a reaction denying the allegations, saying it operated within the provisions of the law. Sowe also said NAFDAC made some investments in fixed deposit accounts with some banks and accrued interest of N38 million, which was also withheld by the agency. The statement said, “In furtherance of its mandate of identifying and preventing practices that encourage corruption in the public service, the ICPC has concluded a system study and review of the National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) covering the period from 2006 to 2010. “The commission discovered that NAFDAC generated over 15.5 billion naira as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) out of which it incurred expenditures of 14.1 billion naira, leaving the credit balance in its various bank accounts at 850 million naira. “The ICPC is insisting that this amount must be remitted to the Federal Government treasury, minus 30 million naira which the agency had earlier released to the treasury following a query from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. “While exercising its power to invest idle funds at its disposal, NAFDAC made some investments in fixed deposit accounts with some commercial banks, with accrued interest of 38 million naira which had not been remitted to government coffers. “Furthermore, the ICPC System Study team discovered that NAFDAC utilised 80 million naira from its Internally Generated Revenue to purchase motor vehicles which fall under capital vote, and made a payment of 6 million naira pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) for its staff from the IGR, whereas there is a provision for this expenditure under the personnel cost. “In view of the non compliance with financial regulations on the remittance of all revenue and unspent balances to the sub-treasury by some ministries, departments and agencies, the ICPC, apart from forwarding appropriate recommendations to the National Assembly and the Federal Government, will not hesitate to apply the law whenever there is any violation from any quarters.” In a reaction to ICPC’s allegations, spokesman for NAFDAC Jimoh Abubakar said, “We are shocked by the statement credited to ICPC. We are not in breach of any law. We have been operating within the bound of the law”. Source: Daily Trust

ICPC SET TO REFORM ACTU

icpc — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:48:05 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHCSF) have resolved to strengthen the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Units (ACTUs) in Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for effective performance. According to the resolution reached at a meeting in Abuja, ACTUs are now to be headed by officers not below Grade Level 15 in the various MDAs. It was also agreed that the nucleus of each ACTU shall consist of an Accountant, an Auditor and a Procurement officer, while their deployment is now to be effected directly from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Auditor General of the Federation and Office of Bureau of Public Procurement respectively, while other supporting staff shall remain and come from within each affected MDA. Also as part of the reform, all ACTUs are to forward the reports of their activities to ICPC with a copy to the OHCSF. Meanwhile, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation is to meet with the Minister of Finance for the purpose of creating a special budgetary sub-head for the ACTUs in MDAs to run their activities. The reform is necessitated by the fact that the present ACTUs are faced with problems which hamper their smooth operation. These problems include: inadequate funding of the units, victimization of Unit members, lack of cooperation and support by Heads of some MDAs, constant redeployment of ACTU members and in some cases, outright dissolution of the unit at the whims of the Chief Executives of some MDAs among other issues. Mike Sowe Head, Public Enlightenment, ICPC

Arms scandal: ICPC files criminal charge against Ehindero

icpc — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:14:50 +0000

The ICPC on Monday filed a criminal suit against former Inspector-General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero over his involvement is a N557 million arms and ammunition scandal. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commission also listed the suspended Commissioner of Police in charge of Budgets at the Force Headquarters, Mr John Obaniyi, in the suit. The suit, with file number FCT/HC/CR/92/2012, was filed on behalf of the ICPC by prosecution counsel, Mr Paul Bassi. It would be recalled that the ICPC, on April 2, quizzed the former police boss on the alleged misappropriation of the sum during his tenure. The commission will, on June 6, file an application to Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the FCT High Court 4, Maitama, who has been assigned the case, to grant it leave to arraign Ehindero and Obaniyi. Ehindero was the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police from 2005 to 2007.

Call for Memoranda: ICPC to conduct system study and review of Nigerian Universities

icpc — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:23:28 +0000

SYSTEMS STUDY AND REVIEW OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES Based on intelligence, petitions, complaints and public comments against the University system in Nigeria, ICPC is undertaking a comprehensive Systems Study and Review of Nigerian Universities as statutorily mandated by Section 6 (b-d) of its enabling law The barrage of petitions to the Commission coming from students and other stakeholders against several institutions border on systems failures. Among other things, such failures have resulted in: admission and examination records mismanagement, delays in students’ timely graduation, victimization, admission racketeering, high level examination malpractices resulting in graduation of unqualified students, financial impropriety with regard to project and infrastructural development and flagrant disregard for stipulated rules, policies and procedures, distortion in enrolment, carrying-capacity and admission quotas, and misappropriations in the application of funds leading to inadequacy or outright absence of requisite learning facility amid substantial provision of funds by government and other stakeholders. Objectives of our intervention are as follows:

To establish the veracity of the various intelligence, petitions, complaints and public comments and claims against the University system
To examine the practices, systems and procedures of the Universities and ascertain which of such practices, systems or procedures aid or facilitate fraud or corruption; impede on quality of service delivery, or open to manipulation and circumvention for personal gains and creating situation of deliberate or inadvertent victimization of students and staff.
To examine the records keeping and retrieval system of the universities in order to ascertain its compliance with best practices
To examine the rules and practices guiding examination management generally and ascertain whether the rules/practices are in harmony with the objectives of providing high level manpower.
To examine systems and procedure of admission of students, students’ examination/assessment systems, and the duration between examinations and release of results, as well as the procedure under which students are made to remedy their examination deficiencies.
To ascertain if there had been abuses/infractions of any extant regulations and statutes in the areas of admission, management, finance, university autonomy, academic freedom, e.t.c.

PILOT SYSTEMS STUDY AND REVIEW EXERCISE: A broad view of corruption in the university system was taken and three (3) Universities, reflecting various dynamics were selected for a pilot study. These are:

University of Nigeria Nsukka, (from July 22, 2012)
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye (August, 2012)
American University of Nigeria, Yola.(Sept.2012)

VENUE APPEARANCE AND MEMORADUM: Instruments of data collection for the exercise are: Survey Questionnaires, Oral interviews and memoranda that may be authored by individuals and groups from among:

Council Members/VCs/Management staff,
Academic staff,
Administrative/Technical Staff,
Union members,
Students,
Parents and
Members of the University’s External Community

Memo may be addressed to: The Chairman, ICPC, Plot 802 Constitution Avenue, Central Area Abuja-Nigeria. Or submitted to : e-mail: unireview@icpc.gov.ng

Download Questionnaire for Universities System study and Review

icpc — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:54:49 +0000

Visit our Paper Presentations Download Section here and download the questionnaire for Universities' System Study and Review. Filled questionnaire may be sent to unireview@icpc.gov.ng

ICPC, NUC poised to fight corruption in Nigerian Universities

icpc — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:13:54 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) in collaboration with the National University Commission (NUC) have launched a system review into tertiary institutions in Nigeria with a view to weeding out endemic corruption in their systems. Both bodies at a joint press conference in Abuja noted that the most tertiary institutions in Nigeria are now bedevilled by corruptive tendencies including racketeering with admission process, examination malpractices, sexual harrassments on the part of students and lecturers and acts of plagiarism. ICPC and NUC agreed that the delay and non-payment of gratuities to pensioners, falsification and manipulation of examination records, non-adherence to contract bidding and award process and basterdisation of accreditation process are part of the vices to be fought and exterminated in Nigerian Universities. The Acting chairman of ICPC, Barrister Ekpo Nta who addressed the media said first class scholars such as Professor Okebukola, Professor Olu Aina had been called on board to spearhead the system review of universities.

N88m fraud: FMC boss, others quizzed

icpc — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:20:03 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has arrested the Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Dr Dapo Sotiloye, and three top officials of the hospital over alleged embezzlement of N88m. Other officials include the Head of Accounts, Mr. E.A. Adeleke, Head of Administration, Mr. O. A. Oyeku and Head of Works, one Mr. Owolabi. Operatives of the anti-graft commission from Abuja had on Monday stormed the hospital to serve the affected officials with summon letters to appear on Tuesday (yesterday) at the state office of State Security Service. THE PUNCH learnt the arrest of Sotiloye and others was in connection with alleged embezzlement of N88m meant for the 2010 housing allowance of the hospital staff in contravention of the ICPC Act 2000. It was learnt that the ICPC acted on petitions received from staff of the hospital. The arrested officials were still said to be undergoing interrogation after several hours of making “useful statements as at press time on Tuesday.” The Public Relations Officer, FMC, Abeokuta, Mr. Segun Orisajo, declined comment but said the management would issue a statement at the appropriate time.

ICPC: Sole administrators risk arrest over LG funds

icpc — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:23:11 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) has completed its study with the collation of cash books, and payment vouchers from the remaining eight local government areas of Kaduna State Competent sources in the commission told Daily Trust that the systematic study which was in batches, discovered malpractices in 15 area councils investigated earlier. The state government couldn’t conduct elections in the local governments councils since the substantive chairmen were dissolved, thereby replacing them with sole administrators Spokespersons of some of the affected local councils confirmed that some files have been taken away by the officials of the ICPC The Head of Enlightenment in the ICPC Kaduna Zonal Office, Mariam Mu’azu, said the commission was still compiling report of the 15 local government areas earlier investigated with that of the eight local government areas and would send its systematic study findings to the Abuja headquarters for possible invitation of the officials involved for questioning However, the commission, in a statement on Monday denied media report suggesting that local government officials stole N30 billion from the LGs funds.

EFCC, ICPC to cooperate on anti- corruption

icpc — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:49:06 +0000

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corruption Practices and other related Offenses Commission (ICPC) are to embark on greater cooperation in fighting corruption in Nigeria. The Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta said this yesterday during a workshop on the development of an organizational strategy for the EFCC in Abuja. He said he was in support of the new spirit of cooperation and collaboration between the agencies, according to a statement by the spokesman of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren. “I am happy to be associated with this synergy. The doors of ICPC is permanently open for collaboration with all our sister agencies, especially the EFCC,” he said. On his part, the EFCC Chairman Mr. Ibrahim Larmorde, described the war on corruption as a battle that must be won, saying failure is not an option. On the work shop Larmorde said, “At the end of the day, something very useful will come out of this. I can assure you that it will be implemented”

ICPC Inaugurates More NAVC Local Govt. Chapters in Anambra State - By Chinwe Nwozor ( Enugu )

icpc — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:50:36 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Enugu Zonal office has recently inaugurated the National Anti- Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) Aguata and Ihiala Local Government Chapters of Anambra State respectively. At the inauguration ceremony at Aguata local Government Area, the Head of ICPC, Enugu Zonal Office, Barr. Arua Udonsi, in his keynote address commended the NAVC Anambra state for leading the entire South –Eastern States as it concerns the inauguration of Local Government Chapters. Reading the address on behalf of the Zonal Head, Miss Chinwe Nwozor, Principal Information Officer of the Commission, said the establishment of NAVC was in pursuant to the public mobilization agenda of the commission and it is opened to only people who have integrity. She stated that the protection provided for the officers of ICPC under the Act is also extended to NAVC members, adding that the Commission would continue to empower the NAVC members for some national assignments when the need arises. Delivering his welcome address, the NAVC, Anambra State Coordinator, Dr. Ifeanyi Obi said the NAVC under his leadership had brought the fight against corruption to the grass root by having very viable and functional NAVC Chapters in all the 21 Local Government Area of Anambra State. He, however noted that there was need for the volunteer to educate people more on their rights and obligation, raised public awareness of the increased cost associated with corruption and also change the public attitude to corruption. The state Coordinator stated the need to provide specialist training and logistic support to members of NAVC, stressing that government and non- governmental organizations including donor agencies should make use of the existing structure and spread of NAVC in Anambra state to effectively carry out their anti- corruption activities. In his welcome address, the NAVC, Aguata Local Government Chapter of Anambra State, Mr. Eugene Ezeobi, lauded the efforts of ICPC in mobilizing ordinary Nigerians, irrespective of class or gender, to fight the menace of corruption successfully and sustainably. According to him, the fight against corruption was not all about setting booby trap for offenders in order to catch them, but involves changing the behavioral attitudes of the people. He said the Aguata L.G.A. Chapter was committed to the fight against corruption and other related offences in their communities. He then called for support and co-operation of the law enforcement agents in their locality to ensure victorious war against corrupt practices in the society In his contribution, an assistant Superintendent of police (Asp) Emma C. Jiakponnah who represented the DPO, Aguata Division, Anambra State , said corruption is inimical to the growth and development of any nation. He said the fight against corruption was imperative to the provision of conceptual and empirical indices of peace, conflict resolution and attitudinal transformation for a progressive society devoid of greed, avarice, corruption and security threats. He opined that if corruption was addressed holistically and radically, without any sacred cow, all other problems socially, economically, politically would have been solved regardless of crime being an integral part of every healthy society. He concluded by saying that except we all change our negative attitudes and orientations and embrace honesty, love and dedication to our duty, it would be difficult to achieve our envisage goal. Delivering a paper titled “Corruption – The Greatest Enemy to National Development in Nigeria ” Barr. Victor Ezeonwumelu said Nigeria has been badly affected due to the appalling international image created by her inability to deal with bribery and corruption. He said investors are reluctant to invest in development efforts due to lack of accountability and high seal manipulation of contracts figures. He further stated that corruption has devastating effects on the economy, social services and diversion of investment in infrastructural development, According to Barr. Ezeonwumelu, to control corruption in Nigeria , good governance, transparency and accountability in the running of our government and management of our resources at all levels should be the guiding principle for those in position of trust. He said immediate and prompt actions against corrupt public officials and declaring of assets by political officers would help in controlling corruption in Nigeria . He thereafter advised the Volunteers to first purge themselves of those negative vices that would undermine their integrity, transparency and trustworthiness without which they could not make any positive impact. He stated that NAVC members would have no reason to fail in the task ahead of them because their spread and operational environment are deeply rooted in the grass root. In a related development, the Commission also inaugurated the NAVC Ihiala Local Government Chapter of Anambra State. Barr. Udonsi, the Head ICPC, Enugu Office in his speech charged members to live above board and exhibit impeccable and outstanding character in all their dealings. He added that the Commission would not hesitate to deal decisively with any corrupt NAVC members. Also speaking, the Coordinator NAVC Ihiala Chapter, Barr. Ejima Obimka said the members having been experiencing the negative effects of corruption in both their public and private lives, have decided to toe the path of volunteerism in NAVC with high degree of integrity, dedication, passion, commitment and patriotism as advocates of integrity, civic observers and monitors of integrity. He affirmed the commitment of the members to fight against corruption. The high point of the ceremony was the official inauguration of the Volunteers in Aguata and Ihiala Local Government Chapters respectively by the Heads of ICPC Enugu and Imo State zonal offices and assisted by the NAVC Anambra State coordinator, with the members pledging to report corruption, promote freedom, justice and actively participate in anti- corruption activities.

DFID PARTNERS ICPC IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

icpc — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:53:50 +0000

The Department for International Development (DFID) has expressed its commitment to support the ICPC through mentoring, provision of assistance for investigators, asset seizure and prosecution. This was disclosed during a courtesy call on the Commission by a delegation of the DFID led by Mrs Juliet Igbekaku. The DFID through its initiative Justice For All (J4A) also pledged to cooperate with the Commission in re-strategizing its organizational procedures in order to achieve operational efficacy. Mrs Igbekaku said they came to the Commission to brief the board on the interim report of the two-day workshop conducted for senior officers of the Commission last December under the J4A initiative as well as a survey of the Commission`s operations which would be used as guide in preparing a final report for approval by the Commission. The Acting Chairman of the Commission welcomes the visitors and gave his assurances in cooperating with the J4A initiative stressing that the new board share the same passion with the DFID. A member of the delegation Mr Paul Beggan and Mr Emmanuel Uche gave a graphical presentation of their interim report highlighting time table for the implementation of their recommendations and findings. Also speaking at the event were Hon Members Julie Nwariaku, Hon Bako Abudullahi, Prof Olu Aina and Alhaji Isa Ozi Salami who all thanked the delegation for the tremendous effort they showed to see that ICPC achieves its goal and objectives, and also assured them that despite the fact the previous assessment conducted by the commission was not implemented, but this time the new board will do everything possible to fast-track the implementation of the new report.

ICPC charges two NASU member to court

icpc — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:55:57 +0000

The ICPC has filed charges at the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja against the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) , Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Oto-Ijanikin, Lagos Mr Bababunmi Ogunade and Mr Adeyinka Faloye, a contractor with the College, accusing them of using the name of the union to fraudulently obtain loans totalling over 30 million naira. According to the 5 count charge the two persons have conspired among themselves to use the name of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions of the College to apply for and receive a loan facility from Afribank Nigeria PLC totalling N13.2m and another N17.1m without authorization from the union. ICPC Operatives discovered during investigation that Mr Bababunmi Ogunade used his position to influence NASU to open an account with the Ikorodu branch of Afribank PLC and eventually secured a loan of N13.2m in addition to another loan of N17.1m. He did this with the active participation and counseling of the second accused Mr Adeyinka Faloye who was the Supplier preferred by the Union chairman ,instead of the one approved by the Union. It was also discovered that Mr Ogunade misrepresented facts to the College authorities who were misled into guaranteeing repayment of the loan through deductions from source of the members salaries. Documents obtained by investigators further revealed that the loan was purportedly secured to supply household items to members of the union. The two accused persons will be arraigned before Jusctice Abiru on 23rd February 2012.

ICPC charges NASU staff to court on 30million fraud

icpc — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:57:58 +0000

ICPC to set up System Review

icpc — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:59:19 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) said would step up its Systems Review of weak institutions in the public sector in order to minimize systemic corruption in the country. The acting chairman of the commission Barrister Ekpe Nta made this known weekend when the Director General of International Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Society, Chief Dr. U. O. Udofia visited him in Abuja. Nta said the ICPC’s approach would be simple: “Rather than relax after arresting a man who had stolen N50 billion with ICPC spending more money going after him... we will be proactive and anticipatory by putting in place systems that will not allow that person, or others, have access to that kind of resource.” Nta said there is need to have a paradigm shift in the methodology of fighting corruption in the country. “When they see people being arrested, being thrown into prisons; that alone, would not cage the corruption monster,” he said, adding that “What happened in the pension sector was a clear indication of a systemic collapse.” In his speech the Director General, Chief Udofia, said its Human Right Society was in the commission to seek for “collaborative partnership and regular contact status” that would make available legal means to rid Nigeria of greed, avarice and all vestiges of corruption. He said the International Human Right & Anti-Corruption Society” reports to the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on happenings in Nigeria and other African countries and is mandated to promote respect for the Rule of law, Due Process and Societal Justice for individual citizens.”

ICPC to block access to resources for corrupt persons

icpc — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:01:29 +0000

ICPC to arraign NASU Chairman over N30m Fraud

icpc — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:02:50 +0000

Corp Members donate Anti-Corruption Billboards to ICPC

icpc — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:04:06 +0000

Corp members of the 2011 Batch ‘A‘ ICPC Community Development Service Group FCT chapter have donated two Anti-Corruption billboards to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Receiving the gift from the Coordinator of the CDS Group Mrs Helen Eyo, on behalf of the Acting Chairman and management of the Commission, Secretary to the Commission Mr Elvis Oglafa expressed gratitude to the Corp Members for their commitment and patriotism. He said the gift is “priceless’’ and would help the Commission in its public education and enlightenment campaign. Mr oglafa noted that nation building starts from the individual and then to the society and urged the corp members to always strive to do good and shun corruption in the society and also keep their zeal for the nation’s building high. He urged the corp members to be anti-corruption vanguards and good ambassadors of the Commission through upholding the virtues of integrity and reporting corrupt practices to the Commission. The coordinator of the CDS Group, Mrs Helen Eyo said the little token is a gesture in appreciation of the the commission for being a parent body and the source of strength to the group. In a short remark, the HOD Education who was represented by a senior official on the department Mr Demola Bakare thanked the corp members for their patriotism and urged them to consider the Commission as a second home. The Head of the youth mobilization unit of the commission, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua called the corp members to be people of integrity and should always ask themselves what positive impact they can do for their country. The leader of the CDS group thanked the secretary for being a huge support to the CDS group throughout their service year and he promised that they will continue to fight against corruption.

SUMMARY OF THE REPORT - LAND ADMINISTRATION IN THE FCT

icpc — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:13:34 +0000

SUMMARY OF THE REPORT OF THE SYSTEMS STUDY AND REVIEW OF LAND ADMINISTRATION IN THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

PREFACE:

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was established by the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The Act, in Section 6 (b) mandates the Commission to examine the practices, systems and procedures of public bodies and where, in the opinion of the Commission, such practices, systems or procedures aid or facilitate fraud or corruption, to direct and supervise a review of them. In order to fulfil this mandate, the Commission conducts Systems Study and Review of Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Parastatals to determine corruption-prone areas and subsequently, direct a review of affected procedures. [download id="3"]

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR UNIVERSITY EXTERNAL COMMUNITY

icpc — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:29:07 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC based on its Systems Study and Review/Prevention mandate is collecting data on a number of issues relating to the University System in Nigeria. Data collection is through multiplicity of instruments including oral interviews, survey questionnaire and memoranda authored by individuals and groups. This survey questionnaire (one of the instruments) seeks your views on issues relating to the terms of reference of the ICPC's University System Study Team. By agreeing to fill this questionnaire for a study and review of the University Systems in Nigeria, you have undertaken to give sincere and factual responses to assist us in our quest to reposition the University system for better service delivery and world-class performance. [download id="4"]

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR UNIVERSITIES INTERNAL COMMUNITY

icpc — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:30:46 +0000

ICPC TO CONDUCT SYSTEM REVIEW OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

icpc — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:43:45 +0000

Protocol

The Independent Corrupt Practices & Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is inundated daily with petitions from students, staff, unions, and other stakeholders alleging all manner of corrupt practices and abuses in most of our tertiary institutions. These petitions highlight flagrant abuse of processes in student admissions, examinations, appointment and promotion of staff, manipulation and falsification of academic records like transcripts, sexual harassment and victimization of applicants, students and staff, syndicated plagiarism, delay or non-payment of gratuities and pension to pensioners, non-adherence to bidding processes in the award of contracts, bastardising accreditation processes through deception, running un-approved Study Centres, affiliates and programmes, establishing and operating un-approved and consequently illegal universities, etc. We are all witnesses of the frustrating, disruptive and atimes, fatal consequences these have on innocent members of the university community, the nation and our international ranking due to institutional decay, corruption and blatant abuse of processes. Our preliminary investigations point towards the absence, utter disregard or failure of regulatory systems within these academic Institutions. I wish to inform Nigerians, through you, that ICPC intends to invoke its statutory mandate derived from Section 6 (b)-(d) of its enabling law to undertake a comprehensive Systems Study and Review of the Nigerian University system with the principal aim of identifying and correcting corruption-prone processes. ICPC's intervention is specific and does not conflict with the regulatory, supervisory and/auditing roles of the Visitor, Ministry of Education, Councils and indeed the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) Objectives of our intervention are as follows:

To establish the veracity of the various intelligence reports, petitions, complaints and public comments and claims against corruption-prone processes in the University system.
To examine the practices, systems and procedures of the Universities and ascertain which of such practices, systems and or procedures aid, or facilitate fraud and or corruption; impede quality of service delivery, are open to manipulation and circumventing of rules for personal gains thus creating a situation of deliberate or inadvertent victimization and abuse of students, staff and other stakeholders. In designing this exercise, a protocol and cooperation has already been established between the Commission, the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) and other stakeholders.

A broad view of corruption in the university system was taken and three (3) Universities, namely University of Nigeria Nsukka, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, and Salem University, Lokoja are being sampled. They were selected for a pilot Study to reflect Federal/State/Private University as well as North/West/East characteristics. Since some baseline information already exist from the various Visitation Reports and White Papers, the ICPC study and review exercise would take about two weeks in each university at which a strong team of university administrative experts, and professional investigators will be physically present on the campuses. The exercise will commence from today July 23, 2012 simultaneously in the three sampled universities. The institutions concerned have been accordingly informed. At the end of the exercise, it is expected that, empirical data upon which far-reaching policy decisions relating to expected outcomes would be gathered in the studied Universities. The expected outcome will include improvement in the delivery of quality university education in Nigeria and improved climate for transparency and accountability in the university system. In addition, the Universities would be better structured with policy and procedures that discourage corruption, malpractices and fraud at all levels of operations, while also improving on the quality of their service delivery. The outcome will also be a template for similar exercises in tertiary education in Nigeria. To these extent, ICPC will monitor strict compliance with the recommendations of the Review; and infractions will be promptly and stoutly sanctioned. In conclusion, we wish to make it clear that the exercise is a collaborative effort between ICPC and NUC meant to make the university system better positioned to achieve the objectives it was set up for in the most effective and transparent manner. Thanks and God bless you.

ICPC Reviews Nigerian Universities Systems

icpcuser — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:24:49 +0000

Protocol The Independent Corrupt Practices & Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is inundated daily with petitions from students, staff, unions, and other stakeholders alleging all manner of corrupt practices and abuses in most of our tertiary institutions. These petitions highlight flagrant abuse of processes in student admissions, examinations, appointment and promotion of staff, manipulation and falsification of academic records like transcripts, sexual harassment and victimization of applicants, students and staff, syndicated plagiarism, delay or non-payment of gratuities and pension to pensioners, non-adherence to bidding processes in the award of contracts, bastardising accreditation processes through deception, running un-approved Study Centres, affiliates and programmes, establishing and operating un-approved and consequently illegal universities, etc. We are all witnesses of the frustrating, disruptive and atimes, fatal consequences these have on innocent members of the university community, the nation and our international ranking due to institutional decay, corruption and blatant abuse of processes. Our preliminary investigations point towards the absence, utter disregard or failure of regulatory systems within these academic Institutions. I wish to inform Nigerians, through you, that ICPC intends to invoke its statutory mandate derived from Section 6 (b)-(d) of its enabling law to undertake a comprehensive Systems Study and Review of the Nigerian University system with the principal aim of identifying and correcting corruption-prone processes. ICPC's intervention is specific and does not conflict with the regulatory, supervisory and/auditing roles of the Visitor, Ministry of Education, Councils and indeed the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) Objectives of our intervention are as follows:

To establish the veracity of the various intelligence reports, petitions, complaints and public comments and claims against corruption-prone processes in the University system.
To examine the practices, systems and procedures of the Universities and ascertain which of such practices, systems and or procedures aid, or facilitate fraud and or corruption; impede quality of service delivery, are open to manipulation and circumventing of rules for personal gains thus creating a situation of deliberate or inadvertent victimization and abuse of students, staff and other stakeholders.

In designing this exercise, a protocol and cooperation has already been established between the Commission, the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) and other stakeholders. A broad view of corruption in the university system was taken and three (3) Universities, namely University of Nigeria Nsukka, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, and Salem University, Lokoja are being sampled. They were selected for a pilot Study to reflect Federal/State/Private University as well as North/West/East characteristics. Since some baseline information already exist from the various Visitation Reports and White Papers, the ICPC study and review exercise would take about two weeks in each university at which a strong team of university administrative experts, and professional investigators will be physically present on the campuses. The exercise will commence from today July 23, 2012 simultaneously in the three sampled universities. The institutions concerned have been accordingly informed. At the end of the exercise, it is expected that, empirical data upon which far-reaching policy decisions relating to expected outcomes would be gathered in the studied Universities. The expected outcome will include improvement in the delivery of quality university education in Nigeria and improved climate for transparency and accountability in the university system. In addition, the Universities would be better structured with policy and procedures that discourage corruption, malpractices and fraud at all levels of operations, while also improving on the quality of their service delivery. The outcome will also be a template for similar exercises in tertiary education in Nigeria. To these extent, ICPC will monitor strict compliance with the recommendations of the Review; and infractions will be promptly and stoutly sanctioned. In conclusion, we wish to make it clear that the exercise is a collaborative effort between ICPC and NUC meant to make the university system better positioned to achieve the objectives it was set up for in the most effective and transparent manner. Thanks and God bless you.

ICPC Establishes Forensic Laboratory

icpc — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:24:55 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to establish a Forensic Laboratory for effective performance of its mandate. Hon. Member Abdullahi Bako, said this at the Commission’s Headquarters when the Liaison Officer for the Canadian Royal Mountain Police in Africa, Mr. Rabih Abdallah came visiting. Bako, who represented the Acting Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, disclosed that some Hon. Members and staff of the Commission had just returned from Ontario Canada where they underwent training at the Computer Forensic Incorporated School. He said that the officers were in Canada to develop skills on how to best check cyber crime in Nigeria. “We have to enlarge our areas of operation as issues and crimes are becoming more and more sophisticated; so we feel that we must try to be ahead of the fraudsters to be able to check them. Hon. Bako also disclosed that the Commission was on the verge of establishing an Academy where it will train not only its staff but also staff from other African countries on investigative and anti-corruption activities. He assured the visitor that the Commission would relate with his office where necessary; adding that with Nigeria and Canada both being members of the Commonwealth and sharing so many things in common, there were several possible positives that could come out this collaboration. He pointed out that the Commission was determined to giving its staff adequate necessary training for effective discharge of their duties; and that a lot had been done in this direction. He added that the offer for capacity building for ICPC officials by the Liaison Office of the Canadian Royal Mountain Police was a welcome development in that direction and would be explored to the full. While briefing the Commission, the Liaison Officer of the Canadian Police, Mr. Abdallah, said he was in the Commission to explore ways of mutual assistance

ICPC to train 100 Corruption Risk Assessors

icpc — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:28:25 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in collaboration with the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) and the support of the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) is set to train 100 participants as corruption risk assessors. This was revealed by the Ag Chairman of the Commission Mr Ekpo Nta Esq at the high level policy briefing on the Corruption Risk Assessment Project held at Sheraton Hotel which was convened by the organizers under the flag of the Inter Agency Task Team (IATT) comprising twenty one members made up of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Mr Nta said “the Corruption Risk Assessment Project (CRA) brings a valuable dimension to the corruption prevention work of the ICPC. The focus of the CRA project is to identify within organizations operational areas that are vulnerable to corrupt practices, proffer recommendations and jointly develop, with the management of organizations, action plans to strengthen accountability and transparency towards enhanced public service delivery.” The 8 – week online and face-to-face training for the 100 participants drawn from various Millennium Development Goals - related MDAs, Media and Civil Society Organizations will commence next week in Obudu Mountain, Cross River State in conjunction with the UNDP virtual school in Geneva. According to the UNDP Consultants, Mr. Constantine Palicarsky and Chinedum Nwoko, in their presentation of the methodology, tools and training modules, only participants that scored above 75 will be issued certificates as Assessors while others may be issued with certificates of attendance. In a brief remark the Country Representative of the UNDP, Mr Janthomas Hiemstra advocated for a system audit of all the MDAs at all levels of government in order to identify and block loop holes in corruption-prone agencies. Also speaking at the event; the Head of the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) Mrs Lilian Ekeanyanwu, thanked all partners in the project especially the UNDP, BPP and the ICPC for a long sustained relationship on various programmes since 2007. In the vote of thanks on behalf of the ICPC, the Director of Education, Mrs R A Okoduwa thanked all stakeholders of the project for their commitment towards the success of the project.

Reps order ICPC to probe corrupt NNPC

icpc — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:54:15 +0000

Senate confirms Ekpo Nta as ICPC Chairman

icpc — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:58:50 +0000

The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has confirmed the nomination of Hon. Ekpo Una Owo Nta as the substantive chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). President Goodluck Jonathan had forwarded Hon. Nta’s name to the country’s upper legislative house in July this year as required by Section 3(6) of the ICPC Act 2000. Until his confirmation by the Senate, Hon. Nta had been the acting chairman of the Commission since November, 2011; having been appointed earlier as an honorable member on the board of the Commission to represent the South-South geo-political zone. Born on 12th October 1952, Hon. Ekpo Una Owo Nta is a lawyer, political scientist and an administrator who has had a rich and varied experience that has spanned over twenty-five years in Nigeria’s public service. He retired from the Federal Public Service as the Director of Administration and Human Resources Development of the Niger-Delta Development Commission in 2001. With the Senate’s confirmation, Hon. Nta becomes the third substantive chairman of the Commission since 2001 after Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd) who was the pioneer chairman and Justice Emmanuel Ayoola (rtd) respectively. His tenure is for five years. Hon. Nta who is from Akwa Ibom State is married and has five children.

ICPC Arrests Four Bank Officials

icpc — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 11:51:36 +0000

Four bank officials have been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly flouting the directive of a court order in a case under investigation by the ICPC. In the course of investigating a petition alleging fraud of over a billion Naira, ICPC had secured and served court orders freezing the bank account of the chairman and other principal staff of a local government in the South-South. However, one of the suspects (names withheld) withdrew N11.8 million from his personal account inspite of the court order thereby impeding investigations. ICPC bared its fangs and arrested four of the bank's officials to determine their culpability or negligence. Meanwhile, ICPC had directed the bank to immediately deposit the equivalent of N11.8 million withdrawn from the suspect's account into the Commission's Asset and Recovery Account until investigations are completed.

Stealing of pension funds, road to national disaster - ICPC

icpc — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:58:38 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said the consistent pilfering of pension funds by officials of government could cause a major national disaster. The ICPC National Chairman,Mr Ekpo Nta made this known in Abuja weekend, when members of the Pension Reform Task Team, led by Abdulrasheed Maina paid him a courtesy call at the commission’s headquarters. Ekpo Nta said since pensioneers were in every home in the country, the idea of denying them their rights and entitlements through stealing of their pension could put pressure on the national economy, just as he observed that the stealing of pension funds easily attracted irreversible curses on perpetrators. He assured the Pension Task Team of preparedness by ICPC to support the fight against stealing of pension funds in Nigeria, promising to partner with the Nigerian Television Authority NTA and the African Independent Television (AIT) in a special forum on pension funds. Meanwhile, the Pension Reform Task Team said it had covered some grounds in the fight against Pension Funds thieves, just as it disclosed that it was able to uncover a fraud to the tune of N36 billion within the Police Pension Funds Office alone. It said it had remitted the whole sum to the purse of the federation, while seizing about 120 properties allegedly acquired with stolen pension funds by the cabals. He said investigations by members of his team had revealed that the cabal in the Police Pension Office were in the habit of stealing up to N300 million on daily basis through fictitious cheques prepared in the names of fake pensioneers. Maina said investigations into the Police Pension Office were still ongoing, disclosing that his Team had covered 40 percent of investigations into the pension funds scam. A member of the Pension Task Team who is also a former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Ngozika Ihuoma told ICPC about similar fraud with Local Government Pension Funds, disclosing that from 1976 till date a total of N3.3 trillion had been deducted from the funds without proper accountability. Meanwhile, the breakthrough by Pension Task Team on recovery of stolen pension funds has started attracting the attention of the presidency given the formal invitation extended to the Chairman by the Economic Management Team for special briefing.

ICPC Chief, others deplore graft in judiciary

icpc — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:56:32 +0000

AGAIN, the effect of corruption in the judiciary and the need to cleanse the sector of all vices formed the fulcrum of discussion at a Media Round table on Magistrate Courts Ethics, integrity and improving Citizens’ Access to Justice organised yesterday in Lagos by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). Among those who spoke at the event with the theme: “Promoting Ethics and Integrity within the Courts system Towards Citizens Access To Justice,” were the acting chairman of the Independent Corrupt and Related Offences Practice Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta; a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Tayo Oyetibo; Lagos State Solicitor-General, Lawal Pedro (SAN); former House Committee Chairman on the Judiciary, Lagos House of Assembly, Babatunde Ogala and the Chief Registrar of the Lagos High Court, Ganiyu Safari. In his remarks, Nta called for collective effort to check the menace in the sector, which he said was an integral aspect of the fight against graft in the country. Represented by the Legal Director, ICPC, Mrs. Christiana Onuogu, Nta lamented the filing of interlocutory appeals by lawyers to stall quick dispensation of justice and called for special attention for corruption cases to ensure quicker adjudication of cases. The ICPC boss also called for specialisation on the part of judges and the appointment of assistant judges to help man the courts. To Oyetibo, the fight against corruption was a collective one and all hands must indeed be on deck in order to ensure a corrupt-free nation. As a final arbiter in our criminal justice system, the court he said must be well-positioned and prepared, both intellectually and otherwise to handle the great challenge posed by the ever changing dynamics and face of corruption. Oyetibo, who spoke on the role of the judiciary in combating corruption in Nigeria, called for inward cleansing of corruption and all the corruption perspective at the sector. Meanwhile, stakeholders in Edo State yesterday charged the country’s judiciary on quick dispensation of justice, upholding human rights and ensuring equality before the law. To enhance this, the state government said it would set up a Public Defender Unit in the state’s Ministry of Justice to provide free legal aid to victims of human rights abuses. Governor Adams Oshiomhole stated this yesterday at the unveiling of Edo State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2012 where he charged the state judiciary to expedite action on all cases before it. He cautioned against unethical professional practices and unhealthy collaboration with the police. The governor observed that too many people were being victimized and intimidated but were unable to fight for their rights. Just recently, the police in the state arrested an innocent man and charged him for murder without any convincing evidence. This should never happen in a democracy. It is as bad as decree two under the military. When the police abuse their power by arresting innocent people, the judiciary should refuse to assist them to legalize it. I commend the courage of the judge hence who granted bail even as the police did not obey rules but also the second judge that finally granted the bail that the police had no choice but to comply with. I have now decided to set up a public defender unit that will provide free legal aid to all those who are victims of police abuse of power or by any functionary of the state.

Government may not be able to deliver food to all the citizens, but government must not tamper with the citizens' right. I have directed the Ministry of Justice not to assist the police to detain innocent citizens.

ICPC arraigns Head of Service staff over ‘ghost’ pensioners

icpcuser — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:31:50 +0000

The ICPC yesterday arraigned two officials of the office of the Head of Service of the Federation before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf for corruptly enriching themselves with pension funds. They are John Emmanuel and Gloria Philadjigbey. Emmanuel, a Data Processing Officer, was attached to the Pensions Reform Task Team (PRTT) while Philadjigbey worked as an Office Assistant in the same office. The ICPC arraigned them on a 31-count charge bordering on dishonestly through insertion of “ghost” pensioners on the e-pension data base to perpetrate a N30 million fraud. The ICPC, is prosecuting Emmanuel, based on a petition from the Chairman of the Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina. It further alleged that Emmanuel used various banks where he kept some of the pension funds through electronic transfers. Both accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. The ICPC counsel, Mr Emmanuel Akaakohol, who did not object to an oral bail application by the counsel to the accused, Ms Chinwe Asonme, prayed the court to impose conditions that would ensure they attended the trial. Baba-Yusuf admitted the two to bail in the sum of N1 million each with two sureties in like sum and adjourned hearing to Feb. 19 for the prosecution to begin its case.

ICPC Solicits Public Support Against Corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 12:10:06 +0000

The ICPC on Thursday urged Nigerians to support the commission in the fight against corruption. Mr Ekpo Nta, the Chairman of ICPC, made the call at a town hall meeting held at Nkaliki, the headquarters of Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi. Nta said the forum was created to sensitise the public on the ugly effects of corruption and to solicit their support against the menace. Represented by Mr Mike Sowe, the Head of Public Enlightenment Unit of the commission, Nta said that the war against corruption was a collectively responsibility for the crusade to succeed. He described corruption as an ‘evil wind’ that blows no one any good, adding that concerted efforts should be made toward curbing acts of corruption in the polity. According to him, corruption is detrimental to national development because it is adversely reducing the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He emphasised the need for various stakeholders in the Nigerian project to rise up against corrupt practices by exposing corruption in all its ramifications. He said that the campaign against corruption would remain a mirage when people refused to expose corrupt individuals and sharp practices. ``Nigeria cannot win the war against corruption if the people do not report corrupt individuals to ICPC for investigation. ``The fight against this evil is a collective responsibility. Therefore, I urge all of you to report incidences of corrupt practices to the commission. Together we will win the war,’’ Nta said. He told the participants that the commission had trained corruption risk assessors in collaboration with the UNDP that would be embedded in government ministries, departments and agencies as part of efforts to check corruption. He said the commission had established anti-corruption initiatives, such as National Anti-Corruption Coalition, Anti-Corruption clubs in primary and secondary schools as well as Anti-Corruption Vanguards in tertiary institutions, among others. The chairman called on participants to eschew corruption in their dealings and practice integrity. ``We encourage you to individually and collectively eschew corruption in all your dealings and to educate others to embrace and practice integrity.’’ The participants pledged their resolved to fight corruption and advised the commission to remain dogged on its public sensitisation campaign.

SERAP Wants ICPC To Probe Spending On Trainees’ Welfare

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 09:58:01 +0000

A non-governmental organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has called for urgent probe of the spending for the police trainees' welfare in the last 10 years. SERAP made the call in a petition dated Jan.18, which was addressed to the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman, Mr Ekpo Nta. A copy of the petition signed by Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, Executive Director, SERAP, was made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos. The group said: “SERAP believes that investigation by the ICPC into the spending of budgets meant for police colleges across the country would provide the much needed accountability. "This will help to establish whether the money budgeted to improve the infrastructure in the colleges and welfare of its trainees has been spent as allocated or simply stolen, misused or mismanaged." It urged the ICPC to ensure that the suspected perpetrator be brought to justice. SERAP said that a recent investigation and documentary aired by Channels TV had shown that the training facilities at the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, were in a bad shape. "The college is overcrowded (housing 3,000 people instead of 750); that students hostels are in dilapidated conditions and lack beds, mattresses and decent and functioning toilets. "The dehumanising conditions of the Police College, Ikeja and other police colleges across the country seem to explain why the force has been unable, for many years, to provide adequate security for the common man and to effectively tackle crimes," it said. The organisation said that the colleges would not be able to train officers capable of addressing the nation's security challenges, if the funds meant for their training were being mismanaged. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Goodluck Jonathan had on Friday paid a surprise visit to the college on his way to Cote d’ Ivoire for an ECOWAS meeting. The visit, said to be “a fact finding inspection” by a police source, was intended to enable the president to address certain issues hampering the qualitative training of policemen. Many observers believe that it was in reaction to a recent documentary on the dilapidated state of infrastructure and challenges facing trainees in the foremost police training institution in the country.(NAN

Provost, bursar jailed over corruption

icpcuser — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:12:32 +0000

An Oyo State High Court presided over by Justice Mashood Abass has sentenced the Provost and Bursar of the Federal Cooperative College, Eleyele, Ibadan, Mrs. Ruth Adehwe Aweto and Mr. Adekanye Komolafe respectively, to four years imprisonment without any option of fine, after having found the duo guilty of corrupt practices levied against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The trial judge sentenced the duo to one year imprisonment on each of the four count charges, and the sentence is to run concurrently.

Justice Abass, while delivering judgment in the matter, said the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt that the two accused persons, being the principal officers of the college “betrayed the trust reposed on them by the Federal Government by using their positions to defraud the money put under their custody for smooth administration of the college.”

He said from all the available evidences before the court, including the statements and evidences of the two accused that the college employed 41 casual workers whose total entitlement was supposed to be N3,690,000 for the year 2006 but which the accused persons unilaterally jacked up on paper to a total of N7,041,861.15k.

Justice Abass also said the accused persons admitted that they did not return the balance of N3,351,851,15k of the money to the coffers of the Federal Government in 2006, instead they claimed that they used the balance to off-set the outstanding salary of 2004 to the workers.

Justice Abass submitted that the two accused persons throughout the trial failed to show any documents or failed to call superior officer from the Federal Government that gave them authority to convert the balance of the N3.3 million of 2006 budget which they collected from the government.

ICPC inaugurates, sensitizes ACTU of Cross River Basin Development Authority. Read full report

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:27:04 +0000

SUMMARY OF REPORT OF THE INAUGURATION OF ANTI-CORRUPTION AND TRANSPARENCY UNIT (ACTU) AND GENDER SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP FOR CROSS RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, 4TH-5^TH OCTOBER, 2012

2. The ACTU, Cross River Basin Development Authority was established in January 2012 and thereafter members of the unit attended a two week intensive training organized by the ACTU, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Abuja where they interfaced with ICPC officials.

3. Prior to the inauguration ceremony the ICPC Akwa Ibom Zonal Head paid a courtesy call on the management of the Authority. The inauguration was flagged off by a lecture on the Role and Status of the Anti –Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Units in the Fight against Corruption delivered by the ICPC Zonal Head Mr. J.O. Nnaji where he enjoined ACTU members to be model of probity, dedicated and painstaking in the discharge of their duties. He enlightened participants on the ICPC Act, the previous attempts at combating corruption, and expatiated on the role and status of ACTU.

4. The second lecture delivered by Mr. Edward Esuabana titled Combating Corruption through Human Tendencies: Controls and Character Building. The Session was spiced by discussions before the zonal Head presented the ACTU unit with standing Order, Hand bills, Posters to aid them in their activities.

5. The second day commenced with a lecture on Gender Management presented by Dr(Mrs.) Stella Maris Okey, who defined gender as a social relationship between women and men which forces people to act in a certain way. She stated that gender mainstreaming connotes recognizing and avoiding social inequalities between women and men in all areas. In addition, Mrs. Uduak Ekanem, Deputy Director (Gender& Human Rights) in her paper Gender and Water Resources Management enunciated the need for mainstreaming gender into Water Resources Management. She concluded by affirming that gender is critical factor in ensuring efficiency, sustainability and overall success in water sector projects.

Conclusion

6. The inauguration and sensitization workshop brought to the fore the effect of corruption on the system and the measures to curb it such as enforcement, prevention (ACTU for prevention and whistle blowing) and public education. The Management and Staff of Cross River Basin Development Authority commended the Commission for the success of the inauguration.

Pensioner Gets Entitlement After Intervention From ICPC

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:52:55 +0000

A pensioner Mr Ibrahim Ahmed Akinyemi, who retired from Nigeria Custom Service in 2006, petitioned the ICPC in June 2012 on “Non Payment of Pension, Short Payment on Gratuity/Monthly Pension by Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Service (CIPPO)”. After a thorough investigation by a team from the Commission, a total sum of N602, 918.89 was paid into the Eco Bank account of the petitioner. The petitioner conveyed his gratitude to the ICPC via a letter with reference number Ref: COP/PEN/C.13915, dated 28^{th January} 2012, where he confirmed the receipt of the payment and thanked the Commission for its intervention.

Govt must enforce minimum standards in school establishment - ICPC boss

icpcuser — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:36:10 +0000

CHAIRMAN, Independent corrupt practices and Other Related Offences commission (ICPC), Mr Ekpo Nta, in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, advocated enforcement of minimum standard in terms of infrastructure for the establishment of schools, so as to curb the rot in the education sector. The chairman of the anti-graft agency was speaking during a visit to his alma mater, St Anthony catholic basic school, molete, Ibadan, where he was the senior prefect in 1964. He urged the ministry of education and other relevant education stakeholders to ensure that schools, most especially, the privately-owned, conformed with the national policy on education. While frowning on the level of decayed infrastructure in the education sector, the ICPC boss said it was rare about four decades ago to see pupils in private school except those with disabilities, as the government-owned schools provided the best education. Nta said there was the need for private individuals to invest in education, as it was a project government at any level could not handle alone. He, however, commended the management and staff of the school for its academic standard as demonstrated by the pupils and pledged his continuous support for the school.

Ex-AMAC official arraigned over land fraud

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:58:28 +0000

A former zonal land officer of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) was yesterday arraigned in an Abuja High Court over alleged falsification of land documents. Patrick Tyoder Pillar was charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) with a two counts of causing the alteration of title documents of plot SS 1, Jikwoyi extension 111 to be made in favour of Pax Education Resource owned by his cousin Joseph Jande knowing fully that the said plot has earlier been allocated to Fine Trust Academy. Pillar, who was also secretary rural land adjudication committee in AMAC, is charged alongside Lugard Edegbe who is now at large. According to the ICPC, the offence is punishable under section 26 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000. Following the plea of not guilty by the accused person, his counsel Terhemba Gbashima Esq, applied for bail. Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu granted bail in the sum of N1 million and two sureties in like sum. The judge ordered that the sureties must be public servants of no less than grade level 17 and must be resident in the FCT. The case was adjourned to March 19 for hearing.

THE ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE: ICPC PERSPECTIVE

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:06:23 +0000

PRESS STATEMENT ON BREAKING OF CYBERCRIME SYNDICATE BY NIGERIAN CUSTOMS SERVICE IN COLLABORATION WITH ICPC HELD IN CUSTOMS HEADQUATERS, ABUJA ON THURSDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2013.

icpcuser — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:53:18 +0000

PRESS STATEMENT ON BREAKING OF CYBERCRIME SYNDICATE BY NIGERIAN CUSTOMS SERVICE IN COLLABORATION WITH ICPC HELD IN CUSTOMS HEADQUATERS, ABUJA ON THURSDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2012. Gentlemen of the Press, It gives me pleasure to brief you on the recent breakthrough recorded by the Service in investigating some criminals using the Cyber space to commit various offences against the Nigeria Customs Service and unsuspecting innocent Nigerians. 2. You may be aware that the Service conducted two (2) Recruitment exercises between 2009 and 2012. Long after the conclusion of these exercises, the Service has received numerous complaints from prospective applicants who claimed that they were lured into payment of various sums of monies. 3.These complaints claimed that they got information about Customs Recruitment from the purpoted websites of the Nigerian Customs Service. some got their contacts from a facebook page allegedly belonging to the Comptroller General of the Customs. 4. Preliminary investigations by the Service revealed that the website and facebook pages used to perpetuate these activities were faked. The Service therefore exposed these activities warning job-seekers not to allow themselves to be duped. The service therefore swung into action to bring the criminals to book. 5. The testimonies we got from various victims of the scam and our analysis that investigation of the case must go beyond conventional methods associated with common crimes. The use of fake websites, creation of fake facebook accounts and high level collusion of Commercial Banks necessitated the use of cutting edge technology to catch up with the evil perpetrators. 6. The Service therefore deployed our forensic experts to launch investigations in collaborations with experts in Canada and United States to crack the syndicate. The investigation revealed the following: a) The designing and operations of the fake websites "nigeriacustomsservice.net", "nigeriacustomsservice.info" and many facebook accounts in the name of the Comptroller General of Customs were masterminded by the Principal Suspect, known as Umoh Moses or Prince Moses. Prince Moses was arrested alongside 3 others viz; - Obinwanne -Abua Steve and -Duru Chidi b) these suspects operated a company known as BIIS at No 110 Tetlow road, owerri, Imo State. The company was traced by forensic experts operating from Canada and USA. c) The fake sites were hosted by an Ibadan based company known as Skyskay System Limited, with one Kayode Abiodun Ogundele as the mastermind. d) That a commercial Bank account was opened using the account name 'Customs Wuse' in Aba, Abia state which they used to defraud job seekers. A Manager of the bank, with four other staff was arrested for highlevel collusion and failure to discharge their obligations to KYC. e) Five laptops, five mobile set and one central processing unit were retrieved from the suspects for further forensic analysis to determine the extent of their involvement in this crime. 8. In a related case, two serving corps members, Sanusi Abubakar and Hassan Nura Maiyaki were also arrested here in Abuja by our operatives in money for job scandal. They were lured into Abuja by our operatives to collect the sum of N400,000 for two customs recruitment letters. Their victims, who were to have been defrauded in Sokoto, insisted that payment for the letters would only be made after sighting the original copies. A trap was set for them, when they came to Abuja to consummate the deal before their arrest. 9. In yet another case, one Hassan Haruna duped 3 job applicants of a total sum of three million naira in the guise of helping them secure employment in Customs. Hassan was arrested in Apapa when he walked into a trap set for him by our operatives. 10. I want to acknowlegde the high level of support we enjoined from the Chairman ICPC, Barrister Ekpo Nta who graciously seconded some of his operatives who participated in this investigation. I must commend their commitment to painstaking approach which has led the Service to these discoveries. 11. For the benefit of all, we also like to alert Nigerians that these web scammers do not limit their activities to recruitment alone. They also use on-line platforms to extort money from victims in exchange for fake auction papers, contracts and other business deals. Another recent trend is dropping the names of Principal aides of the Comptoller General as baits for unsuspecting victims. Members of the public are to note that there is no service provided by the Customs that requires payment of un-receipted facilitating fees of any kind. let me emphasize that the process of recruitment and contracts in customs fulfils all requirements of fairness and transparency prescribed by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Thank you for your attention.

Petitioner expresses gratitude to ICPC for recovering his money from a woman

icpcuser — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:26:17 +0000

Mr Okamgba Sylvester has expressed his gratitude to the ICPC for recovering his money from Mrs Ngozi Nwaimo after she sold a fake plot of land to him at Kuruduma District of the FCT. In a letter he addressed to the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Sylvester said "I wish to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to you and the entire team that worked tirelessly to ensure that justice has prevailed, in fact through the effort of your men, the entire amount of money spent on the purchase of the fake land was recovered, and i am glad to inform you that i have collected my complete money based on the petition drafted to your highly esteemed office."

SUMMARY OF REPORT OF TWO DAYS ANTI CORRUPTION SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP ORGANIZED BY ELEME LOCAL GOVERNMANT COUNCIL OF RIVERS STATE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ICPC

icpcuser — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:17:07 +0000

Eleme Local Government Council ,Rivers State in collaboration with the Commission organized a two day Anti -Corruption Sensitization Workshop tagged: Transparency and Accountability; Issues for Local Government Administration in Nigeria, recently. The collaborative workshop was coordinated by the ICPC, Akwa Ibom State office The objectives of the workshop among others include: Refreshing participants’ knowledge of the workings of the Local Government Councils in Nigeria, Grounding participants in knowledge of laws establishing Anti –graft agencies, thus reducing the incidence of government functionaries falling victims of anti-graft laws, Enhancing the operational and fiscal efficiency of the Local Government Councils in Nigeria, and Imbuing participants with ethos of transparency, accountability and good governance. Participants at the workshop included the Executive Chairman, Councilors, Supervisors, Political office holders, Directors, Staff of the Council as well as Extra-Ministerial departments. Media Executives, Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders and other stake holder were also in attendance. The workshop featured lectures from relevant resource faculty as well as ICPC officials. At the end of the workshop, participants contributed robustly to the discussions at the interactive session. Some of the participants’ observations were: that poverty at the local level was high , that some cultural practices tend to lead to corruption, that transparency and accountability are critical factors in the fight against corruption. At the close of the workshop, participants issued communique recommending that: I. Code of Conduct Bureau law that prevents public officers from engaging in businesses other than farming should be amended, II. Revenue Allocation Formula should be reviewed to give local government more funding,

Local Government Councils should be given total autonomy so as to be able to perform their constitutional duties,

IV. There should be more sensitization workshops for operators of local Government system At the end of the event, participants expressed gratitude to the Chairman of the Council while thanking the Commission for its support.

Re: Ezekwesili, Mr. Chiahemen and ICPC.

icpcuser — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:57:32 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is not surprised by the interest generated by the report by Mr. Tom Chiahemen, Publisher of an Abuja based Newspaper, National Accord, published through the social media africanexaminer.com on Thursday, 7th March 2013 and other papers, where he regaled the reading public of his invitation to ICPC. It is germane to note that ICPC does not publish details of its interrogations so as not to put a suspect or witness at a disadvantage before the court. ICPC will not at this time of its existence learn how to write with the ‘left hand’ given its well-known human rights by not lending itself to be used to either curtail the freedom of citizens or hound perceived political opponents. For record purposes, Mr. Chiahemen's invitation by ICPC's was at the instance of the Commission’s External Solicitor to clarify certain issues relating to issuance and sighting of receipts in respect of monies paid by the Federal Ministry of Education through Cattigan Communications Limited. This is an ongoing case which commenced since February 2010 at High Court 4, Abuja vide Charge CR/44/10: Federal Republic of Nigeria vs Yusuf Agabi, Dr. Okey Ikechukwu and Mr. Stanley Brown (who were at the material time all members of Staff or Media Consultant of the Federal Ministry of Education). From his media expose, Mr. Chiahemen has averred that at the material time, between 2006 and 2007, he was not only the Chairman of the Cattigan Communications Limited but also a Correspondent of Daily Independent Newspapers assigned to cover activities in the Education Sector, as well as being a member of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN). Whilst still functioning in all three capacities, he was in 2006, appointed as a Media Agent by the Ministry of Education. His expose further established the matrix between his concurrent status as employee, Consultant, FME Agent, ECAN member and the methodology of the procurement and administration of the said media contracts/services in a matter that has been in the court since 2006. Since this matter has been in Court since 2010 and therefore sub judice, ICPC calls on discerning Nigerians, and other interested parties like Human Rights Writers Association (HRWA), to note the line of questioning and the responses thereto and make their conclusions on the issues voluntarily broadcast to the world by Mr. Tony Chiahemen on Thursday, 7th March 2013 as shown in the excerpts below: EXCERPT ONE "One of the ICPC officials did ask me how much of the money went to Dr Okey Ikechukwu and I said as far as the adverts placed in the print media were concerned each of the correspondents was required to forfieit one (1%) of their commission to Cattigan Communications to settle the bank's COT while each correspondent who was a member of Education Correspondent Association Of Nigeria( ECAN), contributed 5% of their commission to the treasurer of the association". EXCERPT TWO "The ICPC officials further questioned the propriety of me working with Daily Independent and at the same time running Cattigan Communications Ltd which according to them, was performing similar functions as my employer, Daily Independent. I tried unsuccessfully to educate them that Cattigan Communications was only a consulting firm and that I wasn't running it full time nor was the company competing with daily Independent". EXCERPT 3 " The issue of receipt and invoices used in the transactions also came up. The ICPC wanted me to show evidence that what the Federal Ministry Of Education was paid to the various newspapers listed and if so where are the receipts (not invoices attached) from those papers?" EXCERPT 4 "I explained to the lady the circumstances that led to the appointment of Cattigan Communication Ltd to handle media buying/placements during the Education Sector Reform Program me of the Ezekwesili/Obasanjo administration. I told her the company was nominated and presented to the ministry by correspondents of the various national media organisations covering education sector, under the umbrella organisation of. Education Correspondents Association Of Nigeria(ECAN) In conclusion, ICPC disassociates and distance itself from the innuendos and insinuations given to Mr. Chiahemen’s report especially by persons, who by their training and disposition could have sought clarification from the Commission. Folu Olamiti RC (M&E)

INVITATION! INVITATION! INVITATION!

icpcuser — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:36:43 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr Ekpo Nta, will be the Guest Speaker at the 22nd Annual International Conference on African Literature and English Language (ICALEL) organized by the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Calabar scheduled to hold from 7th to 11th May 2013. The Honorable Chairman will speak on the theme: Corruption and National Security and also use the opportunity to address the University community and other stakeholders on the Commission`s relentless efforts in waging war against corruption in the country.

2012 Report of Activities for Education Department

icpc — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:42:51 +0000

The Education Department of ICPC presents its Report of Activities for 2012. Download the Report: [download id="10"] or go to our downloads page.

ICPC Newsletter Volume 8, No. 1

victor — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:13:15 +0000

Highlights:

Place National Interest above all things - David Mark tells Broadcast Organizations Page 03 Corruption has no Tribe - NIPSS Boss Page 05 ICPC arraigns former Hon. Member and Ag. Clerk of the House of Representatives - Page 11 ICPC drags University Lecturer to Court - Page 11 [download id="12"]

Crude Oil Fraud: ICPC Arraigns two alleged fraudsters

icpcuser — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:51:12 +0000

Two accused persons —Aso Adasa Morrison and Frank Biobarakuma—were arraigned in court by the ICPC today before Justice B.A. Georgewill of the High Court of Rivers state in Port Harcourt. The accused are to be remanded in prison until 24th and 27th of May for bail application and continuation of hearing respectively The two accused are being charged with 17 alleged offences in which they defrauded a South Korean citizen of the sum of nearly one million US dollars. The accused persons were said to have conspired bet ween themselves and others at large to receive from Mr. Jung Yongmin various sums of money in US dollars under the pretext of the sale of two million barrels of Nigerian Light Crude oil. The offences were committed between the months of March 2012 and February 2013. Mr. Aso Adasa Morrison and Frank Biobarakuma are also accused of forging various documents purpurtedly issued by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC and other relevant agencies ; attesting to the authenticity of the sale of two million barrels of Nigeria Light Crude Oil. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to counts 2 and 17 while Justice Georgewill ordered them to be remanded in prison custody. Mike Sowe Head, Public Enlightenment Dept. 30th April, 2013

ICPC PAYS SYMPATHY VISIT TO THE EMIR OF KANO – As Chairman Declares Commitment to Partnership with Government At All Levels

icpcuser — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:33:15 +0000

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has said that the ICPC has no difficulty identifying with a very good cause at the various tiers and levels of government as well as religious and traditional institutions in the country. The Chairman stated this in Kano when Members of the Board of ICPC went on a sympathy visit to the Emir of Kano, HRH Alhaji Ado Bayero, over his recent attack by gunmen. Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Kano State, the ICPC boss pointed out that corruption was so widespread in the country that government at every level had a critical role to play in addressing it. “It is not enough to complain about corruption. If we are all seating around a dirty table, and you decide to take out your handkerchief and clean the portion immediately before you, before you know it, we will have a clean table. That is the parable of the country we call Nigeria,” he said. “The work of ICPC is not all about arresting people, putting them behind bars only; of course, if anybody transgresses the rule, the law will take its course; but our major focus is to uproot corruption from the society by taking preventive measures.” According to Mr. Nta, one of the preventive measures of the Commission is in the area of systems study; which identifies and removes processes and practices that encourage corruption. He said the Commission had assisted some state governments to do systems study in their states. “Bauchi is an example where they were not having enough revenue and they brought ICPC in, to conduct systems study to find out why the revenue generation was so low. After the study and review of the system, there was a huge revenue boost.” He also said that the Commission was following implementation of budgets all over the country; and where the Commission can assist, particularly in budget preparation, “we will be more than delighted to cooperate with government at all levels”. The Chairman, who was represented by Prof. Olu Aina, told Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano state that, having seen the very laudable programmes and projects he was putting in place for the people of Kano, the Commission was extending invitation to him to be guest at ICPC Governors’ Forum to share the magic he was performing in the state with other Governors. “In the Governors’ Forum we invite governors, share ideas with them, particularly governors that are doing well in their states, to come and share their experiences which we can in turn take to other states; and your Excellency, your state is one of such states,” he told Kwankwaso. Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso assured the ICPC Chairman that Kano State government would continue to work with ICPC, saying; “We believe that your success is our success and the success of this country. The issue of corruption is a huge challenge to us.” According to the Governor, “Kano State Government does not believe in security vote;” adding that his administration had not taken one naira in the name of security vote; and that whatever they were doing was open; “if we are giving Police logistics, we give them on request and it is being well documented for everybody to see; if we are giving it to the Army, it is the same thing; we put on paper and it is there on record. The issue of security vote I believe is an issue that everybody should take seriously because we believe that it is the area where many people are taking money and not accounting for it. He said his believe was that, “as a governor you are working for the people, and needed to be open because people should know what we are doing.”

ICPC Collaborates With NUC on Closure of Illegal Universities

icpcuser — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:32:46 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has pledged to collaborate with the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) on the closure of illegal universities and the prosecution of their owners. He made the pledge yesterday while presenting a paper on “Corruption and National Security” at the 22nd Annual International Conference on African Literature and English Language (ICALEL) at the University of Calabar. Underlining the role of the ICPC in promoting national security, he said the equation was quite simple: “If we agree that corruption breeds insecurity, then it goes without saying that whatever we do in ICPC should be seen in the light of promoting national security.” He said the commission would deal with the operators of those universities in line with the law of the land, regretting that “some persons in the society who are aware of such corruption have decided to keep quiet because they feel it cannot be handled”. On the symbiotic relationship between corruption and national security, the ICPC chairman pointed out that that it prevents good governance, sustainable growth and development. He stressed that corruption promotes unemployment, low direct foreign investment, and a poor national image, and threatens the territorial integrity of a nation if corrupt officials do not ensure compliance with immigration, customs and excise laws and requirements. “Corruption thrives in situations where there is little or no transparency in decision-making processes,” he said. “Wherever public officials occupying positions that confer major economic or social benefits, enjoy wide discretionary powers with little or no accountability, there is tremendous opportunity for corruption.” Towards shaping national consciousness positively, he disclosed that his commission has designed programmes to help in checkmating corruption in the country by supporting the highly effective and strategic socialization role literature and writers have played and also novel ideas that will enrich the fight against corruption. “ICPC is involved in detection, investigation, enforcement, preventive and education and enlightenment functions in the fight against corruption,” he said, saying the commission has established Anti-corruption Monitoring Units (ACTUs) in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the universities. Furthermore, Mr. Nta stated that the commission is actively involved in system study and the review of corruption-prone processes in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and proffering and enforcing new processes and procedures. ICPC, in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), is currently reviewing corruption-prone processes in all the universities, he said. Similarly, he said the commission, in partnership with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), has developed and infused core-values into schools curricula for teaching ethics and civics in primary and secondary schools, including Teacher's Guides. To that end, he disclosed that that the commission has formed anti-corruption clubs in secondary schools and anti-corruption vanguards in tertiary institutions. “We shall continue to collaborate with the academia to reposition our society positively,” he said, challenging his audience as individuals to help sustain the fight against corruption through literary products which is now gaining worldwide audiences courtesy of film and social media. “We are prepared to assist in supporting Writers' workshops in the area of corruption, good governance and integrity.” Mr. Nta said the “ICPC was at the conference for two major reasons. The first was to support and acknowledge the highly effective and strategic socialization role literature and writers have played, and must continue to play, in shaping national consciousness positively, while the second reason was to source for novel ideas that will enrich the fight against corruption and seek new partnerships individually and collectively from the fold of the writers.” In a remark, a widely-known writer, Elechi Amadi, congratulated the English department for keeping the dream of literature burning, saying, “I congratulate the English department for keeping this up. I know of many universities that had started something like this but somewhere along the line stopped”. On his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor James Epoke acknowledged the English department for putting together a publication that can be used in tackling corruption through literature. He advised the participant to shun corruption, stating that it is a thing of the mind and it can be dealt with by individuals.

ICPC sensitizes 35 Permanent Secretaries

icpcuser — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:35:36 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in partnership with the office of the Head Of Service Of The Federation will hold an anti-corruption training for 35 Federal Permanent Secretaries. The workshop, which is to hold on thursday 16 May 2013 at NEW CHELSEA HOTEL behind the Defence College in Abuja by 9 am, is supported by the Justice For All program of DFID. It is aimed to assist the permanent secretaries to understand the functions of Anti- Corruption Transparency Units (ACTUs) in their various ministries. The ACTUs have ethics and compliance officers in ministries to check abuse of corruption in day to day transactions among government officials. The workshop will also provide the chief executives with the context to better appreciate the role of organizational ethics, broader functions of ACTUS. ACTUS are domiciled with each ministry and agency and function both as anti-corruption vanguards as well as ethics and integrity units. Members of ACTUs are expected to monitor report and provide advice on integrity issues in their various ministries and agencies. The Justice For All (J4A) project is a partnership between the Nigerian Government and the UK Department for International Development (DFID)

ICPC/NUC Joint News Conference on Closure of Illegal Universities

icpcuser — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:16:35 +0000

Gentlemen of the Press, The essence of this Press Conference, is to let you know that in keeping with its warning delivered by the Chairman last week, ICPC has today commenced a nation-wide operation to seal the premises of identified illegal "Universities", seize their properties, make arrests, prosecute, and execute such other actions it deems fit. This actions, is the first in the series of implementing the outcome of an ongoing ICPC/NUC University System Study and Review (USSR), for which ICPC sort and obtained a Federal High Court Warrant to crack down on illegal degree-awarding mills in Nigeria. An Inter-Agency Task Team comprising of ICPC, the National Universities Commission, the Police, the State Security Services and the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps will continue the exercise until all corrupt practices and impunity associated with the physical existence of such illegal institutions cease completely. We know it is a world-wide phenomenon which occurs wherever demand for educational or other services far outweigh supply but we are determined to eliminate it from such critical sectors like education in Nigeria. The universities being closed down today were established in contravention of the law which states that any application for the establishment of a university must be done through the National Universities Commission. These unaccredited institutions, apart from extorting huge sums of money from unsuspecting Nigerians, are manned by unqualified personnel; and operate in makeshift structures and poor environment that cannot qualify our youth both in learning and character for the award of recognized university degrees. In addition, students of these institutions are not admitted through JAMB, neither are they qualified or considered for the NYSC. As a result of all these deficiencies, the so called students of these illegal outfits are not equipped for employment in the public or private sectors. In the end, certificates obtained from such institutions become useless, and the period of study becomes a monumental waste of precious time. Therefore, the activities of these illegal operators have impacted negatively on the mental, psychological and economic wellbeing of many young Nigerians and their parents. The institutions constitute an embarrassment to the Government; and remain a monumental corruption of the education system. Members of the public are advised to visit the NUC website for the list of these illegal degree-awarding universities, institutions and Centres. A lot of them do not have fixed addresses while some have become itinerant, changing locations continuously to beat the law. School Proprietors by this Notice are advised to be wary of lending or hiring out their premises for these "after-school hour and weekend" institutions to avoid having their premises sealed or seized. Gentlemen of the Press, we solicit your cooperation, and that of all well-meaning Nigerians including Civil Societies, parents and prospective students to continue providing us with relevant information to help check the corrupt activities that mortgage the future of our youths. Thank you Prof. Olu Aina, OFR Chairman, ICPC/NUC Task Team

News Release

icpcuser — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:53:54 +0000

The former Chairman of Patani Local Government Council of Delta State Mr Austin Bebeteidoh has been sentenced to 3 years in jail for paying his wife a monthly imprest of N110,000, thereby contravening Section 19 of the ICPC Act.

The former Chairman was charged to Court by the ICPC in 2007 on a seven count charge for violating Sections 16,19 and 25 of the ICPC Act. He was accused of converting for his personal use the sum of N7million overdraft facility he obtained on behalf of Patani Local Government Council from the New Nigerian Bank Plc and another sum of N710,000 which he purportedly used for hiring a vehicle for official use. Mr Austin Bebeteidoh was also accused of approving for fueling of his wife's car the sum of N110,000 monthly as imprest, even though his wife had no official car.

Justice G.B Briki-okolosi, while delivering his judgement on Thursday 16th May 2013 discharged and acquitted the accused person on counts 1-5 but found the accused guilty on counts 6 and 7. He then sentenced the former Local Government Chairman to 3 years with an option of N200,000 on count 6 and another N200,000 on count 7.

Meanwhile, the ICPC has arrested an officer of the Nigerian Prison Service ASP Ikwuobe Yusuf and his accomplice Usman Musa, for operating a fake employment syndicate through which they extorted hundreds of thousands of naira from applicants.

ASP Yusuf is alleged to have collected the sum of N100,000 from 70 applicants through Usman Musa who promised to offer the applicants employment with National Task Force To Combat Illegal Importation and Smuggling of Goods, Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons.

The suspects were arrested in Kano and Kaduna and have been transferred to ICPC headquarters for further investigation.

Mike Sowe
Head, Public Enlightenment Dept
ICPC
19th May 2013

Petitioner Expresses Appreciation to ICPC for Recovering his Money

icpcuser — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:03:15 +0000

A petitioner Ahmed Abubakar has through a letter sent to the ICPC Chairman expressed his appreciation to the ICPC for recovering his N500,000 from one Mr Daniel Amos. Abubakar said "I humbly wish to appreciate your sir and your Commission for the effort that led to the recovery of my money from Mr Daniel Amos. Sir, i equally wish to use this medium to thank HOD SDD and the investigators that conducted the investigation, indeed it is proved to me that ICPC is the hope of the common man."

15 Years Old Nigerian Girl Secures Admission Into Harvard.

icpcuser — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:12:39 +0000

A Nigerian girl, Saheela Ibraheem, has achieved what so many adults would call a daunting task in getting admission into an Ivy league school. She was given admission by 13 other institutions, including Princeton and Columbia before settling for Harvard. As gathered, Young Saheela skipped two grades because she believes the key to success is figuring out what you love to learn as early as possible, something she did at age 5. “If you are passionate about what you do, and I am passionate about most of these things, especially with Math,” Saheela said. It is with this mindset that she actualised the goal of getting into the prestigious university at the age of 15. Presently her dream of becoming a Neuroscientist is underway.

ICPC TOLL-FREE LINES

icpcuser — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:17:15 +0000

Nigerians wishing to forward complaints and petitions to the ICPC will now do so without spending a kobo, as the Commission has acquired five toll-free lines that have been activated. This is in addition to other avenues that have been available to citizens such as written petitions and the use of the Internet. The toll-free lines is a fulfilment of the promise made by the ICPC Chairman while receiving the Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR) who paid him a courtesy call two weeks ago. The toll-free lines will enable citizens to make calls to the Commission free of charge. The lines are listed below: 08031230280 08031230281 08031230282 07056990190 07056990191 The ICPC Chairman assured citizens that the lines will remain open 24/7 Signed:Mike Sowe Head, Public Enlightenment Department ICPC

Consultant sentenced to 6 months for inflating consultancy fee

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:41:00 +0000

A Community Development consultant to Shanga Local Government council of Kebbi State, Garba Hassan Wara has been sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for inflating his consultancy fee. Justice Zaiyanu Nagodi of the High court of Kebbi state sitting in Birnin Kebbi pronounced the sentence while delivering judgment on a matter brought before the court by the ICPC in 2011. Mr. Garba Hassan Wara was charged and convicted of four out of nine charges. He was accused of abetting a public officer to inflate the price of his consultancy fee for the establishment of Shanga Micro Finance Bank from N 1.7million to 5 million naira. The accused committed the offence as an agent of a consultancy firm by name Community Development. The presiding Judge on 6^th June, 2013 sentenced him to 6 months each for the four charges, which are to run concurrently. He was however given an option of fine of 50 thousand naira for count 6,150 thousand naira for count 7, 100 thousand naira for count 8, and 100 thousand naira for count 9. The first accused in the case, Mr. Garba Salisu Takware, former chairman of Shanga Local Government was charged for conferring corrupt advantage upon himself and for inflation and making false statement, but was discharged and acquitted by the Court.

TIE UP AREAS PRONE TO CORRUPTION WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM – ICPC

icpcuser — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:53:13 +0000

The significance of a corrupt free society cannot be overemphasized let alone in the University system which is meant to model good character for the future leaders of tomorrow. This was extensively discussed by representatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) at a One-day sensitization seminar with the theme “Corruption and its effect on the University System”, organised by the Anti – Corruption and Transparency Unit of the Federal University of Technology, Minna held on Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at First Bank Lecture Hall, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT), Main Campus, Gidan Kwano. The first speaker, Mr. Henry Umore, ICPC Zonal Co-ordinator, Lokoja who presented a paper titled “Corruption in the Academia; Challenges before a Purposeful Leadership” said everybody in the University system is likely to be involved in corrupt practices through parents, students and staff so we must all collectively and consciously come together to fight the monstrosity called corruption before it consumes us. Mr. Umore further said that one of ICPC’s functions is to advice and instruct agencies and parastatals on ways to eliminate corruption. He stated that corruption is a dishonest, selfish, anti-social and anti-ethical act which should be frowned at in all its ramifications and whoever is caught in the act should be made to face the full wrath of the Law. The representative of ICPC’s Chairman, Mr. Oche Godwin delivered a paper titled “Detection and Control of Corruption in the University System”. He reiterated that the University Management should put mechanisms in place to enable them identify corrupt prone areas in the system such as: good internal reporting systems, effective complaint system and availability of information to all stakeholders. He noted that ICPC is ready to work with the University through ACTU to wage an effective and sustained war against corruption. He further disclosed that the fight against corruption in the University system is everybody’s responsibility, so that Nigerian Universities can take its pride of place in global ranking. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Musbau Adewumi Akanji, FNSBMB, in his address revealed some of the areas that are prone to corrupt practices in the University system to include: admission processes, examination, compilation and computation of results, appointments, transcripts, award and execution of contracts. He appealed to everybody not to take part in any of these and said whoever is caught in such acts would be asked to leave the system as his administration has zero tolerance for corruption. The VC also congratulated ACTU on the success of the seminar and challenged them to bring the corrupt culprits to book and hoped that corruption in the system would be reduced to the barest minimum. He further advised that everyone should do their own little bit by ensuring that people around them are sensitized about the evils of corruption. Prof. Akanji further tasked ICPC representatives to go back and fight corruption from the top. Dr. Peter Ida, a member of ACTU, FUT, Minna in his vote of thanks appreciated the Management and participants for their attendance and promised that ACTU would organise more sensitization seminars for the University community.

“Save Your Love For Lecturer Till After Graduation”, ICPC Boss Tells UNICAL Students

icpcuser — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:03:57 +0000

63 Upper Benue River Basin Retirees get N7m Benefits through ICPC`s Intervention

icpcuser — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 13:45:45 +0000

Sixty Three downsized Civil Servants of Upper River Basin Development Authority have received the payment of their N7, 521,860 being the shortfall or underpayment of their benefits when they were disengaged from the Civil Service. The ICPC intervened on their behalf when they submitted a petition to the Commission in August 2012 against the Bureau of Public Service Reforms for the non-payment of their benefits since 2007. The payment of the benefits was confirmed when Mr Usman Namtari, the lead petitioner put a call to the Commission`s Financial Investigation Unit to express their appreciation.

Director sentenced to 3 months in jail for making false statement

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 10:39:18 +0000

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Illorin, presided by the Chief Judge of the State Justice Bamgbola J has sentenced the Director of Works, Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, Mr Iliya Philemon Hassan to three months imprisonment. Hassan was arraigned by the ICPC in 2009 on a three count charge bordering on making false statements to the Registrar of the polytechnic and officials of the ICPC thereby committing an offence contrary and punishable under section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The accused falsely claimed in his curriculum vitae submitted to the Registrar of the said polytechnic and in his statement before ICPC officials that he possesses a Masters Degree in Building Construction Technology from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The court also ruled that the term of imprisonment shall run concurrently with a cumulative fine of N50,000 on each count. The convict has since been moved to madala prison in Illorin , Kwara State.

INVITATION TO A YOUTH INTEGRITY CAMP FOR ANGLOPHONE WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES

icpcuser — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 14:36:36 +0000

View details of Advert for Youth Integrity Camp - Nigeria

Deputy LG Chairman gets 5 months’ salary after ICPC`s intervention

icpcuser — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 08:12:02 +0000

The former Deputy Chairman of Nasarawa Local Government Council of Nasarawa State, Barr. Musa Ogbere Esq. has received his five months’ salary from Nasarawa Local Government Council after the intervention of the ICPC Zonal Office in Makurdi, Benue State. Barr. Ogbere had earlier sought the intervention of the commission through a complaint against the Directors of Finance/Supply and Personnel Management Alh Sani M Ahmed and Dangana Bature respectively. In a letter of commendation addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Barr Ogbere said the issue has been resolved amicably as he has been paid all his claims; adding that there was no need for Court action.

Pension Scam: ICPC arraigns clerical officer

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 14:30:19 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday arraigned Henry Oruh, a senior Clerical Officer with the Police Pension Office, before an Abuja High Court for alleged fraud. The Commission alleged that Oruh made false statements when in his suspect data form, he said that he only had a salary account with the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), which had less than N50, 000. The prosecutor, Mr. Paul Bassi, told the court that while executing a search warrant in Oruh’s house, officials of the ICPC, also discovered several other bank booklets with his name, including Fidelity Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and also Zenith Bank Plc. Bassi said that during investigation, the officials, found over N50 million in the various accounts. The prosecution said that when asked about how he came about the money, Oruh, could not give a satisfactory answer. The ICPC is also charging the accused for lying under oath, where in the suspect data form, he lied that he had no other account under his name. The offence, according to the ICPC, is contrary to Section 25 (1) and punishable under Section 25 (1b) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission Act. If convicted, Oruh shall be imprisoned for two years or with an option to pay a fine of N100, 000 or with both. Oruh, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. After arraignment, Oruh’s counsel, Mr. Perry Ikoro, urged the court to admit his client to bail. Ikoro, assured the court that if granted bail, the accused would not jump bail. However, in his ruling, Justice Hussieni Baba-Yusuf admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N500, 000 and a surety in like sum. Baba-yusuf ordered that the surety must be resident within the FCT and must produce proof of ownership of a landed property

ICPC Sends LG Chairman To Jail Over Security Vote

icpcuser — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:33:13 +0000

The former Chairman of Ogun Waterside Local Government, Abigi, Ogun State Gboyega Bakre and his Administrative Officer 1 Mr Mohammed Adeyemi Oke were each on July 24 this year sent to six months jail without option of fine on 15 counts charge bothering on misappropriation of Four million naira meant for the security of the community. The accused persons were alleged to have collected the sum of N4,000, 000. 00 (Four Million Naira) at the rate of N250, 000. 00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) weekly from the month of September, 2005 to February, 2006 for the upkeep of mobile policemen drafted to restore peace to two communities involved in communal crisis within the Local Government. It was however discovered that there was truly communal crisis but the policemen were taken care of by the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Command and that the convicted persons merely used the crisis as a subterfuge to siphon public funds for their private use. Accordingly the 1st and 2nd accused persons were charged jointly on six counts charge for conspiracy to confer corrupt advantage upon a public officer contrary to Section 26 (1) (c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The 2nd accused person was charged separately on six counts for conferring corrupt advantage upon himself contrary to Section 19 of the Act and equally charged on three counts for furnishing false returns contrary to Section 16 of the Act. Justice A.O Ajibodu of Ijebu Ode High Court in his judgement convicted the accused on all the counts of the charge and sentenced them to six months imprisonment on each of the counts without option of fine and the sentence is to run concurrently. Folu Olamiti RC(M&E)

ICPC Arraigns Operator of Illegal University

icpcuser — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 08:44:20 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and 0ther Related Offenses Commission( ICPC) on Thursday arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja one David Iornem for allegedly operating an illegal University in Abuja. The anti graft agency had slammed a three count charge on the accused bothering on fraudulent collection of money amounting to 17,300 United State Dollars from three different people to secure the admission into the University. Those who fell victim of the accused persons are the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin,Professor Is-haq Oloyede, Akinkuotu Albert Oluwatoyin and Jamilu Rabiu Sani. The accused person however, pleaded not guilty to the three count charge when it was read to him. Prosecution counsel,Ebenezer Shogunle told the court that the Commission was ready to bring its witnesses to prove its case against the accused. He therefore asked for a short adjournment. Counsel to the accused person, J.I Abagu brought an application praying the court to admit the accused person to bail. The Prosecution did not oppose the application for bail but however prayed the court to make the bail in a such a way that will make the accused person to be available to stand his trial. Ruling on the bail application, the trial judge,Justice A.R Mohammed granted the application since the prosecution did not object to it. He admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum who must be a civil servant in the employment of the Federal Government or any of its agencies. He added that the surety must swear to an affidavit of means and drop his recent passport with the court registry. Justice Mohammed however held that the accused person be remanded in Kuje Prison pending when he satisfy his bail condition. He adjourned the case to September 19 for trial. The three count charge reads: *That you, David Iornem, (m) on or about the 4th day of July, 2012 at Abuja, with intention to defraud, attempted to obtain the total sum of $11,550 (Eleven thousand, five hundred and fifty Dollars) from one Professor Is-haq Oloyede by falsely representing yourself to be “Professor David Iornem” and solicited payment of the said sum of $11,550 (Eleven thousand, five hundred and fifty Dollars) from Professor Is-haq Oloyede for the award of an academic doctorate degree of COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, BELIZE when you know that the said Commonwealth University, Belize is a fake and unaccredited university owned and operated by you, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. *That you, David Iornem, (m) on or about the 21st day of January, 2013 at Abuja, with intention to defraud, obtained the sum of $5,000 (Five thousand United States Dollars) from one Akinkiotu Albert Oluwatoyin by falsely representing yourself to be ‘Professor David Iornem’ and pretending to offer admission to the said Akinkuotu Albert Oluwatoyin to pursue a degree of doctor of philosophy in management of the COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, BELIZE when you know that the said Commonwealth University Belize is a fake and unaccredited university owned and operated by you and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006. *That you, David Iornem, (m) on or about the 23th May, 2013 at Abuja, received the sum of $800 (Eight hundred Dollars) from one Jamilu Rabiu Sani as application form fee and good faith deposit for admission into COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, BELIZE when you know that the said Commonwealth University Belize is a fake and unaccredited university owned and operated by you and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

ICPC to Prosecute Bribe Givers & Takers at Sea Ports

icpcuser — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 14:04:46 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) will henceforth prosecute any foreigner who offers bribe at sea ports to facilitate import or export of goods into the country. This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Ekpo Nta, at the Report Validation Meeting of the Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) in Nigerian Ports recently held in Lagos. Mr Nta said that any person who offers or solicits for bribe to facilitate any process in the seaports or has information of such and fails to report to the ICPC is liable to be prosecuted. “The outcome of today`s meeting will be a defining paradigm for the way business is carried out in our seaports because that outcome will be built on the commitment of every stakeholder present to streamline and strengthen activities in the ports sector which indeed is the gateway to our national economy” he said. While presenting the final report of the exercise, consultants of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr Constantine Palicarsky and Chibuzo Ekwekwo, revealed that it takes more than 120 signatures for a consignment to be cleared in the Nigerian seaports. This is in addition to other problems identified in the report such as systemic bottlenecks, political, social and technological factors such as ineffective checks and balances, limited ports facilities and high tariffs. they added. The Corruption Risk Assessment Project is a System Study and Review exercise conducted by the ICPC and other stakeholders at the instance of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN). The pilot exercise which covered six Nigerian ports namely: Lagos (Apapa and Tin Can), Port Harcourt (Port Harcourt and Onne), Calabar and Warri identified Nigeria as one of the countries with corruption-prone systems in the port sector. It would be recalled that in August 2012, the ICPC and other stakeholders like the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had announced the commencement of the training of 100 Corruption Risk Assessors (CRAs) drawn from various Millennium Development Goals - related MDAs, Media and Civil Society Organizations. At that time, the ICPC Chairman, Mr Ekpo Nta, while announcing the kick-off of the project had said “The Corruption Risk Assessment Project (CRA) will bring a valuable dimension to the corruption prevention work of the ICPC. The focus of the CRA project is to identify within organizations operational areas that are vulnerable to corrupt practices, proffer recommendations and jointly develop, with the management of organizations, action plans to strengthen accountability and transparency towards enhanced public service delivery.” Other stakeholders in the port sector who contributed to drafting the final report through deliberations were Nigeria Customs Service, represented by the its Port Comptroller, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Shippers Council, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Freight Forwarders Association of Nigeria and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

ICPC’S TOLL FREE LINES: AN ASSESSMENT

icpcuser — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:07:32 +0000

Since the Commissioning of ICPC’s Toll free lines on May 30^th 2013, Nigerians have been taking good advantage to forward their petitions, Complaints, Observations and suggestions to the Commission, at no cost to the callers. Between May when the 5 lines were activated, and the first week of August 2013, a total of 126 calls have been received from Citizens in 26 States spread across the 6 Geo-political zones of the Country. So far, over one third of these callers have been requesting the ICPC to recover their money from their business partners, while a similar number have lodged Complaints about poor services and alleged Corrupt Practices by staff of the power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). A good number of the Callers have provided useful information which has assisted the Commission in fulfilling its mandate, thus resulting in investigation activities, preventive measures, and public Enlightenment and Education. The Commission is therefore greatly encouraged by these calls from concerned and patriotic Nigerians. The law does not give the ICPC the mandate to collect debt on behalf of anyone. Callers are therefore advised to take note and to restrict their complaints to matters that fall under the jurisdiction of the commission; such as bribery, receiving gratification, criminal conspiracy, making false statement, Fraudulent acquisition of property, and fraudulent receipt of property. Many callers have been enquiring about the petitions they had sent to the Commission, asking for updates to be given to them. In as much as it is the policy of the Commission to keep petitioners informed about the progress of work, details of investigation activities cannot be disclosed on phone. Relevant progress or conclusion reports will only be released on a “need to know” basis. Our Toll-Free numbers are:

080 31230280
080 31230281
080 31230282
070 56990190
070 56990191

Released by the Public Enlightenment Department ICPC. 5^th August, 2013.

Pensioner Expresses Appreciation to ICPC for its Intervention in the Payment of his Gratuity

icpcuser — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 15:40:49 +0000

Read Letter of Appreciation

Civil Servant Faces One Year Imprisonment - For Assaulting ICPC Operatives

icpcuser — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 12:53:02 +0000

Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission were last Wednesday physically assaulted by some members of staff of Federal Civil Service Commission when an officer of the commission Mr Abbah Adikwu was arrested for allegedly taking a bribe to perform his official duties Mr Adikwu risks one year in jail without option of fine for assaulting and obstructing officers of ICPC in the execution of their official duties as contained in section 41 (f) of ICPC act 2000. Adikwu had attempted to bolt after being arrested by the operatives of ICPC who were on a sting operation, and had in the process stirred a mob action against the officers who arrested him on allegation that he collected the bribe and was caught red handed. The aggrieved party, name withheld initially filed a petition against Mr Adikwu, alleging that he had demanded a bribe from him just to attend to his pending file with the Federal Civil Service Commission. The petitioner told the ICPC that he had been visiting the suspect's office since December 2012 on the necessity for regularization of his service with the Commission, whereas the suspect had frustrated all the efforts through unethical conduct and brazen demands for a bribe. Worried by the non-nonchalant attitude of Mr Adikwu to his plight, he forwarded a petition to the ICPC dated 16th September this year. Upon the receipt of the petition dated September 16, the ICPC raised a sting operation to ascertain the veracity of claims by the petitioner, and the suspect was consequently arrested after he allegedly collected the bribe. A mild drama, however ensued when the arrested Civil Servant, after collecting marked money, made attempt to bolt, just as he resorted to a physical assault on ICPC officers who attempted to pin him down to prevent his escape after arrest. More troubles followed, most especially at the point of whisking him away from his office when some members of staff of the Civil Service Commission emerged to hold the ICPC officials hostage while preventing them from taking the suspect out of the Civil Service Commission’s premises. Some of the staff members in the process started threatening to lynch the ICPC officials and were about joining in assaulting them when the Chief Security Officer of the Commission came to the rescue. In the process, the ICPC operatives were held hostage for several hours in the office of the Chief Security Officer as the mob were calling for the heads of ICPC operatives. It took the intervention of a reinforced security team from the ICPC before they could secure their freedom from the mob at the Civil Service Commission's office. ICPC operatives have intensified efforts to arrest more officials of the Civil Service Commission linked with the mob action against the operatives. Section 41(f) of ICPC act 2000 prescribes one year imprisonment without option of fine for anybody who assaults or obstructs officers of the commission in the execution of their duties. At the end of the investigations Mr Adikwu and others may be charged to court for alleged infractions against the ICPC Act 2000.

Caught in the act?

icpcuser — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 12:04:16 +0000

The ICPC sting operation that caught a lowly civil service in alleged receipt of bribe is one up for anti-corruption Sales of petty corruption are probably as old as the civil service itself. But a reported case of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) using a sting operation to apprehend a civil servant allegedly involved in such an act holds the promise of ending the criminal culture of silence that has fuelled that impunity for too long. According to news reports, one Abbah Adikwu, a Grade Level 07 officer with the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Abuja, allegedly kept on demanding bribe before doing his legitimate duty. Another civil servant (names not mentioned) had, according to the report, been visiting the suspect’s office since 2012. His mission was to regularise his appointment. But each time, Adikwu allegedly always stonewalled his efforts, allegedly insisting on gratification before doing his job. Adikwu’s conduct therefore compelled the unnamed colleague to lodge a complaint with the ICPC. The anti-graft body told him to play along, agree to a bribe sum and gave the complainant marked notes to pay Adikwu. But no sooner had Adikwu collected the marked bribe money than ICPC operatives swooped on him to effect his arrest. To show Adikwu was probably not alone in his alleged pastime, some of his colleagues tried to obstruct the ICPC agents from arresting the suspect, who had earlier turned violent and tried to bolt for it. These misguided sympathisers (at best) or accomplices (at worst) even tried to cage the ICPC agents and their quarry, until back-up security foiled their efforts. It is however gratifying to note that both Adikwu and accomplices are cooling their heels at an ICPC facility. Corruption often appears a huge and fearsome monster, on which virtually nothing can make a dent. But that is not true. What appears so mighty and formidable is only an agglomeration of millions of tiny turpitudes. So, if you keep hacking at those tiny misdeeds, the chances are you are attacking the base of the worrisome monster. With persistence and focus, it just might crash. That the unnamed Abuja civil servant shunned criminal silence and abject submission is a thing of cheer. If many people take after his bold lead, the criminals entrenched in the corrupt practice, from the messenger to the minister, would surely be less brazen. If people had always challenged requests for gratification, corruption would not today have assumed the worrisome guise of the norm, rather than the abnormal it is. The defiant victim has also earned praise by resorting to the bounds of law and decency to trap the suspect. But he would have got nowhere if the ICPC had not risen to the occasion and supported him. On this score, the ICPC deserves praise. It should do more of that by timely responding to similar requests. To the extent that the ICPC has been perceived as somewhat less vibrant than the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), this is a move really to cheer. But every action so far taken would amount to nought if the Adikwu matter was not pursued to its logical conclusion. Even more than punishing the suspect if he is guilty, the innocent civil servant must get his due by getting his service regularised. The FCSC must see to that, if only to publicly demonstrate that it tolerates no bad conduct from bad eggs in its employ. Then ICPC should bring Adikwu to speedy justice, to serve as example to others. But it must also go after bigger rogues in the civil service. Nigeria has no choice than to win the war against corruption. Otherwise, the future is bleak. An Editorial of ''The Nation'' Newspaper.

ICPC arraigns two UBEC officials for visa scam

icpcuser — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 10:59:01 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Wednesday arraigned Beatrice Molokwu and Jasper Erekosima, employees of Universal Basic Education Commission, for allegedly producing false documents to the Embassy of Belgium for a visa. The ICPC prosecutor, Mr. Michael Adesola, told the court that the accused in June conspired and produced a fake UBEC document and presented same as genuine to the embassy with the intention to procure a Belgian visa. Adesola said Erekosima also in June procured a false statement of Account Number 0034172650 of GT Bank, with the intent to deceive the embassy to get visa for one Udoka Cyril. Adesola also told the court that Erekosima on or about the month of June, made a false stamp bearing the Department of Public Health, with the intent to use it to get a yellow card. The prosecutor said the offence is contrary to the provisions of Section 97 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 364 of the law. If convicted, they may be sentenced to 14 years in jail each or with fine or both. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

“YOUTHS – GREATEST VICTIMS OF CORRUPTION” EKPO NTA

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 14:12:18 +0000

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Barr. Ekpo Nta, has identified the youths as major victims of corruption. Speaking during the Opening Ceremony of the Anglophone West African Youth Integrity Camp organized by the ICPC in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Transparency International, in September 2013 at Lagos, the ICPC Chairman stated that the problem of corruption is a huge impediment to achieving set goals meant for the advancement of the youths and the security of their future including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While urging the youths to be at the forefront of the fight to curb corruption in the West African sub-region, the Chairman stated that ICPC recognizes the fact that young people wield tremendous influence and thus mobilizes them for the fight against corruption through various initiatives such as the formation of clubs in secondary schools, formation of Students Anti-Corruption Vanguards (SAVs) in tertiary institutions, infusion of the Commission’s National Values Curriculum (NVC) into the curricula of different levels of Education, and outreach to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In addition to the above, he further informed the participants that the hosting of the Anglophone West Africa Youth Integrity Camp is yet another opportunity for the Commission to interact and equip the youths with important skills needed to tackle corruption. The Chairman also hinged the Commission’s interest in working with the youths on the African Youth Charter which acknowledges that Africa’s youthful population is the continent’s greatest resource; and that through their active and full participation, Africans can surmount the difficulties that face them. In this regard, he advised them to apply for the 2013 Anti-Corruption Youth Essay Competition for Africans organized the by African Union Advisory Board on Corruption. He directed participants to the website http://auanticorruption.org for further information. In a final charge to the participants, the Chairman urged them to open their minds to learn as much as they can and to share with others their experiences. Reminding them that they were selected out of several hundred applicants, he counselled them to make the most of the Camp and be ready to share the lessons learnt with their colleagues who could not make it to the camp. Other dignitaries at the Opening Ceremony included Mr. Toba Otusanya, representative of the Lagos State Governor; Mrs. Oluremi Akinsoji, representative of the Minister for Youth Development; Prof. Sam Egwu, representative of the UNDP Country Office; Ms. Marie-Ange Kalenga, representative of Transparency International, Berlin; Mr. Bolaji Salami, representative of the EFCC Chairman; General Ebrima Bah, Deputy High Commissioner of the Gambia; and Chief (Dr) Mrs. Opral Benson, Honorary Consul, Republic of Liberia. By: Azuka Ogugua, Education Department.

ICPC ARRESTS FAKE CORPERS AT PASSING OUT PARADE

icpcuser — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 09:13:50 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested seventeen fake Youth Corp Members at the NYSC Orientation Camp at Kubwa, Abuja on Thursday evening while they were posing and taking pictures outside the camp during the passing-out ceremonies. ICPC operatives stormed the NYSC Orientation Camp at Kubwa based on intelligence reports and effected the arrest of the suspects made up of eight females and nine males. Preliminary investigation revealed that fifteen of the fake Corpers claimed to have enrolled in degree courses run by Consultancy Services in the following institutions: University of Calabar (6), University of Jos (6), Ebonyi State University (1), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1) and Crown Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti (1). One of the other two fake corpers never attended any university but said she was desirous of getting a Discharge Certificate. The other, a young man, impersonated his sister, a genuine Corp Member currently receiving medical treatment abroad, in order to collect her Discharge Certificate. The ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, has at various public fora warned parents, guardians and young students seeking admission into Universities and other tertiary institutions to ensure that their proposed courses are approved by the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) and other Regulatory bodies. This brings to twenty-six the total the number of fake Corpers arrested by ICPC as nine others were arrested in May 2013. Similarly, the Department of State Security had on September 19, 2013 paraded a fake NYSC syndicate in Abuja. The Commission hereby warns employers, parents and guardians to cross-check with the NYSC if they are suspicious of any person submitting call-up letters, posting letters, Discharge and Exemption Certificates. ICPC will continue to clampdown on products of corruption-prone processes in the tertiary education sector and advises young persons that unethical behaviour can result in national service in penal institutions and prisons.

ICPC boss warns health sector’s Governing Boards, CMDs over corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 08:44:04 +0000

…as agency confiscates young lady’s 60-flat estate

Governing Boards and heads of tertiary health institutions, including heads of parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria have been warned of consequences of indulging in any form of corrupt practices in the course of their duties.

Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Ekpo Nta, gave the charge in Abuja at a two-day retreat for Chairmen of Boards of Tertiary Institutions, Chief Medical Directors, Medical Directors and heads of parastatals under the ministry.

Cautioning the participants of the menace, Nta said: “The most offence feeling I ever have is when I have to deal with the file determining whether I should charge somebody to court or not. And, I know the consequences. I look at the person’s CV who is being arraigned, Professor of 15 years, several books to his name. And, because he came out to serve his country in a ministry from the academia…and he begins to listen to self-appointed experts. He begins to hear “sir, we don’t return money here, and this is how we do it.

“This year we calculated it, ‘you have N17 million for yourself; the balance of N5 million will take care of all the directors. One million naira can go to cashier because he did the voucher. And you buy that.’ The N5 million he said would be shared to others in truth is actually N55 million and you are actually collecting N17 million. And, you’ve been made to believe.

“At the end of the day, when we put all these things together, we look back and remember your distinguished career going down the drain because you decided to listen to one self-appointed expert in your organisation,” he added.

The ICPC boss further told the participants: “I am very privileged to be speaking to you today, and I hope that by the time I leave here today, the next time we meet, it will be to shake hands at workshops and seminars like this or maybe at the marriage of your children and not for you to be put on the pages of newspapers or television as having been quizzed.”

Speaking on the reason people get corrupt, the ICPC boss said it was difficult to understand, given the nation’s perception of corruption.

According to him, it was difficult for him to believe that the level of corruption in the country was out of greed. “Somebody said I stole money because I am poor. If you are stealing because you are poor, that is the common thought. Then, how come somebody who is already a millionaire is still stealing money? Can we define that? Is it out of societal or family pressures?

For all of you who have been appointed board members and CMDs, by the time you leave that office and go back, and you cannot point to the number of family members you have been able to put in your organisation, then, you have not really served your community. “But, unfortunately, when you‘ll be faced with the rigours of having to answer questions in ICPC or EFCC, those same persons will not be there. And, unfortunately, how do we even get to know that you have recruited your immediate family members? The same family members that go to the mosques or church and say pray for my brother; but for him, I would not have got this job and the news will also come to us and we begin an investigation. If he is eminently qualified, no problem, but people will still write,” he noted.

He listed persons who are susceptible to corruption to include those in the position of authority; persons in charge of procurements, contracts and supplies. “These are persons who have excessive powers attached to their offices and execute it without thinking of the consequences. You must, as board members and CMDs, always have at the back of your mind that you carry immense powers and you must be careful with the way you use executive powers because when you are no longer there, the same people who are busy opening the doors will be the same persons who will supply all the evidence we require to nail you,” Nta counselled.

He called for increased capacity building for holders of sensitive administrative positions to help in checking administrative lapses.

Speaking on what he called costly executive recklessness, Nta urged that they should ensure proper keeping of records in their various institutions to put a check on corruption. Besides, he gave the reasons for administrative lapses thus: “When you come in newly, the first set of people who come to you come to confuse you by telling you stories. If you are serious, tell them to go back and put what they see in memo and send back to you. Being misled on fact and figure; not permitting open forum for discussion and feedback; absolute dependence and reliance on a particular officer or officers; not defining ethics, values and standards of your organisation; failure or inadvertent to have internal control checks and balances; failure to recognise and reward exemplary behaviour and hard work; failure to direct and ensure enforcement of discipline.”

He, however, disclosed that the last property the ICPC confiscated was a 60-flat estate belonging to a lady, stressing that the agency was not convinced of the source of money used to build the estate.

VISA SCAM ARRESTS: 13 IN ICPC CUSTODY

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:05:31 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has continued its war to improve the local business climate and transnational transactions by eliminating corruption-prone processes. Currently, ICPC in its drive to flush out visa scam fraudsters in the country, has arrested 13 suspects in Lagos over a two-week period. Those picked up at different locations were either caught using forged public documents like bank statements and letters from government agencies or for aiding and abetting the production of same to procure visas at the Indian High Commission. The latest arrests effected last weekend involved five suspects, three of who were involved in the production of fake documents to satisfy visa requirements, while a fourth was in possession of suspicious travel documents. The fifth suspect, a lady, was arrested for allegedly colluding with someone in India to procure a fake invitation letter from an Indian Hospital. The five suspects are: Alimi Sunday, Amos Edema Enabulele, Samuel Oboiako, Azeez Mujeeb Abiodun and Philomena Nwanorue. Operatives of ICPC cordoned off the business centre used for the production of these documents, conducted a search and impounded computers and printers for thorough forensic analysis. The fifth suspect, Philomena Nwanorue pleaded for the release of her travelling documents to enable her go for a follow-up treatment in an Indian Hospital. The Commission is awaiting confirmation from the hospital to clear her. ICPC is worried by the increasing number of petitions received from patients seeking medical attention abroad after being duped by some freelance Agents. The Commission is further probing the links between some public servants and money laundering/transfers under the guise of seeking medical attention abroad. It will be recalled that last week ICPC had issued a "Visa Scam Press Advisory" warning intending travellers of the consequences of patronising dubious Travel Agents and touts to obtain visas through corrupt practices. They were advised to use verifiable documents and only deal with official and recognised Agencies. The Indian High Commission has assured ICPC that genuine requests for medical, business and educational purposes would continue to receive prompt attention.

Visa Scam Arrests: ICPC Arraigns two Foreign Affairs Officials

icpcuser — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 08:51:42 +0000

Two staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and one other were yesterday arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in an Abuja High Court over alleged visa scam. Kaka Dauda, Sunday Nweke and Tumbu Bartholomew were alleged to have in June 2013 forged a document titled “Request for Note Verbale” which they purported to be from the office of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The prosecuting counsel Michael Adesola further told the court that the document was being processed to secure visa to enable some persons travel to USA. They are: Augustine Osabohien, Obazee Osadolor, Inowan Godfrey, Anifoshowe Abimbola, Adebisi Oluwafemi and Agunu Philips. After they pleaded not guilty to the offence, Justice Husein Baba Yusuf admitted the accused persons to bail. He ordered each of them to produce the sum of N500, 000 bond each and a surety in like sum. The judge further ordered that the sureties must each own a landed property in the FCT. The case will come up for hearing on January 20.

REVVING UP ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE THROUGH SYSTEM REVIEW

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 07:48:05 +0000

TO many Nigerians, the war against corruption is almost no thanks to the inability of the agencies in charge of the cause appear to scale judicial hurdles in most cases while looting of the commonwealth continues unabated. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), was the first agency set up by the government of Nigeria to combat the menace, when it was almost consuming the education, health and other sectors. The ICPC was established in year 2000 by the Obasanjo administration on a six point agenda, which included law enforcement, prevention of corruption and public enlightenment. Under law enforcement, the commission is mandated to carry out investigations and prosecute corruption in Nigeria . On public enlightenment, the commission was saddled with the responsibility of educating the duty to educate the public on what corruption is and how to support government in fighting it, while on Prevention, the ICPC has the mandate under its enabling Act to review corruption prone processes in Ministries, Departments and Agencies in such a way as to plug the loopholes through which government funds are siphoned. These duties are summarily described in Section six of the ICPC Establishment Act 2000. The investigative and prosecution duty of the commission is captured in subsection (a) while the public enlightenment provision is captured in sub section (e to f); and the prevention mandate is captured in sub section (b to d). After the ICPC was established, the government also established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the EFCC Establishment Act of 2004. The latter has the same mandate of law enforcement, prevention of corruption through systems review; and public enlightenment as the former, except that EFCC’s duty extends to investigating and prosecuting private offenders. The EFCC’s fight against corruption immediately caught the attention of Nigerians especially with high profile cases which involved highly placed personalities such as former governor of Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, the conviction of former Managing Director of NPA, Chief Bode George and many others. While the ICPC has been more quiet about its activities in fighting corruption, the EFCC communicated more with the media and Nigerians were fully aware of its activities and successes until about five years ago when most of its high profile cases got stalled in the courts. Though about 200 cases have been won in court by the EFCC, they are however mostly what Nigerians will like to refer to as small cases which do not involve the ‘big thieves’. While the EFCC blames the judicial system and defence counsels for the seeming stagnation of its cases, it seems that the ICPC has chosen to take an innovative route to fighting corruption. This route, Systems review, or what can be referred to as Corruption Prevention Method, is perhaps adopted to circumvent the sluggish judicial system while still delivering on its mandate. Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta has said at different fora that it is better to prevent corruption than to allow it happen and then begin to chase the perpetrators who will turn back and use the proceed of corruption to battle prosecution. According to him, when the crime is allowed to happen, the money is lost. Rather, he believes that the money should not be allowed to disappear in the first place. He adds however, that this is not to shy away from the law enforcement mandate of the commission but that where it is necessary, offenders will be prosecuted. Empowered by section 6b of the ICPC Establishment Act 2000, which states that “It shall be the duty of the Commission to examine the practices, systems and procedures of public bodies and where, in the opinion of the Commission, such practices , systems, or procedures aid or facilitate fraud or corruption, to direct and supervise a review of them”, the Commission has overseen the system review of the education sector, the pension system, the MDAs and is currently working on the visa process. Nta said that the health sector will follow after the review of the visa process. The commission’s chairman also revealed that as a result of its review of the education sector, which was done in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), 21 illegal universities were closed down and those arrested are still being prosecuted. Also, during the systems study and review of the pension funds, the Commission was able to gather the N23 billion pensioners’ funds scattered in 40 bank accounts and pruned it into four accounts in order to reduce the risk of corruption. The over N469 million accrued interest discovered in the pensions accounts were recovered and remitted to Sub-Treasury Figure (STF), an account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). In its effort to sanitise government agencies, the Commission trained and certified 69 risk assessors, whose duty is to help with the systems review. Their activities at the Nigerian Ports have yielded some results which Barr. Nta said will be presented in a Report by December. During the system review of MDAs, the ICPC made some stunning discoveries. Irregular payments were discovered in some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to the tune of N46.9 billion. A document reliably obtained from the ICPC puts the irregular payments as traces of suspected corruption in personnel budget. They were alleged to have been perpetrated in years 2011 and 2012. The document revealed that 155 MDAs made irregular payments of N21 billion in 2011 while 234 MDAs made irregular payments of N25.9 billion in 2012. The Commission also made a cash recovery totaling N213.4 million in both years from the affected MDAs. The document also revealed that due to the intervention of the Commission, a total of N14.4 billion was returned to the Sub-Treasury Figure (STF) by MDAs in 2011 and 2012 as unspent balances on personnel costs. The ICPC also directed the refund of N574 million in fixed deposit accounts of two Institutions back to STF. N181.9 million was refunded from the Institute of Agricultural Research and N389.5 million from Agricultural College, Samaru; both in Zaria. The only fund that couldn’t be recovered immediately is another N1.2 billion said to be warehoused in the accounts of four MDAs based on court orders. “It is yet to be remitted to the STF due to staff litigation”, the document read. Of this fund, Irrua Specialist Hospital is said to be warehousing N450.2 million, Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, N122.6 million; INEC N107.9 million and University of Benin Teaching Hospital N621 million. Through the systems review exercise also, the ICPC said it was able to recover a total of about N16 million for two persons and one agency as recoveries based on petition. N3.9 million was recovered for a worker of National Steel Raw Material Exploration Agency, Kaduna as severance allowance; N7.7 million was also recovered as unpaid severance allowance of staff of Upper Benue River Development Authority while N4.5 million mobilisation fee paid on abandoned project was recovered for the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. Other smaller sums were recovered for other individuals. During the review of MDAs, the ICPC also discovered non-payment of utility bills by some MDAs. In Ibadan, non-payment by MDAs amounted to N3.37 billion, in Kaduna it was N278 million and in Benin it was N2.5 billion. It is however unclear if the MDAs were merely owing or if these funds meant for payment of bills had filtered into private pockets. The ICPC said the intervention is on-going. On a larger scale, while the Commission continues with the prosecution of cases of corruption, it is also working to save government money from being stolen; which means that more infrastructure such as roads, hospitals and other social amenities can be provided for the people. The idea is to prevent the money from being stolen. While speaking with journalists in an interview recently, the ICPC chairman said that the commission’s activities in visa process was to put a stop to document falsification; a situation which has become a point of embarrassment for the country as desperate people falsify documents in order to secure visas. Nta said that rather than allow the negative implication of this to rub off on the generality of Nigerians, the Commission will arrest the perpetrators as well as those who aid them in printing the false documents. So far, 13 persons have been arrested and will be prosecuted. Speaking to The Guardian on the pending system review of the health sector, the ICPC chairman said the aim was to examine the sector as a whole starting with the primary health system and the National Primary Health Development Agency . He noted the commission’s intention to probe some contracts awarded by the agency between 2006 and 2012. Nta added that the aim of the health sector probe is to sanitise the sector of corruption in the contract processes and to position the sector to deliver optimum service to Nigerians. “We are looking at the sector as a whole but we are starting with primary health system. A situation whereby everybody goes to the teaching hospital for all kinds of treatment including malaria or for delivery is not good enough, the primary health centres should take care of these while the teaching hospitals take care of more complicated cases”, he said. He also disclosed that the ICPC will soon start to invite contractors at the National Primary Health Development Agency for questioning over some contracts awarded and paid for which have not been executed. A document made available to The Guardian indicates that between 2006 and 2012, the National Primary Health Development Agency awarded 774 contracts for primary health centre projects out of which only 293 have been completed. About 423 are still on-going while 58 are yet to commence. “And most of these projects have been paid for”, Nta said. As the systems review continues to address fundamental issues, the enforcement aspect of the commission’s duties is also getting attention. Nta said that the ICPC received 594 petitions between January and September. About 434 petitions were referred for investigation and investigations have been concluded on 176 of them. The Commission has also been seizing some properties and cash, suspected to be proceeds of corruption. An estimated N806 million has been seized in buildings, lands and cash. N469 million has been remitted to STF while N47 million has so far been remitted to beneficiaries. The commission also has over N500 million in its recovery account. So far, the ICPC has filed 24 cases in court with seven convictions. Thirteen cases are about to be filed in court, it has won 16 cases on civil matters and lost two cases but says they are on appeal. While the system study and review methods can be said to be working, Nta said that the Commission faces certain challenges such as inadequate funding of its capital projects, academy, forensic laboratories, safe houses and operational vehicles among others. Slow judicial process in the trial of corruption cases due to interlocutory appeals, frivolous adjournments, assignments of designated judges to tribunals and intimidation and victimization of witnesses and whistle blowers also pose challenges. The chairman will also like to see the envelope system of budgeting changed. Written by: Abosede Musari Source: The Guardian

ICPC PRESS STATEMENT ON IMO WOMEN DEMONSTRATION AGAINST ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES

icpcuser — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 15:22:49 +0000

The attention of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been drawn to the demonstration by some women drawn from some Local Government Areas in Imo State alleging that "EFCC and ICPC had been sent after their son the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha" as reported in the Vanguard Newspaper of Wednesday 23rd October, 2013. As of practice, ICPC does not go to Press with ongoing investigations so as not prejudice public opinion except when it exercises its 'right to reply' as in this instant matter. In a way we thank the "Suspects" for running behind their mother's skirts for protection as this is a well-respected ancient traditional practice. Now we can tell their mothers, and the general public, what ICPC is doing in Imo State. ICPC has been investigating two petitions dated 17th December 2012 and 26th March 2013 respectively received in the Commission. The first petition is an allegation of financial impropriety levelled against the former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Hon. Jude Agbaso, who was impeached by the Imo State House of Assembly on 13th February, 2013. Preliminary investigations by the operatives of ICPC indicated that the State Government awarded a contract to JPROS International Nigeria Limited for the construction of three roads within Owerri Municipality at a cost of N1.15billion. The sum of N300million was released to the contractor before the regularisation of the said road contracts. Further investigation revealed that the contractor has so far received a total of N1.45 billion. The contractor was alleged to have abandoned the project after executing works valued at slightly over N300 million. ICPC findings at the Corporate Affairs Commission shows that based on the records of incorporation Prince Akanno, a government official is linked to JPROS International Nigeria Ltd. Prince Akanno is a serving director of JPROS whose directorship was said to have been registered on 20th June, 2012. Prince Akanno, is the Special Assistant to the Governor and also Chairman, Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of Road Projects in Imo State. In a bid to frustrate further investigation, Prince Akanno instituted a civil suit challenging the authority of the Commission and the Investigation team led by Mr. Chukwura to summon him to clarify issues. The second petition was sent to the Commission by the Association for Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Imo State Chapter, alleging misappropriation and diversion of N73billion funds belonging to the 27 local government councils of the State for which three years statutory allocation to the Local Governments were used as collateral. The petition further alleged that "the Speaker of the House and his men were beneficiaries of these contracts in order to prevent them from carrying out their oversight functions on the projects". Several letters of invitation were sent to twelve functionaries in the State but only five of them honoured the invitation and they are: the Clerk, Imo State House of Assembly; the Branch Manager of Zenith Bank Plc.; Branch Manager of Guarantee Trust Bank Plc; Accountant-General of the State and Commissioner for Finance. Seven others are yet to show up. They are the Secretary to the State Government; the Principal Secretary to the State Governor; the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources; the State Commissioner for Works; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the Commissioner for Local Government. The Branch Manager of Diamond Bank Plc, Owerri is also yet to show up. Instead of honouring the invitation of the Commission, the suspects have dragged ICPC and its investigators to court, seeking the enforcement of their fundamental human rights. In all, two different cases have been filed against ICPC in Imo State. The cases are domiciled in Courts 4 and 6 of the State High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo State Capital. The Commission is aware of its independence and orchestrated demonstrations, blackmail of being used by external parties or persons, brazen impunity, smear campaigns, etc. will not stop it from executing its mandate. It is only the courts, not ICPC, that can declare suspects or accused persons guilty. Accordingly, ICPC will continue to treat all invited persons as being innocent and with respect because some petitions could be borne out of malice or ignorance of facts. ICPC is also aware that some Principals might not be aware of what their subordinates are doing and claiming to work on their behest. The Commission hereby warns that anyone who refuses to honour its invitation face arrest and prosecution in line with section 25 of the ICPC Act 2000.

Pope Francis: children fed "unclean bread" of corruption are starved of dignity

icpcuser — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 20:55:29 +0000

(Vatican Radio) Parents who feed their children on “unclean bread”, earned through bribes and corruption, are starving their children of dignity, because dishonest work robs us of our dignity. These were the words of Pope Francis during his homily at Mass on Friday morning in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. Pope Francis focused his homily on the parable of the dishonest steward, in order to talk about the dangers “of worldliness, of mundane affairs”. Jesus “prayed to the Father that his disciples might not fall into the trap of worldliness”, which is “the enemy”. “When we think of our enemies, we really think of the devil first, because it’s the devil that harms us. The devil enjoys the atmosphere, the lifestyle of worldliness. And this steward is an example of worldliness. Some of you might say: “But this man only did what everyone does!”. But no, not everyone! Some company administrators, some public administrators, some government administrators… perhaps there are not even very many. But it’s that attitude of the shortcut, of the most comfortable way to earn a living.” In the parable, the master praises the dishonest steward for his cunning. “This is praise for bribes! And the habit of bribes is a mundane and extremely sinful habit. It’s a habit that does not come from God: God has commanded us to bring bread home through our own honest work! And this man, this steward, he brought bread home, but how? He fed his children unclean bread! And his children – perhaps educated in expensive colleges, perhaps raised in learned environments – were fed dirt by their father, because their father, by bringing home unclean bread, had lost his dignity! And this is a grave sin. Because we might start with a small bribe, but it’s like a drug!” So, Pope Francis affirmed, we become dependent on the habit of bribes. But if there is a “mundane cunning”, the Pope continued, there is also a “Christian cunning, of doing things not in the spirit of worldliness”, but of honesty. That’s what Jesus says when he asks us to be cunning as serpents and simple as doves: being able to combine the two “is grace from the Holy Spirit”, a gift which we must ask for. Pope Francis concluded with a prayer. “Perhaps it will be good for us all today to pray for the many children and young people who are fed unclean bread by their parents: they are hungry too, they are starved of dignity! Let us pray that the Lord may change the hearts of these people who are faithful to the goddess of bribes. Let them realise that dignity comes from dignified work, from honest work, from daily work, and not from these shortcuts. And let us conclude by thinking about that other man in the Gospel who had a lot of granaries, a lot of silos, so full that he didn’t know what to do with them, and the Lord said to him: “You must die tonight”. These poor people who have lost their dignity in the habit of bribes take with them not the money they have earned, but only their lack of dignity! Let us pray for them!” Jean Heimann at Friday, November 08, 2013

ICPC Enugu Zonal Office Organises In-House Training for Staff

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:56:51 +0000

The Enugu Zonal Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently organised an in-house training for both old and new staff of the office. The training aimed at building confidence in public speaking, presentation, and effective job performance, was initiated by the acting Head Miss. Nwozor Chinwe Principal Superintendent, of Public Enlightenment Department. It lasted about three weeks and was interactive in nature and featured objective criticism, questions and answer session and contributions from the audience on each of the lectures presented. In her address, Miss Nwozor stated that, the lecture was organised to prepare the new staff and also strengthen the old ones on the knowledge of the operations and procedures of the ICPC. She urged staff to avail themselves of the opportunity to be equipped for the job they have been employed to do and to be of good conduct in all their endeavours. She emphasised that, whatever any staff does would certainly affect his/her advancement in the commission. The Acting Head asked general questions relating to ICPC at the beginning of every lecture to test the staff knowledge of ICPC activities and also guide them on how to answer such questions. All members of staff were given opportunity to research on different topics bordering on their departments and then do the presentation, so as to master the skill of writing and public presentation. Mr.Ikeoha Chukwuma of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) presented the first paper titled ‘The Role of ACTU in the Local Government Area”. He disclosed the likely areas where corrupt practices could take place in the Local Government Council, the role of the Anti-corruption Transparency Unit (ACTU) in the fight against corruption, ICPC mandate, the establishment of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. Speaking on Appraisal of Official Letters, Petitions and Proposals in ICPC, the Assistant Chief Superintendent Officer of the Education Department, Mr Ezeh Ansel N. emphasized that the first step in appraising a letter was to read the correspondence to determine the exact subject matter which could be a petition, an invitation, a proposal or information to the Commission. He also spoke on the importance of appraisal which helps the superior officer to have an in-depth knowledge of such correspondence and the action to take. Mr Larro Sulyman Muhammed of the Education Department spoke on The Role of ICPC in Cubing Examination Malpractices”. While Assistant Superintendent Officer in the Public Enlightenment department, Mr Ozi Agualize Eyimeke talked on “Fighting the Menace of Corruption: The Role of the Youth”. In addition, Mr Sikpi Nathaniel Diton and Obi Stephen of Investigation Department jointly presented a paper on “Investigation”. They stated that the provision of Section 6 (a) of the ICPC Act 2000, empowers the Commission to investigate corrupt practices and other related offences in the country and explained the powers, qualities of an investigator and the challenges they face in the discharge of their duties. Similarly, Miss. Ogom Onwukusi and Miss Ayanwu Emmanuela in the Account and Audit department also presented their papers on “The Concept and Practice of System Review in The Fight against Corruption. While Okoro Dennis of the Legal department did an overview of the ICPC Act 2000. Mrs Obili Florence spoke on “The Relevance of Planning, Research, and Review Department in The Fight against Corruption” She said the department" co-ordinates the activities of other departments towards working effectively and efficiently in curbing corruption." Miss Egbule Chika of the Administrative Department delivering a paper titled “The Structure and Operation of Administration Department of the ICPC” emphasised on staff discipline by listing the disciplinary measures such as query, suspension, demotion and dismissal. Others who presented papers on various topics were Miss. Ofojua Ngozi on the Importance of Computer in Curbing Corruption. She stated that ICPC being an Anti-graft agency, expected members of staff to be knowledgeable in the use of computer application and operational system since documents are always kept secret and also to meet up with the advancement in globalisation. Mr. Anikwe Iginatus and Mr. Opkorie Kalu also spoke on “The Psychology of Driving” and “The Security of Document” respectively. Mr Anikwe stated that, driving requires high intelligence, good skills, good judgment, good foresight and alertness. He maintained that, driving is basically an interaction between the driver, the vehicle and the road. Mr. Okporie Kalu, stated that, for a staff to properly secure any document, a proper record of movement of the document should be kept to ensure that checks will reveal losses of the documents. In his remarks, at the end of the programme, Bar. Arua Udonsi the Head of the ICPC Enugu Zonal Office commended the effort and the leadership qualities which Miss Nwozor demonstrated as the Acting Head when he was on his annual leave. Responding, Miss Nwozor Chinwe thanked the Head for giving her the opportunity to exhibit her innate potentials; she also expressed gratitude to all the staff for their cooperation and urged staff to continue with the good behavior and dedication to duty. At the end of the training programme, all the staff interviewed expressed joy and satisfaction, saying the training was very educative and they recommended that, training of this nature should be held frequently to equip the staff on good public presentation and good knowledge of ICPC. DSP Azubuike Fredrick of the Investigation Department said he was overwhelmed at the initiative and the training has given him more understanding of the duties and functions of other departments in the commission, and recommended that such training be done quarterly in all the state and zonal offices. Written by: Ozi Agualize Eyimeke

ICPC Sentisizes Senior Police Officers In Jigawa State

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:18:19 +0000

The Kano State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently organized a sensitization workshop for the senior Police Officers of Jigawa State Command. The workshop with a theme “ The Role of Nigerian Police in the Fight Against Corruption” was aimed at sensitizing the senior Police Officers of the Command on the ills of Corruption, how to refrain from it and establishing a meaningful collaboration between the ICPC and the Police in fighting Corruption within and outside the Police formations. The ICPC Chairman Barr Ekpo Nta, represented by Deputy Commissioner Bako Nathan, commended the Inspector-General of Police M.D Abubakar for his efforts in restoring public confidence in the Nigeria Police and praised the Jigawa State Police Command for partnering with the ICPC in organizing the sensitization workshop against corruption. Also speaking, Chairman of the Occasion, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Babankowa, a retired Commissioner of Police, stressed the relevance of the sensitization workshop as it could restore the past glory of the force and therefore urged the participants to pay attention to Resource Persons and learn from their presentations. Resource persons at the programme include former AIG of Police Bashir Albasu, Deputy Commissioner from ICPC Bako Nathan and Barr Ibrahim Umar from Umar Yar`adua University, Katsina. The workshop ended with an interactive session. Written by: Mustapha M Hussain with report from Kano State Office.

UNODC,ICPC launches anti-corruption images competition

icpcuser — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 14:04:30 +0000

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Office in Nigeria is calling for entries for a web based national competition tagged “Images of corruption :a picture is worth a thousand words”. The competition invites individuals to submit images expressing their perceptions on corruption, corrupt practices, the effect of corruption and ways to addressing these within the Nigeria context. Entries are open to photographs, sketches, cartoons, paintings, engravings, etchings, logos and other types of visual expressions. The competition intends to increase awareness of the populace particularly the youth on issues of corruption in Nigeria, and promote debate on its manifestations, effects and remedies. In addition to submission of entries via email, participants will be required to post entries on the competition’s facebook page, www.facebook.com/imagesofcorruption and encourage their friends to like and comment on them. The number of likes and discussions are expected to contribute to the scoring of entries by a panel of art critics and anti-corruption professionals. Entries will be received from 1^st November to the 30^th of November 2013. The independent Corrupt and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC) is partnering with the UNODC on this competition, by offering prizes of laptop computer and a digital camera to winners of the competition. Winners of the competition will be announced during the international Anti-Corruption Day commemoration in Abuja, Nigeria on 9^th December, 2013. The competition is organized within the framework of project NGAX60 – Support to Anti-Corruption in Nigeria – which is a joint undertaking between the Government of Nigeria and the European Union, in support of the Nigeria’s effort to enhance transparency, accountability and good governance, and combat corruption in the country. The project is funded by the European Union the 10^th European Development Fund, and is implemented by UNODC. For further details, please visit, www.facebook.com/imagesofcorruption.

Nigeria Diasporas And Bribery Of Custom Officials At Lagos MMA: ICPC Chairman Urges Nigerians to Emulate Paul Omoruyi

icpcuser — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 10:05:41 +0000

In the next couple of weeks, thousands of Nigerians who travelled home to celebrate the holidays with their friends and families will be returning back to the United States, Europe, Asia and everywhere in-between. Anyone who has travelled internationally in and out of Lagos Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) will agree with me that sometimes it could be very challenging to deal with the Nigerian Custom officials. I have gone through the hullaballoo experience every year in the last seven years and have a fair share of the tumultuous and disdainful encounter. By the way, last year, I celebrated my third year of consciously and decidedly not giving any form of bribe to Nigerian Custom officials. Before then, I have had to give money to them to check-in my luggage that contain “allowable African Food” products like ground Pepper, Melon, Egusi, Crayfish. To them, I needed to “pay” to carry those items in the checked-in luggage. As a frequent flyer, I am all too familiar with prohibited items on commercial international flights for carry-on and checked-in luggage’s. The rules for carry-on items of liquid and gel, food, guns and firearms, incendiary devices, checked baggage, sporting equipment, sharp objects are publically available either on the airline’s website or the Nigeria Customs Service’s site. Knowing all the tricks the customs officials used to extort money from unsuspecting and naïve travelers, I made the decision in 2009, that I will not give money as a form of “bribe” to any Nigerian Custom official going forward. That, I thought, will be my two cents contribution toward not perpetuating bribery and corruption in Nigeria. So, for the first time, I paid the bribe-free drive price in 2010. After five custom officials at the Lufthansa Airline desk have gone through a gruesome search of my luggage (only God knows why such a search requires five men. I think it is a waste of man power and time anyway!), they wanted me to “give them something” because one of the items was not “labeled”. I asked if I can label it right there since I have a pen on me. They indicated they have no time for that. I can either throw it away or give them “something” to carry it. Bluntly, I told them I will prefer to throw it away because I have nothing to give to them to carry the item. My relative who was watching started pleading with me to give them something so I can “carry my thing go”. I refused and took out the product and gave it to my relative to take it back even though I spent so much money to buy the items. That was my first bribe-free sacrifice and a promise that I have kept in the last three years even though some friends and relatives think I am crazy. This is also the call I want to make to all Nigerian Diasporas travelling back from their vacation this year and going forward. We, as a people, cannot be clamoring to end bribery and corruption in Nigeria while we are perpetuating it ourselves by this seemingly little things. It is a simple concept: If you have no will to change it, then you have no right to criticize it! So Diasporas please STOP GIVING AIRPORT CUSTOM OFFICIALS BRIBES! To facilitate this, I will provide some strategies I have adopted to avoid offering bribe to Nigeria Custom officials at the MMA: 1. Ensure you do not carry prohibited items. Read your airline baggage and carry-on policies or go to Nigeria Custom Service site for prohibited items and rules. 2. Arrive at the airport very early to check-in your luggage so you have time to go through the dehumanizing encounter with the custom officials. When they know you are running late, they will use delay tactics to extort you. Sometimes, they will say “we need to send you upstairs to see our boss for further processing. It will take you another 30 minutes or 1 hour for that processing; otherwise just settle us here”. So watch out when they want to play that game. 3. Make sure you label any item you carry. If necessary, use transparent plastic to wrap your items. 4. If you have a relative with you at the airport, let them stick around until you have checked in. If for any reason the custom officials come up with the game of throwing away something, simply give it to your relative to take back home. 5. Control your emotions when they speak to you unprofessionally, impolitely and condescendingly. Some lack professional training and others do it just to stir up an opportunity to get you agitated for extortion. 6. Respond with “yes sir or yes m'am” when they instruct you or ask you a question. They tend to treat you with more restrain when you display some form of sophistication and civility that is eccentric to them. We must all pay the price to make Nigeria a better place. This requires telling the inconvenient truth and taking the pains that goes with it. Let me know of your experience with Nigeria Custom officials at MMA that you would like to share! I wish all Nigerians home and abroad a Happy New Year. May God bless Nigerians and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. By: Paul Omuruyi Source: Sahara Reporters

ICPC Inaugurates ACTU for Hadejia- Jama’are River Basin Development Authority

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 12:58:55 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission in its bid to rid Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of corruption recently inaugurated and swore- in the executive members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU), for the Hadeja-Jema’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA). Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who spoke through Mr. Sabiu Iliyasu, Head of ICPC Kano Office at the event in Kano, applauded the management of the HJRBDA for their firm determination to partner with the Commission in the fight against corruption. Mr. Nta said, “ACTU in this organization was initiated in order to implement self-monitoring and internal cleansing mechanism, which if properly utilized is expected to be a catalyst to the transformation of the institution to a corruption-free environment.” In his paper presentation titled, “Operational Structure of the ACTUs in the MDAs,” Mr. Sabiu Iliyasu, called on the management of the HJRBDA to see the ACTU members as partners in progress and not foes, and offer them all support needed for them to carry out their duties effectively. Earlier in his opening remarks, Managing Director of the HJRBDA, Alhaji Abba Dahiru, praised the ICPC for its initiative and said the institution under his care is willing to partner with the Commission in the fight against corruption, thus presenting a corrupt-free Nigeria for the future generations.

ICPC KANO OFFICE ATTENDS ONE-DAY WORKSHOP FOR JUNIOR STAFF OF THE AMINU KANO TEACHING HOSPITAL (AKTH), KANO

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 13:02:52 +0000

The Anti-Corruption Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) recently organized a workshop on corruption for their junior staff which was attended by the Head of the Kano State office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Barrister Sabi’u Iliyasu, who was represented by Mr. Suleiman Muhammed Maishanu. The workshop which centered on corruption in the workplace, sought to educate the junior staff of the hospital on the impact of corruption in the working environment, especially in the public health sector. In a paper at the occasion titled “Causes and Consequences of Bribery and Corruption and It’s Remedies”, Mr. Umar Madu Bah highlighted several issues, starting with a brief history of the anti-corruption bill, the structure of the Commission, work ethics and ways to remedy the menace of corruption in our health institutions. He further explained relevant sections and penalties on issues relating to corruption within such an organization in accordance with the ICPC Act 2000. In his own remarks, the representative of the Head of the Kano State office of the Commission, Mr. Suleiman Muhammed Maishanu urged participants to be patriotic in their duties and to report any case of corruption to the AKTH ACTU or any other office of the Commission. In conclusion, Mr. Adamu Aliyu, the Assistant Director General Services, thanked the ICPC, the resource persons, and all the participants at the occasion for attending the event.

Parliamentary Oversight and the UNCAC in Nigeria

icpcuser — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 21:03:29 +0000

On 21-22 October, GOPAC and the African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption (APNAC), in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), held an anti-corruption for members of the National Assembly of Nigeria, in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. The meeting was attended by 16 parliamentarians from the Senate and the House of Representatives, together with their parliamentary clerks and a representative from the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC). Speakers included Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Vice-Chair of GOPAC and Chair of APNAC, Samuel De Jaegere, the regional representative of the UNODC, and Vicki Baxter-Amade, Program Advisor at GOPAC’s Global Secretariat. The workshop, which was funded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), focussed on parliamentary oversight and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, including the Jakarta Principles on maintaining the independence of Anti-Corruption Agencies. Source: GOPAC Newsletter

ICPC Advisory On Fake Employment Scams In Customs and Other Agencies

icpcuser — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 17:59:45 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) notes with concern the ease with which the general public, and those seeking employment, are easily duped by Agents who claim to be well-connected in the various Civil/Public Services or through internet recruitment scams. ICPC has received numerous petitions relating to an ongoing internet scam wherein gullible applicants are paying money for recruitment and bogus interviews into the Customs and Excise Department.

It is sad to note that despite a highly publicized joint ICPC/Customs operation early this year announcing several arrests over internet-based recruitment scams, pranksters are still at work. They are preying on the gullible few who also probably believe in subverting the recruitment process by paying monies for recruitment. Investigation is ongoing and further arrests have been effected.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT no government Ministry, Department or Agency requests for payment of money into private accounts to secure employment. Therefore, persons who offer money, or gratification in any form in order, to facilitate employment during real or fake government recruitment exercises, are as culpable as those soliciting or receiving such monies or gratification by way of scams or bribes. No matter how long it takes such applicants who succeed in getting appointment will be found out and prosecuted.

ICPC will continue to remind the public, especially those seeking employment, that the Commission will not hesitate prosecuting those who willingly lend themselves to or abet criminals to subvert the recruitment exercise through fraudulent means. Similarly, persons and applicants who procure or present fake documents like forged or altered certificates, affidavits, recommendation letters for use during recruitment exercises face prosecution.

SHAME: Nigerian couple arrested in the UK over £19 million scam

icpcuser — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 21:54:51 +0000

A young British couple were part of a global internet banking scam which could have netted a phenomenal £19million after hacking the accounts of nearly 2,500 people. Aderoju Bammeke, 22, and his girlfriend Jessica Ogunyemi, 20, both of Manchester, were the UK ‘platform’ for a Nigerian ‘phishing’ scam that made £41,000 in just two months. The plot, masterminded by a gang in the West African country, involved sending fake emails to customers of banks including Barclays and Halifax. The emails told recipients that their accounts had been hacked and asked them to complete a form with their log-in details. But when victims obliged, Bammeke stepped in and helped the gang log in to steal money. Fashion marketing student Ogunyemi, his girlfriend at the time, helped him launder the proceeds by putting funds in accounts, hiding cash and allowing him to buy her a £2,400 Vauxhall Corsa. Bammeke has now been jailed for three-and-a-half years at Manchester Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to commit fraud and unauthorised computer use. Ogunyemi admitted five counts of money laundering and was given a suspended prison sentence. Investigators found evidence of the scam on seven devices at Bammeke’s home, which had accessed 181 accounts from his address. But Barclays found 2,439 customers had been affected and investigators say the true scale of the fraud will never be known. Bammeke admitted he had been involved in the scam for more than a year. He played a ‘key role’ as England’s ‘platform’ for the scam, the court heard. He said if the gang had tried to log into accounts from Nigeria it would have triggered the banks’ alarm systems. Simon Nichol, defending Bammeke, said he felt regret and remorse for his actions. He said his involvement – which began in an effort to tackle student debt – was ‘sporadic’ and although the scam was large scale with international dimensions, Bammeke’s part was not. He added: ‘They needed a platform in this jurisdiction and they needed someone to provide that platform. He allowed them to use his computer remotely. He expresses further regret that he got his girlfriend involved in this.’ Michael Lavery, defending Ogunyemi, said she had brought shame on her family, including her train driver father and mother who works for Manchester council. He said she had been ‘naive’, was predicted to get a first in her degree and was no longer in a relationship with Bammeke. Bammeke had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiracy to commit fraud and unauthorised computer use while Ogunyemi admitted five counts of money laundering. Sentencing Bammeke, Judge Recorder Gibson said: ‘This in my opinion was a sophisticated fraud, a clever fraud and a fraud which could very easily have resulted in very much more substantial money being stolen.’ He jailed Ogunyemi for a year, suspended for two years, and ordered her to complete 180 hours’ unpaid work. After the hearing, Detective Superintendent Janet Hudson of TITAN, the North-West Regional Crime Unit, said: ‘The actions of Bammeke and Ogunyemi caused a great deal of stress and uncertainty to many affected bank customers who had their accounts accessed. ‘As a result of the investigation, no customers were left out of pocket and the offenders were arrested and ultimately sentenced. Internet banking is considered a safe and secure method of banking. ‘However, bank customers need to remain vigilant and aware of the danger posed by fraudsters. Customers should only ever navigate directly to an online bank website and should never click on any link sent to them through an email. ‘Additionally when accessing bank accounts online customers should always be aware of the exact address in order to ensure that they are actually on a legitimate banking website.’ Source: Daily Mail

ICPC Prosecutes 11 Visa Scam Suspects In Court

icpcuser — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 22:16:13 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged eleven alleged Visa Scam suspects before a High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Division for offences related to forgery of documents for the procurement of Visas at various embassies. These arrests and prosecutions are in continuation of the crackdown by ICPC to nip in the bud persons who are bent on bringing the country into disrepute. Others who were similarly arrested in Abuja were arraigned in Abuja last week. The accused include: Chukwu Daniel Okoro, Sylvester Sunday Aghaonu, Emmanuel Uchenna Okeke, Adline Ifeyinwa Ekekalu, Philomena Nwanorue, Okwara Chidera Oscar, and Kennedy Nwosu. Others are: Ntiedo Uyoata Sampson, Ataine Helen Bando, Samuel Okechukwu Obiakor and Alimi Segun The various suspects are facing charges for allegedly submitting the following forged documents: Letter of introduction, WAEC statement of result, Bank Statement of Account, sponsorship letter, company registration certificate and forged UBA statement of account and medical reports to enable them obtain visas. Folu Olamiti Resident Consultant(Media&Events)

156 companies used fake tax certificates for govt contracts – ICPC

icpcuser — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 21:20:10 +0000

At least 156 companies forged tax claims to lobby for government jobs, officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and related offences Commission (ICPC) said on Wednesday, raising the number of firms earlier suspected of being involved in the fraud to triple of earlier figures given by the authorities.

The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) had reported 50 companies to the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in November 2013, for investigation and possible prosecution for allegedly using fake documents to bid for contracts from government ministries and departments.

The Director General of the BPP, Emeka Eze, said the names of the companies were also sent to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

“Some people make false claim as to their capacity and then they are the people who shout the greatest and who don’t even know what a cubic metre of concrete is, who will quote either ridiculously low then when they don’t get the job they begin to shout on top of their roof,” Mr Eze said.

“When we have such issues we also write to FIRS and once they confirm that the tax is fake we send it to EFCC or ICPC for prosecution.”

But the ICPC said Wednesday its preliminary investigation has confirmed 156 companies, a triple of the mentioned figure, are culpable of the allegation and will likely face charges.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that about 156 of these companies may face prosecution for using fake tax Clearance certificates,” the commission said in a statement by spokesperson, Folu Olamiti.

Mr. Olamiti said during the recently concluded privatization exercise of PHCN plants by the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) that the commission barred two companies from making the final list of successful bidders for presenting “cooked” audit reports and under-assessed company income tax.

“Similarly, any company that presents spurious Audited Reports in a public bid also stands the risk of being prosecuted,” he said.

The commission has not revealed names and particulars of firms involved.

Speaking in November, Mr. Eze said that besides the companies involved, some procurement staff of different ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) were also being investigated by the anti-graft agencies.

The ICPC advised tax authorities to learn good practices from states that have tamper-proof tax certificates.

“They should create electronic platforms to synchronise with Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and automate the issuance of tax clearance certificates annually to public service employees so as to reduce the incidence of illegally acquiring certificates from “easier” sources,” the commission said

Source: Business Dispatch online

Account Clerk Bags Three Months Imprisonment for Defrauding FMC of N8.3m

icpcuser — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 21:31:29 +0000

An Account Clerk with the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, Kogi State, Mrs Modupe Adeyemi charged to court by Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) has been sentenced to three months imprisonment without an option of fine. The judgement was handed to her by the state High court sitting in Koton-Karfe Division of the Kogi state High Court. The Accused person was said to have between October 2006 and April 2007 defrauded the Centre to the tune of N8.3 million been part of revenue accruing to the Centre. The ICPC had therefore dragged the accused to court for 30 counts charge for allegedly misappropriating the sum of N8.3million belonging to the medical Centre while serving as Account Clerk with the Hospital. She was arraigned on the 29th of November 2009 before the State High court for the offences of using her office to confer corrupt advantage upon herself, altering duplicate copies of various bank tellers with the intent to defraud and making false statements or returns contrary to sections 19, section 15 sub-sections (a) & (c) and section 16 of the Corrupt practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 respectively. The ICPC prosecutor Henry Emore informed the trial Judge each time the accused person was sent to deposit some money in various banks belonging to the Centre, she would deposit only part of the money and pocket part of the money. She did this successfully by altering duplicate copy of the bank tellers which she returned to the Centre. The Prosecutor cited an example of how she perpetrated the fraud by altering the sum of N202,250.00 to N2,250.00 and before going back to the Centre, she would alter the duplicate copy to read the actual sum of N202,250.00. The various amounts in both figure and words were altered. Delivering judgment, Justice Alaba Ajileye lamented the delay associated with the case and admonished the accused person that her actions were reprehensible. He therefore sentenced her to three months imprisonment without option of fine. The accused person was taken to Okene Prisons that same day.

ICPC Secures Judgment Against Insurance Commissioner.....Bags 15 years in jail

icpcuser — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 08:11:29 +0000

Chief Okechukwu Chukwulozie, a former Commissioner of the National Insurance Commission(NAICOM) yesterday began his journey to Kuje Prison in Abuja to serve 15 years over N10.4 million fraud. He was convicted last Wednesday at an Abuja High Court on 5 counts charge for using private interest to furnish his official residence and demanding for a percentage in a contract he awarded. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC),in 2007 jointly charged Chukwulozie, his wife, Angela; and a former Deputy Commissioner in charge of Finance and Administration, Adedolapo Ogungbe to court. The judgment is without option of fine. Delivering judgment, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, said that the court sentenced Chukwulozie to three years on each of the five counts he is convicted and it will run concurrently. Oniyangi, held that the ICPC had proved all the ingredients of Section 19 of the the ICPC Act against him. “The ICPC has proved beyond reasonable doubt that a commissioner of NAICOM, Chukwulozie, demanded fifty per cent of fees paid to liquidators of Gateway Insurance Plc. “Beyond reasonable doubt is the standard of evidence required to validate a criminal conviction. Generally the prosecution bears the burden of proof and is required to prove their case. “The prosecution has presented to court evidence to support its charges against the convict. “In this case, they have done so. The court hereby sentences you to three years each on each of the five counts level against you, which will run concurrently. However,Justice Oniyangi held that the ICPC had failed to prove its case against the second (Angela) and third accused (Ogungbe) persons. “The court discharges the second and third accused persons charged with aiding and abetting the crime.

Public Service Institute Seeks Partnership With ICPC

icpcuser — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 13:16:00 +0000

The Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) is seeking partnership with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the area of staff training and manpower development. This was disclosed by the Administrator of the Institute, Dr. Shehu Abubakar Misau, when he led a delegation of some of his management staff on a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, recently. The leader of the delegation stated that his team was in ICPC to seek for partnership and patronage from the Commission, promising that the PSIN would give value for whatever resources invested in the training of the Commission’s staff. He commended the effort of the present Commission’s leadership in the anti-corruption drive, noting that staff of the ICPC will become better investigators if they understand the workings of the civil service. In his words, “we are here to solicit for more partnership, more patronage and more business and I can assure you Chairman and your top management that we give value for money and we will make sure that your staff will get more than what they will ever get from these so called international trainings.” According to him the institute which was founded in 2009 under the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s regime, is under the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and has the mandate to train Nigerians. Dr. Misau was accompanied on the visit by the Director Programmes, Alhaji Mukhtari Maidabino, Director Human Resource Management, Alhaji S. A. Bambale, Deputy Director Press and Public relation, Mr. Willie Bassey, Deputy Head, ICT, Mrs. Safi O. Mohammed and Senior Data Processing Officer, Mohammed Aminu. Responding to the request put forward by the Public Service Institute, the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, stated that both agencies “actually need to do a lot of collaboration, a serious collaboration not in terms of training but even in terms of joint systems study.” He expressed the Commission’s assurances of a good relationship with the institute, even as he lauded the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for cutting down overseas training except for courses that have become sacrosanct and pointed out that “most of the times we tend to underrate our capacity in this country.” Mr. Nta who gave a hint of the Commission’s desire to establish teleconferencing facilities at the headquarters and in all the six zonal offices said that the anti-corruption education must be marched with technology, advising that ‘we must train our citizens on credit card fraud.” In the area of capacity building, the anti-graft boss said that it is one of the top items before the present board of the ICPC, saying, “for the first time here, we have done more training than other years put together.” He added that the idea behind ICPC Academy in Keffi, the training carried out by Defense Intelligence College, Karu, and 177 battalion, Keffi, was to make the staff mentally and physically alert for the fight against corruption.

ICPC Chairman Urges Domestication of the Fiscal Responsibility Act in States

icpcuser — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 13:22:12 +0000

The ICPC Chairman Mr. Ekpo Nta has called on the Fiscal Responsibility Commission to mount serious sensitization processes with the governors of various states to domesticate the Fiscal Responsibility Act into the laws of their respective states. He disclosed this when the Acting Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Barrister Victor Muruako, paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja recently. Barrister Muruako and his team who were received at the Commission’s boardroom by the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, Honourable Members, Secretary and Management staff stated that they were at the Commission as part of their efforts in the new drive of the FRC to reach out to sister organizations and other inter-governmental agencies that they believe are stake holders in the affairs of their Commission. According to him, the ICPC is interested in a regime of fiscal prudence and management of the nation’s resources, and that for this reason they believe that the ICPC is a stakeholder in the affairs of fiscal responsibility management. He further stated that because of the sensitive nature of the responsibilities under the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, the intenders of the Act did not want to restrict it only to the FRC, but made it clear that every Nigerian as an interested party can invoke the provisions of this Act. “Before the coming of the FRC in 2008, there was a lot of confusion as to the proper rules and regulations in the management of government finances. But with the Act and the coming into force of the FRC, there are sets of rules and standards which are in conformity with international standards and practices in developing the economy” he said. Adding that they want to ensure that those rules are conformed with in the management of public finances. He further stressed that they are looking forward to the issue of fiscal prudence and macro-economic stability of the nation not ending at the federal level, but that it also extends to other tiers of governance, particularly the states and local governments. Stating that at the other tiers of government, the gospel of fiscal prudence needs to go down to the grassroots. While thanking the ICPC for their effort to curb corruption, he said the FRC can do a lot better with the corporation of the Commission and other stake holders, saying that they know the Commission will be willing to partner with them. Mr. Ekpo Nta while welcoming the management team, said that the ICPC has always had a robust relationship with the FRC, noting that part of what was presented to show that Nigeria was interested in the anti-corruption war in one of the UNODC meetings on corruption, was the setting up of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission. He further stated that Nigeria has actually gone ahead of quite a number of countries in the world, and that in Africa we are one of the leading countries in terms of anti-corruption legislation. He also said that no matter what fiscal responsibilities the Commission carries out, more attention should be paid to the relationship between the private businesses and the public sector because Nigeria is judged alongside other countries of the world based on this, urging them to look at areas where there are major problems. “We will welcome at any given time areas that you think we need to collaborate and we will also look at your strong areas if we need your assistance, we will also get involved and invite your assistance in such areas” the Chairman said. The ICPC, he added is not the exclusive custodian of knowledge in the anti-corruption fight. He said that ICPC normally encourages agencies like the FRC, who in the process of carrying out their statutory functions discover certain processes which can improve on the fiscal responsibilities of MDAs, to invite the Commission to help with the enforcement aspect in areas where they have tried and it’s not working. In conclusion, he said “we must be honest in executing what we need to do” adding that “most agencies tend to go to press and garnish what they know might not be exactly true, but is what people want to hear”. Achieving our mandate, he stated, is for the good of Nigeria and for everybody.

ICPC SEIZES 372 INTERNATIONAL PASSPORTS

icpcuser — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 13:49:19 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has in its custody 372 international passports recovered from several persons and agents. The recovery is part of an ongoing clampdown on corruption-prone processes in the acquisition of visas. The Commission has directed owners of the recovered passports to appear at its headquarters, located at Plot 802 Constitution Avenue, Zone A9, Central Business District Area, Abuja between 19th and 28th February 2014 from 10am to 3pm each day, excluding weekends. The affected persons are to come along with proof of ownership and the travel documents supporting their visa applications to respective embassies to collect their passports. It will be recalled that ICPC operatives, had in October 2013, arrested 18 suspects in Abuja and Lagos. Three of them were allegedly involved in the production of fake documents to satisfy visa requirements, while one was in possession of suspicious travel documents. The rest were either arrested with forged public documents or for allegedly colluding with someone in India to procure a fake invitation letters from an Indian Hospital. Culpable ones have since been arraigned in courts. ICPC had initiated several arrests after receiving an ever increasing number of petitions from prospective students seeking educational placement and patients seeking medical attention abroad who were duped by some agents. It will be recalled that ICPC had issued a "Visa Scam Press Advisory" last year warning intending travelers of the consequences of patronising and using dubious travel agents and touts to obtain visas through corrupt practices. Travellers were further advised to use verifiable documents and only deal with official and registered travel and appropriate government Agencies. ICPC is delighted that these investigations and arrests have led to significant changes in visa administration by respective government departments, Travel Agencies, embassies and travelers.

Corruption Killing More Nigerians – ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 13:19:06 +0000

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has declared that corruption is killing more people in Nigeria than any other cause. Barrister Nta stated this at the closing ceremony for the last batch of ICPC training programme on Intelligence and Weapon Handling held at the 177 Guards Battalion Keffi. Between November 2013 and February 2014, officers from Grade Levels 07 – 14, numbering 335 and divided into five batches went through a mandatory 3 weeks training programme on Security Intelligence and Weapon Handling. According to him, “It was a deliberate decision to retrain every staff of ICPC into a fighting machine because corruption has killed more persons than any other cause. When you are in combat, you can see your enemy and deal with the person directly”. He explained that corruption can come in different ways ranging from fake drugs, fake motor spare parts, stealing of funds meant for roads, schools and hospitals, and letting the poor of this country die in the midst of so much wealth that we have. The ICPC boss pointed out that by now; the Nigerian educational system should be producing graduates who can find their level anywhere in the world and generating jobs themselves, but regrettably corruption had destroyed our school system. Addressing the trainees, he said, “If you don’t understand why you are here then you probably would not understand why some other countries that started with us have progressed beyond us”. His words, “More of these kinds of trainings will take place and it is in your own interest to note that the training you are getting is not only for ICPC but it is for yourself”. “I have been monitoring the training you have had here. There is no product of this course that would not take on any danger faced on even in your own private lives. We have tried to give you an understanding of what your body can do and what your brain can do. This training will let you impact in your family, you community or wherever you live; the training must make you different”. Continuing, he said, “I am seeing a situation where in the future this country would be noted for manpower training in all fields. It is a shame for Nigerians to be running all over the whole world to ask for training when we have the competence here” he stated. Having completed the training, the first top three performers in each of the batches, totalling fifteen persons were rewarded handsomely. Apart from receiving plaques of recognition from the 177 Guards Battalion, the Commission also rewarded them with one incremental step of their salary irrespective of their promotion exams. He thanked the Commanding Officer, 177 Guards Battalion Lt. Col. Musa Ibrahim and his men for the wonderful job they did, promising to continue to partner with the Command in future endeavours. Responding, the Commanding Officer thanked the ICPC Chairman for considering the Battalion worthy to train staff of the Commission adding that from his interaction with officers of ICPC the training would be quite useful to their career.

ICPC Board Member Sworn in for a Second Term

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:39:38 +0000

The President, Federal Republic 0f Nigeria Dr. GoodLuck Ebele Jonathan has sworn- in Alh. Bako Abudullahi as a Board Member of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for a second term. Alhaji Bako Abdullahi, an indigene of Bauchi State represents the North-East Zone of Nigeria on the Board of the ICPC. He served his first term between 29^th July 2009 to 28^th July,2013. He was sworn in for his second tenure on Wednesday 12thFebruary 2014 which will run for a period of 4 years in accordance with Section 3(7) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Commission Act CAP C 31 laws of the Federation of Nigeria (2000). Mr. Ekpo Nta, in a brief statement at a reception organized in honour of the Board Member expressed his joy for the second term coming of Alhaji Abdullahi to the Commission and stated that he hopes that other members will also have their tenures renewed when the time comes. The Chairman added that President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has commended the systematic and targeted approach of the ICPC in fighting Corruption. The ICPC Chairman further stated that internationally, some of the Commission’s procedures are accepted worldwide and adopted as model. Also present at the reception were the 3 other serving Board Members of the Commission, Secretary of the Commission Mr.Elvis Oglafa and Heads of the Departments and Units of the Commission amongst others. Commenting on Alhaji Bako Abdullahi, Honourable Abdullahi Bayero said he was glad that Alhaji Bako’s tenure as Board Member ICPC was renewed considering the forth-right nature of Alhaji Bako. In a vote of thanks, Hon. Member Bako Abdullahi, thanked God for giving him another opportunity to serve the nation and the Commission in particular. He assured the Commission’s management of his maximum cooperation continued cordial relationship as he serves his second tenure.

ICPC Asks the Galilee Institute to Join the Fight Against Corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 15:31:35 +0000

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mr. Ekpo Nta has said the task of fighting corruption effectively in Nigeria is so enormous that ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies requires the intelligence and contribution of all sectors of the society. He stated this at a meeting of the Alumni Association of the Galilee International Management Institute held recently in Abuja. Over 2000 Nigerians have been trained by the Galilee Institute in the last 25years in the areas of Agriculture, Technology, and Education Management as well as Security and Intelligence management among others. Barrister Nta explained that the meeting was meant to ensure cooperation among members in such a way experience garnered in Israel would be put to use in the quest to wipe out corruption and develop our country. Addressing fellow members of the Association, he pointed out that “the state of Israel is a society that is successfully using its intellect to conquer space and environment”; and that having shared from that experience; the ICPC was considering them very valuable to its work and would begin to contact some of them to have their experiences to bear on the work of the Commission. According to him, five members of staff of ICPC had been trained at the Galilee International Management Institute on ‘Train the Trainers’ basis. “We are not going to be sending people there all the time. The ones that have been trained will come back and be trainers in our own Academy in order to save foreign exchange; that is the whole essence; it is not a jamboree for us”. Speaking further, he said, “We had the opportunity of going round all the universities in Israel because we were carrying out systems studies in Nigerian Universities. Most of the things we saw there, we have incorporated as part of our systems studies here in Nigeria. We have also audited some intelligence courses which we have brought back to bear on our own functions in ICPC; so we have maintained that robust relationship”. He said that the Commission would be targeting those who are stealing public funds adding that the message from the President has given the Commission the impetus to go after anybody irrespective of his status in order that the wealth we have will go round this country. He was of the view, “If we utilise the wealth we have in this country, and the resources in terms of human and material resources, people would be looking for Visas to come to Nigeria and not the other way round. God has blessed Nigeria with excess environment and resources; and if we decide to apply our intellect, I believe we would be sitting on top of the entire world”. Responding, President of the Institute, Dr. Joseph Shevel said that the over 2000 Alumni membership in Nigeria was the largest; stressing that no other country in the world had such a number; pointing out that it was a great indication of the country’s commitment to capacity building. “Nations that are leading in this world are those that invested in capacity building, in education. South Korea for example was a developing country in the 50s and now it is saturated; they don’t have oil; they don’t have natural resources but they invested in capacity building,” he stated. He thanked the ICPC for hosting the meeting, expressing hope that Galilee Institute will continue to collaborate with the anti-graft agency especially in the area of intelligence; stressing that intelligence was the key. His words, “The anti-corruption body of Israel has been quite effective in the use of intelligence and the result is that the Minister of Finance is in jail, the Prime Minister is being interrogated and probably would go to jail. The former President is serving a seven years jail term. I do not wish that your President or former President should go to jail, but if someone is corrupt then he should go to jail and I wish that ICPC will do their job, and we will help them”. “On one hand I feel embarrassed that my former President is in jail but on the other hand, I feel proud that it is possible in Israel and I hope that it will be possible all over the world,” he added.

ICPC vs EHINDERO N575M CASE: COURT OF APPEAL ORDERS EX-IG, BACK TO HIGH COURT FOR TRIAL

icpcuser — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 12:38:22 +0000

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division has ordered a former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero back to the High Court to face criminal trial. Ehindero alongside a former Commissioner of Police in charge of budget, John Obaniyi were earlier arraigned before an Abuja High Court over alleged complicity in the misappropriation of about N557million belonging to the Nigerian Police Force. They pleaded not guilty to the six-count criminal charge that was preferred against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and consequently admitted to bail. ICPC maintained that its investigations revealed that the accused persons, diverted the sum of N300million out of N557million that was donated to the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, by the Bayelsa State Government when President Goodluck Jonathan was the Governor. The N557million was donated to the Police Force for the procurement of arms, ammunition and riot control equipment. ICPC traced the diverted N300million to a fixed deposit account at Wema Bank Plc where it had already yielded an interest of N9.8 million. It was further alleged that the accused persons placed another N200 million in a fixed deposit account at Intercontinental Bank Plc where it has generated an interest of N6.5 million. The accused persons had filed notices of preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the court as well as the leave granted the ICPC to file charges against them. They also prayed the court to quash the six-count charge preferred against them by ICPC. In his ruling on the objection, the trial judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi dismissed the application and asked the accused to go ahead and face their trial. Not satisfied the accused persons approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision of the lower court on three grounds: (1). whether the Abuja High Court had jurisdiction to entertain the charge against him wherein the allegation against him is bordering on the revenue of the Federation vis-a-vis the provision of Section 251 (1) (a) - (f) of the 1999 Constitution. (2). whether there is a prima facie case linking him to the charge preferred against him by the prosecution, and (3) whether in view of the constitutional powers of the Attorney General of the Federation AGF enshrined under Section 174(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) , Mr. Paul Bassi, or any other officers of the ICPC, could validly prosecute him without a fiat of the AGF. In its ruling, the Court of Appeal resolved all three issues raised by the Appellant in favour of the prosecution and consequently ordered that the matter be sent back to the Abuja High Court for expeditious hearing. The Appeal Court also affirmed the decision of the High Court in Charge No. FCT/HC/CR/92/2012 where the said High Court ruled that it had jurisdiction to hear the criminal complaint brought against the accused person. No date has been fixed for the trial.

Advertorial on Seized Passports: View Full List

icpcuser — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:48:02 +0000

INTERNATIONAL PASSPORTS AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS RECOVERED FROM CERTAIN TRAVEL AGENTS AND PERSONS

Whereas the Commission embarked on investigation activities on visa scam involving some persons and in the course of the investigation, raids were carried out and many international passports were recovered. The Commission therefore informs the general public and the underlisted owners of the international passports to appear at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Headquarters, Auditorium, Plot 802 Constitution Avenue, Zone A9 Central Business District Area Abuja, between 3^rd and 14^th February, 2014 at 10am to 3pm. Affected persons should come along with proof of identification, ownership and travel documents supporting their application for visa to respective Embassies. Click here to view the full list of Seized Passports

Lecture Delivered By Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the ICPC Good Governance Forum

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:45:02 +0000

This is a momentous period in the political evolution of our country; and as a people we are at a historic crossroads with regard to the kind of society we are running vis-a-vis the sort of society we should be running. This is particularly more important for those of us in leadership positions in the country. Download full paper ICPC Good Governance Forum Lecture Delivered by Governor of Osun State Rauf Aregbesola

Opening Remarks By ICPC Chairman Mr Ekpo Nta at Good Governance Forum

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 10:44:38 +0000

It is indeed my pleasure to welcome you all, particularly our Distinguished Guest Speaker, His Excellency, Ogbeni (Engr.) Rauf Aregbesola, the Governor of Osun State, to this auspicious occasion to deliver a lecture under the ICPC Good Governance Forum 2014. The ICPC Good Governance Forum, formerly known as ICPC Governor’s Forum, is a non-political initiative which started in 2008 to promote the culture of good governance across all States of the federation Click here to download full speech OPENING REMARKS BY ICPC CHAIRMAN EKPO NTA

Appeal Court upholds Conviction of Fraudster to Seven Years Imprisonment

icpcuser — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 13:25:09 +0000

The Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division has upheld the judgment of the High Court of Justice sitting in Lafia, Nassarawa State presided by Hon Justice S. Aboki that convicted and sentenced Mr Ayuba Bitrus Bakkat to seven years imprisonment. The Justices of the Court of Appeal unanimously agreed with the Judgment of the trial court as read by Hon Justice Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye and concurred by Justices Mohammed A. Danjuma and Obande Ogbuinya. The Convict was arraigned before the trial court on a three count charge of corruption contrary to section 10(9) (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The first Count states that between November and December 2009 in his house at karu, Nassarawa State, Mr Bakkat received the sum of N70, 000 from one Mr Ugueze Obinna to facilitate the employment of one Ugueze Amarachi into the Nigeria Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) using one Jonathan Ebewie, now at large. The second Count states Mr Bakkat between November and December 2009 in his house at Karu, Nassarawa State also received the sum of N55, 000 from one Philip Adejoh to facilitate his employment into the Nigeria Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) with the aid of Jonathan Ebewie. The third Count accused Mr Bakkat of receiving the sum of N80, 000 from Mr Philip Adejoh to facilitate the employment of one Andrew Elem into the Nigeria Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) using same Jonathan Ebewie and his acclaimed connections.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola Delivering his lecture at the ICPC Good Governance Forum 2014

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 11:26:55 +0000

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Governor Rauf Aregbesola Delivering his lecture at the ICPC Good Governance Forum 2014

icpcuser — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 11:28:50 +0000

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ICPC Sends Two Police Officers to Jail

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 20:07:46 +0000

Two Police Officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force, Kwara State Command, Ilorin have been sentenced to three and two years imprisonment respectively without option of fine for violating the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The two accused persons: Police Sergeant Alih Tenimu and Police Corporal Salawooden Abubakar were each sentenced to three and two years imprisonment respectively for demanding and collecting the sum of N800,000 as bribe from a suspect involved in a criminal matter. The two Police Officers alongside one Amodu Adamson, now deceased, were said to have asked Mr. Bello Manisara to pay them the sum of N800,000 in order to close the case of criminal breach of trust, and threat to life, being investigated by them. Following their persistent demand, Bello Manisara forwarded a petition to ICPC and a sting operation was carried out. The first accused person was arrested in his office while counting the bribe money he had received from the petitioner. Consequently, the ICPC preferred a four-count charge against the accused persons on the 1st of June, 2013. The accused persons were said to have contravened Section 26(1)(c) and Section 10(a)(ii) of the ICPC Act, 2000. In the course of the trial the accused pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge preferred against them. The ICPC prosecution team led by Barr. O. J. Ochigbo called four witnesses and submitted evidence to support his argument while the two accused persons called six witnesses, but no evidence to back their claims. In his judgment, Justice A Mohammed of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin convicted the two accused persons on all the four-count charge. The first accused person, Alih Tenimu was sentenced to three years imprisonment while the second accused, Salawooden Abubakar, bagged a two-year jail term both without option of fine.

ICPC STING OPERATION: COURT REGISTRAR BAGS 3 YEARS JAIL

icpcuser — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 20:12:12 +0000

The Registrar of a Magistrate Court in Enugu state, Anikwu Ambrose Ifesinachi, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment without the option of fine for demanding bribe in the course of discharging his official duty. In the judgment delivered by Justice A. A. Nwobodo on 17th March 2014 convicted the accused person for contravening section 10 (a) (ii) of the ICPC Act of 2000. Ifesinachi was accused of demanding a bribe of N80, 000.00 (eighty thousand naira) from the relation of a suspect before he would process the warrant of release of the suspect who was in custody for about two years. After persistent demand, the relation approached ICPC and the Commission gave him marked money. As soon as the accused collected the money from the relation, he was arrested by the operatives of the ICPC. Consequently, the accused was charged on two counts for demanding and receiving bribe under the ICPC Act in the High Court of Enugu. The ICPC had in the charge sheet filed before the court averred that Anikwu Ambrose Ifesinachi ‘m’ on or about June 2010, whilst being the clerk of the Magistrate Court, Awgu, received the sum of N80,000 (Eighty Thousand Naira) from one Arukwe Charles purportedly for Chief Magistrate J.S Ede of the same Magistrate Court, Awgu before the warrant of release could be processed to effect the release of one Maduabuchi Oji from prison custody In the course of the trial, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered some exhibits while the accused gave evidence without calling any witness. In his defence, he claimed to have collected the money on behalf of the complainants whom he did not call as a witness. This case commenced in 2010 but suffered numerous adjournments at the instance of the defence. At the close of the case, ICPC filed their final written address on 29th January 2014 which was adopted. In the judgment of the Court, the Accused was discharged on Count 1 but was convicted on count 2 and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment without option of fine.

ICPC Re-Arraigns Senator Iornem for Allegedly Operating Illegal University

icpcuser — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:30:06 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission( ICPC) has re-arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Senator David Iornem for allegedly operating an illegal University in Abuja. The ICPC slammed a fourteen- count charge on the accused bothering on fraudulent collection of money amounting to 17,300 United State Dollars from three different people to secure admission into the University. The ICPC had in August 2013 arraigned the accused on a three-count charge of committing offences contrary to section 1 (1) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. He was re-arraigned by the Commission following an amendment to the three-count charge to fourteen count charge to which he pleaded not guilty. Those who fell victim of the accused persons are the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, Akinkuotu Albert Oluwatoyin and Jamilu Rabiu Sani. Prosecution counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle told the court that the Commission was ready to bring its witnesses to prove its case against the accused. He therefore asked for a short adjournment. Counsel to the accused person, J.I Abagu brought an application praying the court to admit the accused person to bail. The Prosecution did not oppose the application for bail but however prayed the court to make the bail in a way that would enable the accused person to be available to stand his trial. Ruling on the bail application, on Tuesday 25^th March 2014 the trial judge,Justice A.R Mohammed granted the application since the prosecution did not object to it. He admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum who must be a civil servant in the employment of the Federal Government or any of its agencies. He adjourned the case to 14^th May 2014 for trial. Some of the fourteen count charge read: *That you, David Iornem, (m) on or about the 4th day of July, 2012 at Abuja, with intention to defraud, attempted to obtain the total sum of $11,550 (Eleven thousand, five hundred and fifty Dollars) from one Professor Is-haq Oloyede by falsely representing yourself to be “Professor David Iornem” and solicited payment of the said sum of $11,550 (Eleven thousand, five hundred and fifty Dollars) from Professor Is-haq Oloyede for the award of an academic doctorate degree of COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, BELIZE when you know that the said Commonwealth University, Belize is a fake and unaccredited university owned and operated by you, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. *That you, David Iornem, (m) on or about the 21st day of January, 2013 at Abuja, with intention to defraud, obtained the sum of $5,000 (Five thousand United States Dollars) from one Akinkiotu Albert Oluwatoyin by falsely representing yourself to be ‘Professor David Iornem’ and pretending to offer admission to the said Akinkuotu Albert Oluwatoyin to pursue a degree of doctor of philosophy in management of the COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, BELIZE when you know that the said Commonwealth University Belize is a fake and unaccredited university owned and operated by you and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006.

ICPC Docks Edo Majority Leader over Alleged Tax Fraud

icpcuser — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 08:02:34 +0000

An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City, has fixed 14th of April, 2014 for the arraignment of the majority leader of Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Philip Shaibu for allegedly forging tax clearance certificate. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had dragged the majority leader to court on a six-count charge for allegedly violating the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. According to the charge sheet Hon. Shaibu allegedly in July, 2010 at Abuja, made false statement to the officers of ICPC claiming that he was an employee of Zanote Ventures Nigeria Limited from 2003 to 2006. The accused person was also alleged to have lied to the officials of the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue sometime in November, 2006 to fraudulently obtain a tax clearance certificate. The alleged false statements are offences that contravenes Section 23(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(b) of the ICPC Act, 2000. Counsel to Hon. Shaibu, Mr Ken Mozia (SAN) however, sought for bail ahead of the arraignment of the accused before the court by ICPC. According to him this was to enable him respond to the charges preferred against his client. But ICPC Counsel, Barr. Godson Igbadume, opposed the bail application. He argued that the bail application should be taken at the commencement of the trial. Barr. Igbadume said that Hon Shaibu has been evading service from the Commission stressing that efforts made to reach the accused person had proved abstruse until he was brought before court. After listening to the submissions of both Counsels, the trial Judge, Justice Esther Edigion agreed with the argument of the ICPC Counsel and adjourned the case till April 14, 2014 to enable the defence counsel respond to the charges as well as take the bail application.

Stolen Assets: Only Small Percentage Recovered By Nigeria So Far-Ekpo Nta

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 07:38:48 +0000

The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) Mr Ekpo Nta has lamented the inability of Nigeria to access stolen assets from where corrupt Nigerians lodged them.

He said only small percentage of recovered stolen assets had so far been returned to victim-states by the receiving-states where such assets where stashed.

Ekpo Nta made this known during the J. K. Gadzama 7th Annual Public Lecture which held at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers Abuja on Thursday.

The ICPC boss was the Chairman during the public lecture themed; "Money Laundering and Financial Crime: Problems of International Enforcement".

He said, "It is not enough to recover stolen assets, but priority must be paid to the systematic and timely return of such stolen assets money to their countries of origin."

Nta told the audience, which included two former Chief Justices of Nigeria: Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais (GCON) and Justice Alfa Belgore that the delay in the return of the recovered stolen funds "is now attracting discussions at the appropriate international fora on ways of reducing or eliminating discordant national laws or processes that hamper the tracing, recovery and repatriation of stolen assets especially to third world countries."

He said the sophistication of money laundering and related offences had been growing geometrically to the extent that normal national and international policing could not keep pace.

This, he said, had resulted in the setting up of specialized inter-governmental bodies like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), international initiatives like the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (STAR).

According to him, The STAR initiative is a partnership arrangement between the World Bank and the UNODC to "reduce or end safe havens for corrupt funds and the laundering of proceeds of corruption and facilitate the systemic and timely return of such stolen assets".

Nta assured the organisers of the annual lecture that ICPC would assist them to bring into public domain, especially at international fora, positions that come out of this J. K. Gadzama Lecture.

He added, "It is the paucity of materials coming out of Africa that is making the Western world give us prescriptive methods to tackle the problems of corruption. But we have the capacity and resources to address the issue of corruption in the continent."

The Guest Lecturer, Mr Alun Jones, QC from the UK said that the delay in implementing laws against money laundering and financial crimes was due to the fact that most national governments "do not have the will, resources, or expertise to deal with them. Sometimes, it seems to me, they simply lack the confidence or courage to implement them", he stressed.

Mr Jones advised Nigerian government to consider ad hoc negotiations, in addition to fully exploiting the options available under bilateral extradition treaties, to fast-track the recovery of stolen funds from Nigeria.

He opined that the lack of expertise, issue of 'forum' and the balance of convenience for the successful prosecution of trans-national money laundering criminal activities had contributed to the long delays associated with the repatriation of recovered assets.

Visa scam: Embassies should monitor their officials – Nigerian Ambassador

icpcuser — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 14:31:15 +0000

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali, has urged embassies in Nigeria to monitor activities of their officials to check increase in visa frauds.

Mr. Wali gave the advice on Tuesday in Lagos at a one-day seminar on visa scams organised by the Independent Corrupt Practises and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

He said that embassies should complement the work of his ministry and ICPC by monitoring activities of their officials and report unscrupulous visa agents through the appropriate channels.

The seminar had the theme: “Instilling Integrity in Visa Procurement Process in Nigeria.”

The minister was represented by the Director, Consular and Immigration Service in the Ministry, Abdulazeez Dankano.
He said Nigerians no longer enjoyed hospitality abroad due to few Nigerians engaging in crimes, including visa scams.

“It is unfortunate that in spite of laws and sundry control mechanisms put in place by government to curtail the activities of touts in embassies and our airports, the sharp practices of obtaining visa illegally have persisted.

“It is in this regard that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers this seminar very appropriate and commends the ICPC for sensitising the process which has led to the arrest and prosecution of the suspects and their collaborators.

“This seminar will further expose the dubious tricks of the visa procurement scam and encourage responsible individuals and corporate bodies to avoid such unwholesome malpractice,” Mr. Wali said.

The Chairman of ICPC, Ekpo Nta, said the seminar was informed by the increase and complaints in visa fraud in the country.

He said that there should be integrity by all citizens in procuring visa applications.
Presenting the ICPC interventions in visa procurement process, Abbia Udofia, ICPC Legal Deputy Director, said 35 persons were arrested for alleged involvement in visa scams between 2013 and June 2014.

Mr. Udofia said five persons were arrested in June 2014 through Taiwanese Embassy, while 17 cases were pending in various courts across the country.

“The commission seized 372 passports from various travel agents and touts. We returned 65 passports to their owners, while others yet to collect theirs have been invited to do so,” Mr. Udofia said.

One of the participants, Aminu Agoha, President, National Association of Travel Agents of Nigeria, said that his association generated about $1.1 billion dollars (about N176 billion) between 2013 and June 2014.
Mr. Agoha said the money was generated through sales of airline tickets, stressing that the airlines in return paid taxes to the Federal Government.

He, however, called on the embassies and the ICPC to always furnish the association with the names of agents arrested for visa fraud for appropriate sanctions.

About 126 persons participated in the seminar, including officials from the Nigeria Immigration Service, the customs, military, embassies, and travel agents, among others.

How a 42 Year Old Pure Water Seller Became a Pensioner

icpcuser — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 09:50:32 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday made good it's promise to systematically cleanse the corruption-ridden pension sector.

In a major breakthrough, a cartel master-minded by one Mr. Abiodun Osagie, his wife Mrs. Regina Osagie and Mr. Oladimeji Bello all of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF) were yesterday dragged before FCT Abuja High Court No. 6 for allegedly diverting pension funds into private accounts using various banks and fake identities in violation of the provisions of the ICPC Act 2000.

Mr. Abiodun Osagie is currently with the Police Service Commission while the wife is now with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. Mr. Oladimeji Bello is still with the OHSF and was part of the Pensions Management Committee set up after the dissolution of the Maina-led Pensions Reform Task Team (PRTT) and allegedly abused his office by re-inserting the ghost names into the pension list.

Also listed for arraignment is Mr. Abiodun Osagie's sister-in-law, Mrs. Philomena Ayodele, a 42 year old housewife and a pure-water seller who has been enjoying pension for six years without having served for one day in the Federal Civil Service.

Mrs. Ayodele was arrested on19 July 2013 at Keystone Bank, Mararaba Branch while trying to withdraw her monthly 'pension'.

In her statement she was alleged to have confessed that it was Mr. Abiodun Osagie who approached her and requested for her bank account details in order to enable them pay monthly pensions into her account.

She alleged that she had been collecting the pension money from her account and the proceeds were usually shared by them.

The arraignment of the suspects marks the end of a nine-month undercover investigation by ICPC of corrupt practices in the Pensions Department of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.

In the course of the investigation, the ICPC team visited the residence of Mr. Osagie and a list containing several names and account numbers in banks was retrieved.

These accounts were opened with fictitious names and had as beneficiaries Mr. Osagie's wife Mrs. Regina Osagie, his sister-in-law Mrs. Ayodele and other relatives.

The ICPC detectives also discovered that all these accounts had pensions funds credited into them on a monthly basis since 2008 until their arrests in 2013.

The payments were done in such a way as not to attract attention but the Special squad set up in the Financial Investigations Unit under the direct supervision of ICPC Chairman, was able to piece the puzzle into a meaningful pattern that exposed the perpetrators through deductive investigations.

Before pensions management was moved to the Pensions Transitions Administration Department (PETAD), a review of the pension processes in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation ordered by ICPC had started yielding very positive results following the full support of the immediate past and current Heads of Service.

The court has listed the case for hearing on 6 November 2014.

UPDATE OF CRIMINAL CASES: Sept '13 - Mar '14

icpc — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 10:34:39 +0000

UP-DATE OF CRIMINAL CASES IN VARIOUS

COURTS HANDLED BY PROSECUTION DEPARTMENT

ICPC - ABUJA

FROM SEPTEMBER 2013 TO March 2014

[table id=3 /] COMPILED BY: MARKUS ILIYA (Prosecution Dept.)

Stolen Assets: Only Small Percentage Recovered By Nigeria So Far-Ekpo Nta

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 07:35:33 +0000

The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) Mr. Ekpo Nta has lamented the inability of Nigeria to access stolen assets from where corrupt Nigerians lodged them.

ICPC Smashes Parallel Office In Ibadan

icpcuser — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 08:25:01 +0000

Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) last week raided an alleged ICPC parallel office located at Abonde Road, opposite Elekuro High School, Akanran Road, Olorunshogo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Nine suspects were arrested and are being interrogated in ICPC Ibadan office in Oyo State. They are: Ilesanmi T. Okunola, Oladipo Barnabas Abiodun, Ogunsanya Ayinla, Akintunde Oluwasogo, Akanbi Oluwole, Omo-Aare Temitope Emmanuel, Odetunde Olamide, Adewuyi Peter and Iyanda Lekan.

The nefarious activities of the impersonators came to light when a female petitioner (name withheld) blew the whistle on their operations for allegedly duping many unsuspecting members of the public.

The petitioner alleged that the operators of this alleged ICPC fake office were in the habit of collecting the sum of N2,000 from complainants before their cases were treated.

Following a sting operation they were arrested in the act. During preliminary interrogation, the alleged fake ICPC officials turned out to be renegades of the National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) whose activities were under suspension on the orders of the Chairman of ICPC in December, 2013.

The alleged ICPC fake office, it was revealed, has been operating unnoticed since 2012.

A Nigerian flag, NAVC flag, one bullet proof vest, 10 wooden guns, 58 case files, one photocopy of ICPC Act, attendance register and weekly duty register were recovered from the illegal office.

Members of the public who have more information on the same or similar groups should avail ICPC with the requisite information either at our Ibadan office located at 19B University Crescent, Old Bodija Estate, Ibadan or through our website: info@icpc.gov.ng or through our toll-free lines: 0803 123 0280, 0803 123 0281, 0803 123 0282, 0705 699 0190 and 0705 699 0191

PUBLIC NOTICE/PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND ETHICAL VALUES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

icpcuser — Wed, 07 May 2014 21:02:06 +0000

ICPC Chairman Clarifies “Stealing is not corruption” statement

icpcuser — Tue, 20 May 2014 08:24:33 +0000

The statement says stealing is corruption if it involves a public officer abusing his office for private gains as provided in sections 16 and 17 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Stealing or theft as defined by the criminal code and penal code falls within Police powers to investigate and prosecute.

ICPC can prosecute without petitions – Court of Appeal Rules

icpcuser — Tue, 20 May 2014 08:36:19 +0000

The Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi, Benue State has ruled that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC) has powers to investigate and prosecute cases without receiving petitions. The anti-corruption agency had approached the Court of Appeal, Makurdi division, asking the court to set aside the ruling of Nasarawa State High Court discharging and acquitting the Chairman of Toto Local Government and Director of Finance of the council of corrupt practices. Justice I. A Ramalan, now retired judge of the State High Court 3, Lafia in Nasarawa state, had in his ruling discharged and acquitted the two accused of “11 count charge of conspiracy, to inflate prices of stationeries; and furnishing of false information all contrary to sections 26[1][c]; 22[3]; 19; and 16 of the ICPC Act”. Barrister Enosa Omoghibo of the ICPC in an application asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment of the State Court. On Friday 2^nd day of May 2014, the learned justices of the Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division delivered judgment in the matter in favour of the respondents. On ‘’Whether the learned trial judge did not err in law when he held that since inflation of items supplied to the local Government was not part of the allegations contained in the petition, investigating and prosecuting the accused was an abuse of the Commission’s Power”, the presiding judge, Hon Justice Obande F. Ogbunya of the court of appeal made copious pronouncements on the powers of the commission as provided for in sections 6[a] and 27[3] of the Act. “The court noted that a petition is just a guide and it is not ultra vires the powers of the commission to investigate and prosecute offences outside a petition or initiate investigations and prosecutions without a petition”. Consequently, the court resolved this lone issue in favour of the commission. The implication of this landmark judicial pronouncement by the justices of the Court of Appeal has now laid to rest misconceptions in some quarters as to whether the ICPC can initiate investigations without relying on petitions.

ICPC Warns Schools Against Pre-NYSC Levies

icpcuser — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:03:04 +0000

ICPC has received petitions that a tertiary institution is extorting "levies" ranging from N20,000 to N40,000 from prospective corp members who have spent between two to four years after graduation before they can get final clearance for mobilization to the August batch of the NYSC scheme. ICPC has begun preliminary investigations and the Institution involved (and others contemplating on doing so) should remedy the situation immediately so as not to unduly traumatize our young graduates. Petitions also indicate that some Institutions that over-subscribed their quota for admission of their Law graduates into the Nigerian Law School have resorted to sending only names of candidates who allegedly paid bribes or peddled influence to the detriment of more eligible candidates. ICPC directs all Anti-Corruption & Transparency Units (ACTUs) to help their Institutions establish and publish a transparent corruption-free procedure for the selection of candidates proceeding to the Nigerian Law School and other professional bodies. Rather than resort to self-help or acquiescence all concerned students, staff, parents and ACTUs should report infractions to ICPC through our website: info@icpc.gov.ng or through the following toll-free lines: 0803 123 0280, 0803 123 0281, 0803 123 0282, 0705 699 0190 and 0705 699 0191.

Visa Scam: ICPC Arraigns Culprit

icpcuser — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 11:33:38 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Mr. Victor Charles Ndubueze on a three-count charge before Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar of the High Court, Federal Capital Territory- Abuja. He was arraigned for impersonation, falsification of documents and forgery, offences which contravene Sections 132 and 363 and punishable under section 364 of Penal Code Act Cap.532 laws of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Mr. Charles had on 23^rd May 2014 posed as a public officer in the Consular and Immigration Service Department (CISD) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, and purportedly wrote a letter on behalf of Director II CISD seeking intervention to secure entry visas to Taiwan for some individuals. The accused while taking his plea pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him by the anti-graft Commission. Against this backdrop, the defense lawyer, Mrs. Uchendu Nneka urged the court to grant her client bail as he has been in custody for quite a long time. Prior to bail request by the accused lawyer, Justice Umar directed the defense counsel to tender a written or verbal bail application for consideration in the next hearing. However, the prosecuting counsel pleaded for two consecutive hearings to provide witnesses requested on the matter by the court. The case was adjourned to 26^th June 2014 for further hearing. While the accused is to be remanded in ICPC’s custody or in Kuje Prison.

Bribery: Court sends chief security officer to 33 years imprisonment

icpcuser — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 14:27:37 +0000

A Delta State High Court sitting in Warri has sentenced the Chief Security Officer of Delta State Polytechnic, Mr Peter Obonyamo, to 33 years imprisonment, having been convicted of corrupt acts.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had dragged Mr Obonyamo to court for demanding N150,000 gratification from a contractor with the Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro.

He was also charged for actually receiving N100,000 from the contractor.

His arrest came through a sting operation by the ICPC operatives as he was collecting N100,000 marked money.

Delivering judgment, Justice Briki-Okolosi held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt in counts 1,3,4,6 and 11 of the charge while he struck out counts 2 and 5 for duplicity.

The court further held that counts 8,9 and 10 were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

However, the court sentenced Mr Obonyamo to seven years imprisonment on each of counts 1,3,4 and 6 with an option of N20, 000 fine on each count.

The court also sentenced the convict to five years imprisonment without an option of fine on count 11.

ICPC Arraigns NSCDC Officer Over Alleged Fraud

icpcuser — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 08:39:22 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday arraigned Margret Onoja , a Deputy Superintendent with the Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), before an FCT High Court for alleged fraud.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Onoja lied to officers of the ICPC on the number of bank accounts she was operating.

The ICPC said Onoja lied about her accounts while filling her suspect data form.

The prosecutor, Mr Paul Bassi, told the court that the accused actions violated Section 25 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The accused was alleged to have concealed the ownership and operation of a Zenith Bank Account with number 6216501714 in her company’s name, Shekina Glory Cooperation Society Ltd.

According to the prosecutor, the accused was a sole signatory to the Zenith Bank account with a N75 million balance.

Bassi told the court that the accused also concealed the existence of a First Bank account with the balance of N40 million.

He said Onoja also operates a Fortis Micro Finance Bank account.

The offence, according to the ICPC, is contrary to Section 25 (1) and punishable under Section 25 (1b) of the corrupt practices and other related offences commission act.

If convicted, Onoja could be imprisoned for two years or with an option to pay a fine of N100,000, or both.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

After arraignment, Onoja's counsel, Enemle Ejoke, urged the court to admit his client to bail.

Ejoke assured the court that the accused would not jump bail, if granted.

Bassi, however, opposed the bail application.

Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, in his ruling, however, admitted the accused to a bail of N500,000 and a surety in like sum.

Baba-Yusuf said that the surety must be resident within the FCT and must produce proof of ownership of a landed property.

The judge also gave an order for the accused to be remanded in Suleja prison, if she failed to meet the bail conditions.

He adjourned hearing in the case to Nov. 11.

Curbing Corruption Toward a Model for Building National Integrity

icpcuser — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:05:48 +0000

The book “Curbing Corruption Toward a Model for Building National Integrity” is a timely book and a must read in our bid to minimizing drastically the effect of this menace called corruption in our society. Rick Stapenhurst in this book says: Corruption is, in its simplest terms, the abuse of power, most often for personal gain or for the benefit of a group to which one owes allegiance. It can be motivated by greed, by the desire to retain or increase one’s power, or, perversely enough, by the belief in a supposed greater good. And while the term “corruption” is most often applied to abuse of public power by politicians or civil servants, it describes a pattern of behaviour that can be found in virtually every sphere of life. A review of the popular press points to one clear and overwhelming conclusion: corruption is a pervasive phenomenon that can be found in countries of widely varying ideology, economic conditions, and social development. Although some societies may be more vulnerable than others and may suffer more devastating effects, no country in the world today is immune from corruption’s corrosive influence. Corruption in public life typically occurs in a few key arenas, regardless of a country’s political structure or level of social and economic development. In general, malfeasance is most likely to occur where the public and private sectors (broadly defined) meet, and especially where there is a direct responsibility for the provision of a desired service or the application of specific regulations or levies. This includes, for example, public procurement and contracting, licensing activities such as the granting of import or export permits, the rezoning of land, and the collection of revenue, whether through taxation or customs duties. Clearly, corrupt activities, when practiced on a large enough scale, can significantly harm the social, political, and economic life of any society. Indeed, corruption is damaging if only for the simple reason that it distorts choice. In the public realm, decisions that should be made for the social good, with due regard to the norms of the public sector efficiency and sound governance, are instead based on considerations of private gain, with little attention paid to the effects on the wider community. Corrupted decision-making distorts the public expenditure process, leading to the funding of inappropriate mega projects. In effect, public decision-making is sold to the highest, best-connected bidder thereby diverting public funds from more efficient uses and reducing the resources available for legitimate and more productive public use. Experience demonstrates that no single approach to curbing corruption is likely to be effective. Instead, success involves a wide range of strategies, working together as much as possible in an integrated fashion. In general, these strategies must include measures that reduce the opportunity for – and benefits of –corruption, increase the likelihood that it will be detected, and make punishment of transgressors more likely. N:B - You can borrow the hard copy of this book from the Library Unit. From ICPC LIB Lucky Nwosu

Court of Appeal Affirms ICPC Act 2000:Upholds seven-year sentence of Bakkat

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:21:20 +0000

The Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi not only reaffirmed the validity of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 but upheld the seven years sentence of Mr. Ayuba Bakkat who was convicted for collecting bribes totaling N205,000 from applicants. The court upheld that the citing of Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2003 in prosecuting cases "is null and void." Mr. Bakkat was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2012 by a Keffi High Court having collected bribes from Philip Adejoh and Obinna Ugwueze to help secure employments into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for Ugwueze Amarachi and Andrew Elem. The case against Bakkat was brought to the Court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 3-count charge of corruption punishable under Section 10(9)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The charge sheet read in part, “That you Ayuba Bitrus Bakkat, of Kari-Kari junction, behind Morgan Bge-fwi, New Karu, Nassarawa State; between November and December 2009, in your House at Kari-Kari Junction, received from one Ugwueze Obinna the sum of N70,000 to facilitate the employment of one Ugwueze Amarachi into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. ‘That you, Bakkat received from one Philip Adejoh the sum of N55,000 to facilitate his securing employment into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps using one Jonathan Ebewie (now at large) and his acclaimed connections. ‘That you, Bakkat received from Philip Adejoh the sum of N80,000 to facilitate the employment of Andrew Elem into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps”. But his Counsel, Osakwe Morris, had sought the quashing of the judgment by the appellate Court on the ground that the lower court had no jurisdiction and that the Act 2000 upon which the accused was tried was null and void. In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Oyebisi F Omoleye, the appellant court cited several cases where the ICPC Act 2000 had been used to adjudicate cases claiming that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Act 2000 remained valid. “I am not aware of any decisions of either the Supreme Court or this Court declaring the Act 2000 invalid. This is the reason, I am at one with the submissions of the learned counsel for the respondent that, the Act of 2000 is subsisting and therefore the appellant was validly tried, convicted and sentenced under it”. Justice Omoleye said, “I therefore cannot comprehend in whatsoever way those two issues touch on the meat and substance of the instant appeal. I have no hesitation in discountenancing the said submissions. It is quite obvious that issue no1 does not avail for the appellant, I have resolved it against him.” Resolving the case in favour of the ICPC, the trial Justice said, “Upon a very careful scrutiny of the printed records, I cannot find any reasons for me to interfere with judgment of the trial Court. The castle of jurisdiction is the only structure built around the appeal by appellant and it having been disabled, the appeal automatically crumbles leaving nothing. Issue No.2 is therefore resolved against the appellant. In the circumstances, I would certainly dismiss the appeal.”

VISA FRAUD INVESTIGATION – ICPC Recovers More International Passports

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:57:29 +0000

In continuation of its crackdown on Visa Fraud the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has further seized 39 ( thirty- nine) passports from one Mr. Christian Pius. These were found in his mobile office/vehicle with registration Number ABC 223 MU on 18^th July, 2014. He was arrested outside the premises of the Indian High Commission based on Intelligence reports and was found to be in possession of several incriminating official documents. The under mentioned passport owners are advised to appear before the undersigned at the ICPC Headquarters to collect their International Passports with proof of ownership and copies of the documents used to support their Visa application. Failure to claim the passports within 90 days of this Notice/ Publication will compel the Commission to forward the passports to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further necessary action. To view full list of Passports Click here.

ICPC Launches Anti-corruption Template for Tertiary Institutions

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 08:55:31 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC) has launched an anti-corruption template to curb corruption in tertiary institutions. The template was officially presented to the public by the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta in the Commission’s auditorium in Abuja on Tuesday. Mr. Nta during the presentation said the template has become necessary due to the avalanche of petitions coming from tertiary institutions. He pointed out that the ICPC in collaboration with Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) had done a system review of selected tertiary institutions comprising public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education and found some level of corruption. He said the two agencies and the office of the President on Ethics and Values held a conference on Transparency, Accountability and Ethical Values in tertiary institutions for sustainable development to address the challenges. He added that the staff of the Commission would be attached to tertiary institutions after undergoing special training on corruption courses for effective implementation of the template. He advised TETFund to reduce delays associated with access to its funds by decentralizing the process. The Chairman of TETFund Professor Musa Babayo who received the template commended the Commission for introducing a blueprint to curb corruption in high institutions within the country. He however lamented that about N65 billion is lying fallow with the Central Bank of Nigeria due to the inability of tertiary institutions to access the fund. He said this is worrisome given the dearth of infrastructural and intellectual development in the nation’s high education sector. “I am glad to let you know that with ICPC intervention, in accessed funds has been drastically reduced to ensure transparency and accountability is in place. ‘He added that the funds were effectively and efficiently used by various institutions that deserve them.’ A board member of ICPC, Professor Olu Aina, who spoke during the presentation said, the document will serve as a guide and a reference material in institutions which will be used for sensitization and accountability in the education sector. He further mentioned that, in improving quality education in Nigeria, the place of ethics and moral values cannot be over emphasized. Transparency workshops were also recommended to be organized to create awareness in tertiary institutions on how corruption can be brought to the barest minimum. Further study of all tertiary institutions by the ICPC was also a recommendation in the report.

N28m Fraud: Ex NEIC Secretary, Ibila Bags Five Years In Jail

icpcuser — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 10:04:40 +0000

An Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama has sentenced former Secretary of National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC), Chief Emeka Ibila to five years in imprisonment for defrauding the Federal Government of N28 million. Chief Ibila and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Vincent Ugbalafor were charged before Justice Ishaq Bello by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for defrauding the Federal Government of over N180 million. The ICPC established before the court that Chief Ibila while acting as Secretary to NEIC between 1999 and 2001 used his company, Ehijiricho Nigeria limited to defraud the Federal Government through unexecuted contracts. The Commission further established that Ibila in his confessional statements admitted giving N28 million to Prince Ugbalafor as part of the proceeds of the fraud. He later added another N2 million gift during the dedication of his child. Justice Ishaq in his ruling said Ibila admitted guilt in his confessional statements that he indeed gave Ugbalafor N28 million, even though the ex PDP chairman denied collecting the money, except the N2 million which was given as donation, after he has resigned from the PDP as chairman. He then sentenced him to five years imprisonment without an option of fine. He said, “This ugly situation needs to be checked. The situation does not call for leniency. I can only recommend maximum health attention by the prison authority. I hereby sentence you to five years imprisonment with no option of fine and the sentence should run concurrently.” The Court however discharged and acquitted Ugbalafor of the 17-count charge.

Corruption Is War: Its Rules Of Engagement Must Be Clearly Understood – Barrister Ekpo Nta

icpcuser — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:17:17 +0000

Interview with ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta

ICPC Arraigns Public Servant

icpcuser — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 14:19:11 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a Public Servant before Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf of FCT High Court 5. The officer identified as Barbara Osinachi Ekeocha, an Assistant Commandant with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was brought before the court on a 13-count charge. The Prosecution Counsel Paul Ahmed Bassi Esq. told the court that the accused lied under oath to the Commissioner for Oaths, Federal Capital Territory Judiciary, Abuja, when she deposed on oath that she had no undeveloped plots whereas she has 13 plots of land in 13 different locations which include 4 plots at 4 different locations at the Civil Defence Estate, Lugbe and 9 plots of land located at 9 locations within the Civil Defence City, Rafin Karshi, Nasarawa State. Her action is a violation of Section 25(1) (a) and punishable under Section 25(1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. She pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the case has been adjourned till the 11^th of November, 2014 for hearing.

Petitioner Commends ICPC

icpcuser — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:12:38 +0000

A Petitioner who sent a complaint to the ICPC about fraudulent practice by the management of Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo has expressed his profound gratitude to the ICPC for a job perfectly executed. In his letter of appreciation addressed to the Chairman, Mr. Laurence Agulonu stated that “All I have been reading on the pages of some newspapers about the Commission`s ineffectiveness and ineptitude is now being proved false.” “I think all we, the citizens need to do is to give your Commission the true and correct data, not to fabricate facts, so that you can perform and deliver” he added.

ICPC Arraigns Accountant for Forgery, Fraud

icpcuser — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 14:15:22 +0000

The Head of Accounts of the Nigerian Law School, Kano Campus, Mohammed Sanusi Musa has been arraigned before a Kano Federal High Court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for alleged forgery and fraud. Mallam musa was alleged to have defrauded the Law school of over N24Million in the course of performing his duties as head of accounts of the school. In the charge sheet filed by George Lawal, the ICPC counsel, the accused person was said to have fraudulently forged a Unity Bank Plc cheque book of the Law School and collected the sum of over N24 million between June and August, 2011. Mr. Lawal averred that the offence is contrary to Section 1(2)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act. In the charge sheet with reference number FHC/K/CR/118/2014, Mr. Lawal informed the Court that between June and August, 2011 the accused person forged different cheque books totaling N24 million with intent to defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria. Musa pleaded not guilty to all the charges. His counsel M.B. Danazumi, asked the court to grant his client bail. The presiding judge, Justice Fatun Odohi Riman,after listening to the submission of the two counsels granted the accused person bail on the following conditions: bail at N100 million and two sureties in like sum who must be civil servants on GL 14. Justice Riman later adjourned the case till 30th October, 2014 for commencement of hearing.

ICPC Arraigns Civil Servant Earning Two Salaries Monthly

icpcuser — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:16:35 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a staff in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr. Adotse Odang Anthony before an Abuja High Court for allegedly violating the provisions of the ICPC Act 2000 through corrupt enrichment and falsification of records.

Mr. Anthony was alleged to have manipulated records to fraudulently collect double monthly emolument from the Federation account to the tune of N353,756.52. He was slammed with a 10-count charge by ICPC before a High court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.

ICPC Counsel, Barrister Gogodaye West, averred that the accused person falsified his identity and personnel records and used same to make multiple registration on the Federal Government centralized Payroll called Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information Systems (IPPIS) punishable under ICPC Act 2000. IPPIS was recently introduced by the Federal Government to eliminate ghost workers and multiple payments of this nature.

The accused person who is a pool staff in the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation was deployed from the OAGF to the Federal Ministry of Works and Education in the year 2009 and 2010 respectively during which he committed the corrupt acts.

He allegedly used his insider knowledge of the workings of the IPPIS to override the security features of the IPPIS. He fraudulently altered and re-arranged the order of his name on the employment, transfer letters, and in the process created another identity for himself by collecting double salaries which he was not entitled to.

Mr. Anthony allegedly procured the services of two mercenaries to have their bio-metric images registered at the IPPIS registration point as he was aware that the system would identify multiple bio-metrics.

After the 10-count charge was read to the accused person by the court, he pleaded not guilty and his lawyer, Barrister Una Matthew Ody asked for more time to study the charges and respond appropriately. Counsel to the ICPC did not oppose the application for adjournment.

After listening to the submission of the two counsels the presiding Judge, Justice S Garba adjourned the matter to 2nd and 3rd October 2014 for hearing.

Double Allowances - Acting Provost Jailed 5 Years

icpcuser — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 10:56:11 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has warned Public Officers against conferring unfair advantage upon themselves especially when they are attending meetings or during monitoring duties or oversight functions involving other government/corporate Organisations.

They should stop the practice of collecting double Duty Tour Allowances from their Agencies and also receive or demand same in cash or facilities from the Agencies being visited.

Such abuse, ICPC stressed, was punishable under Section 19 of Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Act 2000 which stipulates: "Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or associate of the public officer or any public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without option of fine."

The ICPC said this Advisory was necessary after it secured conviction at the High Court Of Justice, Gusau of five years without option of fine against Dr. Bello Shallah Ahmed, Acting Provost of the College of Education (Technical) Gusau, Zamfara State, for collecting double Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) for the same trip.

Dr. Shallah Ahmed was accused of having collected DTA from the College for an official trip to attend a Board Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) while equally collecting an equal amount as DTA from JAMB, including Sitting Allowances all totaling N385,000.00.)

In an eight-count charge against Bello Shallah it stated; "That you Bello Muhammad Shallah(m) sometime between the 13th and 16th of November, 2006 or thereabout at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gusau, Zamfara State being a public officer, then serving as the Acting Provost of the said institute used your position as the Acting Provost to confer unfair advantage upon yourself by collecting the sum of N75,000 as DTA, fueling, servicing and others for an official trip to Abuja to attend JAMB Board Meeting from the said Federal College of Education, Gusau while at the same period and for the same purpose you collected the sum of N90,000 Air ticket and sitting allowance (as a JAMB Board Member) from the JAMB and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Act, 2000

In his judgement,on 13 October, 2014 Justice Amaize said he was not swayed by the plea of allocutus as the accused lacked integrity. He gave him the maximum sentence of 5 years without option of fine.

Former Italian minister Tremonti denies bribery allegations

icpcuser — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 14:10:35 +0000

ICPC Secures Conviction of FIRS Official, Company over N14 Million Tax Scam

icpcuser — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 11:24:10 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a senior staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs. Mubo Ikotun and a company, Messrs. Smit Nigerian Limited for bribery and tax evasion . The conviction of the two was pronounced by a Lagos State High Court presided over by Justice O.A. WiIIiams (Mrs.) in Charge No-LCD/17/2008/ FRN v John Fagbemi and 4 others. Messrs. Smith Nigerian Limited was convicted for allegedly bribing Mrs. Mubo Ikotun (2nd Accused) and some other staff of FIRS to reduce its tax liability assessed at N13,938,985.00 to the sum of N441, 653.00 in fraudulent manner. The Company, according to ICPC, got the tax relief through fraudulent means and was issued a Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) upon paying the sum of N441,635.00 to the Federal Inland Revenue Services. Mrs. Ikotun, a superior officer to Mr Fagbemi (1st Accused) also of FIRS was alleged to have used her office to solicit and receive a cash gratification of N2.5 million to grant the tax relief to the said Company. The court however acquitted and discharged Mr. Fagbemi. The court also freed both Mrs. A. Temowo (3rd Accused) and Mr K.Oduneye (4th Accused) the consultants who negotiated the bribe on behalf of the company. The company, Messrs. Smit Nigerian Limited was convicted for engaging in a conspiracy to effect the payment of the gratification and also for its failure to report the obtaining of the gratification. According to ICPC's testimony at the court the convict, Mrs. Ikotun of FIRS upon receiving the gratification proceeded to purchase a Skoda Octavia salon car which she had converted to personal use. She equally concealed the ownership of the car while declining to produce the said car to the officers of ICPC who made a request to that effect in the process of their investigation. A petition detailing the tax evasion scam was submitted 2006 to the ICPC The court however, adjourned the imposition of sentences on both convicted accused persons to November 4 this year.

ICPC Warns Against Use of Fake Tax Documents

icpcuser — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:21:40 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has warned members of the business community and private citizens against using forged or fake Tax Clearance Certificates (TCC) and Audit Reports to apply for contracts. The ICPC in a statement in Abuja reiterated its commitment to bringing to book public officials who abuse their office in accordance with the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The Commission had commenced investigation into the procurement of Tax Clearance Certificates and audit reports by several companies to ensure that those bidding for contracts are not tax evaders. Subsequent to that, ICPC is now prosecuting tax- related cases in courts especially those cutting corners to win contracts. Section 25 sub-section (1) (a) empowers ICPC to investigate and prosecute anybody (corporate or individual) for making statement which is false or intended to mislead a public official in course of discharging his duties. The section prescribes two years imprisonment for making a false statement which is “intended to mislead or its untrue in any material particular” to public officials. Consequently, Tax Assessors, Corporate and private citizens have been advised to be wary of procuring and presenting forged or corruptly-assessed Tax Clearance Certificates and Audit Reports in order not to run foul of the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

Corper jailed one year for forging travelling document

icpcuser — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:16:34 +0000

A National Youth Service Corps member, Helen Bando, has been jailed for one year for attempting to travel to India with fake documents.

Convicted and sentenced alongside Helen and equally jailed for one year each are Samuel Obiakor and Segun Alimi, who aided and abetted the first convict in commiting the crime.

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, while handing down the sentence on Monday, said the convicts deserved their punishment notwithstanding their plea bargain because such cases were becoming rampant.

The judge noted that it was the likes of the convicts, who usually brings the name of the nation into disrepute and destroy the chances of other Nigerians with legitimate intentions to travel out.

The convicts were arraigned on one count bordering on use of forged documents in processing Indian visa.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission alleged that they conspired to submit forged documents to the Indian High Commission sometime in 2013 to enable Bando to obtain the country’s visa.

The commission’s lawyer, Paul Bassey, told a Lagos State High in Ikeja that the convicts violated Sections 25(1) (a), 26 (1) (a) and (c) and Section 96(1) (a) of the ICPC Act.

Following their arraignment last week Friday, the trio had immediately pleaded guilty to the crime.

They begged court to temper justice with mercy, saying that they were first time offenders and promised that if set free, they would go and sin no more.

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL CALLS ON GOVERNMENTS TO CRACK DOWN ON FOREIGN BRIBERY

icpcuser — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 11:14:14 +0000

China's biggest 'military tiger' Xu Caihou confesses to taking bribes

icpcuser — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 11:37:58 +0000

Dismissed Police Officer Earned Salaries in 15 Commands - IG

icpcuser — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 09:28:28 +0000

ICPC Charts New Course For Anti-Corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 18:06:39 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is charting a new course in the fight against corruption by focusing on the local government areas. To implement this new focus are 70 civil society organizations that are duly registered with the Commission and work under the umbrella of the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC), an initiative of the ICPC. While addressing the coalition members in a meeting on 19th November, 2014 in Abuja, Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta suggested ways by which local government officials could be held accountable in the delivery of service to the public. Nta charged the CSOs to organise local people for developmental projects needed in communities. "Once you have the community needs collated, you take them to the councillor of the ward who presents them at the legislative meeting. Once approved, put them on the community notice board for all to see. ‘When the whole community is aware that this project has been approved, they begin to mount pressure on their councillors and chairmen who will then have no choice than to implement the projects", he said. Mr. Nta warned that though 298 CSOs were registered with the Commission,”.. only 70 are active and those who are not will be delisted as this meeting also revises the memorandum of understanding that enables the collaboration, for better efficiency.” He noted that the collaboration was primarily empowered by Section 6 Sub-sections a-f of the ICPC law which empowers the Commission to enlist the support and active participation of the public in the fight against corruption. He also commended the active CSOs for not concentrating only on areas that attract foreign donations. He acknowledged the contributions of the CSOs at the various local government areas which had helped the anti-corruption effort significantly especially since the ICPC did not have personnel at the local government level. A participant, Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose, Secretary of Ajasin Foundation in Owo, Ondo state told journalists in an interview after the meeting that corruption was so entrenched even at the grassroots'' where every government official demands gratification before they perform their duties." She suggested that aside from the usual ways CSOs in the coalition carry out their work, they could as well work with local youth groups such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and others, to imbue in the young ones the values of integrity and hard work.

Indian Lawmaker Arrested in Financial Scam

icpcuser — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 20:42:05 +0000

Graft Hobbles Iraq's Military in Fighting ISIS

icpcuser — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 11:12:12 +0000

2014 Corruption Perceptions Index-Results

icpcuser — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:12:52 +0000

ICPC/FMA to Fight Corruption in the Aviation Sector

icpcuser — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 15:27:16 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices And 0ther Related Offences Commision(ICPC) and the Federal Ministry Of Aviation(FMA) will on Tuesday 9 December 2014 in Lagos sign a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) aimed at fighting corruption in the aviation sector. The MOU will be signed during interactive session organised by the two bodies to intimidate major stakeholders in the sector of how the sensitization and sanitisation to curb corrupt practices at international airports would evolve. The MOU will jointly be signed by the Chairman Of ICPC Mr Ekpo Nta and Minister of FMA Osita Chidoka. The one day session will take place at the Nigerian Civil Aviation (NCAA) opposite Blue Lodge Hotel Ikeja starting at 9am.

International Anti-Corruption Day - 9 December

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 07:15:20 +0000

2014 Theme: Break the Corruption Chain

ICPC Insists on Curbing Corruption in Nigeria, Starting With Aviation Sector

icpcuser — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 05:09:02 +0000

Nigeria Oil Workers Strike Over Inefficiencies, Corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 18:03:14 +0000

Court Jails Unimaid Professor 5 years

icpcuser — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 08:42:24 +0000

Corruption: I Was A Saint - IBB

icpcuser — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 13:56:09 +0000

An Exclusive Interview with former Military President General Ibrahim Babangida by Zero Tolerance, a publication of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission EFCC. Click here to read.

Britain Re-launches Anti-Corruption War With Nigeria's ICPC Model

icpcuser — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 09:05:49 +0000

Corruption: ICPC Wins at Appeal Court

icpcuser — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 08:25:56 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) got a reprieve from the Court of Appeal which sat in Benin Edo State on 30th January 2015. The Appelate Court dismissed an appeal filed by the former Chairman of Aniocha North Local Government, Chief Callistus Nwawolo who challenged his conviction of 9 August 2007 at the High Court Of Justice Delta State Kwale for an act of corruption. The former Chairman was sentenced last year by the court to a 3-year imprisonment term or payment of a fine of N300,000 for corrupt enrichment through a contract he awarded while in office. ICPC had in 2004 arraigned the former Chairman before High Court Of Justice, Delta State in Kwale for acquiring interest in a contract awarded by his office during his tenure and in the process conferred corrupt advantage on one of his relations who executed the contract, contrary to section 12 & 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Callistus, not satisfied with the judgment, which was considered as even mild, proceeded to file an appeal to challenge the Court’s decision. However at the Court of Appeal in a unanimous judgement read by Justice Inn Salauwa on behalf of others, dismissed the appeal by the former Aniocha North Local Government Chairman, and contended that the prosecution had proved the allegation of corruption against him beyond reasonable doubt. The Appeal Court also blamed the trial judge Justice G. B Briki- Okolosi for giving the Chairman an option of fine on the basis that Section 12 of the ICPC Act which he contravened, and upon which he was tried and convicted, did not allow the trial judge any discretion to impose a fine.

Appeal Court Confirms Conviction of Corrupt Police Officer

icpcuser — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 11:07:24 +0000

ICPC Disburses N9.6m to Victims of Fraud

icpcuser — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 14:32:24 +0000

Operatives of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have recovered the sum of nine million, six hundred thousand from fraudsters operating illegal outreach campuses of the Akwa-Ibom State Polytechnic and the Imo State Polytechnic respectively. The money was recovered from one James Okon Ekon and Victor Iheanachor by the Asset Tracing and Monitoring Unit of the ICPC during an investigation into the activities of the suspects. Unsuspecting students had been deceived into parting with various sums of money to gain admission into the illegal outreach campuses operated by Ekon and Iheanachor. The students were made to believe that the outreach centres situated in Obokun High School, Ilesha Osun State were affiliated to the Akwa-Ibom State and Imo State Polytechnics respectively. The money recovered from the fraudsters, has been handed over to the authorities of the two Polytechnics. During the handing over ceremony, the representative of the Chairman of ICPC, the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Elvis Oglafa said the ICPC maintains a high level of integrity in its investigation of cases and commended the operatives of the Commission for a successful completion of the case. He urged the representatives of the polytechnics to be part of the fight against corruption in Nigeria by reporting and exposing corrupt acts of Nigerians. The sums of four million six hundred and seventy three thousand naira only (4,673,000.00) and four million, nine hundred thousand only (4,900.000.00) were handed over to Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic and Imo State Polytechnic respectively. Responding on behalf of the institutions, the Registrar of Imo State Polytechnic, Mrs. Susan Njemanze, commended the ICPC for a job well-done. She pledged to fight corruption in her institution and called on the ICPC to accord them maximum support to fight it in their various institutions.

ICPC Staff Receive Training in Weapons Handling

icpcuser — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 16:33:52 +0000

About 335 officials of ‎the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission have been presented with certificates for training in weapon’s handling and intelligence gathering. Speaking at a ceremony for the ‎presentation of certificates by the Commandant of the 177 Guard Battalion at the ICPC headquarters, the Chairman of the Commission, Ekpo Nta said with the training, the officers and men of the Commission were better equipped to tackle crimes as law enforcement agents. The Chairman noted that when he assumed office as the Chairman of the Commission, members of staff were operating without proper field expertise as it always required the services of other security agencies to handle cases that involved the need for coercion. But that staff were now fully trained for all the aspects of the job. He pledged further training as the Commission had made arrangement for 250 computers for an e-learning centre and that arrangements were also in place for the implementation of regular physical fitness exercises for the staff of the Commission. While commenting on the importance of the weapons handling and intelligence gatherings training, the Secretary of the ICPC, Elvis Oglafa noted that as an agency that required intelligence gathering, the training would aid the Commission in handling some of their cases where its staff were sometimes, faced with attacks and in the course of the work. While congratulating the members of staff for successful completion of the training that the representative of the Commandant of the 177 Guards Battalion, Ben Ikpolo said the training reinforced the Commission security in the face of the current security challenges.

Anti-Graft War: ICPC Launches War Against Corruption at Airports

icpcuser — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 13:51:09 +0000

The operatives of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), will now discreetly monitor international airports across the country to check corrupt practices by both air travellers and staff. ICPC Chairman, Mr. Nta Ekpo, disclosed this on an AIT Abuja live programme, FOCUS, as he posited that the era of impunity and other sharp practices at the nation's international airports is over. He warned that any offender engaged in giving or receiving bribes or solicitation would be arrested and prosecuted and could face a 5-year jail term. He warned that giving airport staff tips, other than for payment for receipted services, would be treated as solicitation and attract sanctions. He disclosed that NOTICES would be prominently displayed at strategic locations at the various airports to educate all travelers entering or leaving Nigeria on the zero tolerance for corrupt practices like offering bribes whether solicited or unsolicited. Ethics and Integrity training would be arranged for all Airport Staff by ICPC in addition to subscription to an airport code of professional conduct. Mr. Nta also revealed that his agency had undertaken a similar Corruption Risk Assessment exercise at selected sea ports a few months ago in partnership with stakeholders in that sector. Currently, some ICPC operatives were undergoing training with the Nigerian Customs Service in order to better understand the processes at the sea ports in order to effectively block abuses. Drawing instances from neighboring country, Ghana, Mr. Ekpo Nta said travellers were not harassed by airport officials and displayed signs clearly warned against such harassments. "I did not see anybody being harassed to give bribes." He gave kudos to the current Minister of Aviation, Hon. Chidoka for his personal and official support for the anti-corruption airport initiative as he would join the ICPC Chairman and other Stakeholders to formally launch the initiative at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport! Lagos on the 9th of December 2014 which also coincides with the World Anti-Corruption Day. He also spoke on related abuse of the procurement of travel documents like yellow cards and visas. "I have started arresting people who are selling yellow cards at airports and outside designated Health facilities. I have recently arrested a very senior female hospital staff in Abuja who was selling signed copies of yellow cards and pre-signed Medical Reports". I have interacted with the Director of Port Health on how travellers can identify the real yellow cards. We have also arrested someone who is an expert in printing fake yellow cards," the ICPC boss declared. "We have another initiative in blocking visa scams. Some of the people travelling, especially traders, are not very literate. They contact travel agents and who then get involved in all manner of illegalities. They forge documents just to secure a visa for you. As I speak with you, we have been able to do a lot of clean up of fake or fraudulent intent to collect visas from the High Commission of India and the embassies of Spain, Brazil and the United States. "I can tell you that the embassies are more relaxed now. If you have a genuine reason to travel, they will give you a visa." Advising Nigerian travellers on how to avoid falling prey to fraudulent airport officials Mr. Ekpo advised that ‎ "whenever you are travelling abroad, correctly declare whatever what you are carrying in order to avoid any embarrassment from airport officials. Even the way you will be treated abroad will be different if you go by the rules" He declared:"I am giving citizens a wake up call. If anybody demands for a bribe for a service he or she is expected? to render, the first thing to do is to raise your voice. If they refuse to listen, call the following ICPC toll free lines: 08031230280, 08031230281, 08031230282, 07056990190 and 07056990191 and ICPC officials will attend to you."

How Immigration Officers Collect Bribe at Airports

icpcuser — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 14:41:33 +0000

ICPC to Partner Online Media on Anti-Corruption Campaign

icpcuser — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 18:44:33 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it would partner online media publishers to strengthen the anti-corruption campaign in the country. Mr Ekpo Nta, the ICPC Chairman, said this during a courtesy visit to the commission by a delegation from the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GCOP). He said the partnership would entail the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the guild to ensure that members were trained to enhance effective investigative reports on corruption. ``A look at some publications on corruption clearly shows that reporters of such news lack basic understanding of corruption and the mandate of different agencies in the fight against corruption. ``We will work out modalities to have an MoU with your association, to establish a working relationship that will entail discussions on ways to fight corruption in the country in 2015.'' Nta noted that the role of online media in information dissemination was enormous, stressing that the coming together of the publishers would address frivolous publications online. Nta urged the publishers to ensure adequate training for journalists reporting on corruption issues. Earlier, Mr Salami Samiu, the leader of the delegation, said the guild was established a year ago to regulate the activities of online media publishers. Samiu said the visit was to formally introduce the guild to the commission as well to canvass partnership in business, to sustain the organisations.

Common Enemy: Fighting Corruption Together

icpcuser — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:20:59 +0000

Tune in to Radio Nigeria and Unity FM Abakaliki, Ebonyi State at 3:30pm every Thursday from now to June 2015 to contribute to the Anti-Corruption programme anchored by Mr Emeka Ugwu, winner of the Anglophone West Africa Youth Integrity Camp jointly sponsored by the ICPC and the United Nations Development Programme UNDP. You can also contribute to the programme through the twitter handle @commonenemy1, facebook page www.facebook.com/ourcommonenemy or by e-mail ourcommonenemy@yahoo.com and telephone calls on 08109541438 and 09028107335.

Download your copy of the ICPC NEWS Vol 10 No.1

icpcuser — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 09:00:22 +0000

Prosecute Money Launderers, Banks, TI tells Nigeria, Others

icpcuser — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 10:15:40 +0000

ICPC Commends Family for Turning in Wanted Suspect

icpcuser — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 15:58:03 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) declared one Mr. Ibrahim Joseph John wanted for alleged fraudulent activities in an advertorial in the Daily Trust Newspaper of Monday, 9th February, 2015 at page 60. Two days after, on Wednesday, 11th February, 2015 at 9am his family and friends turned him in at the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja. Mr Joseph is currently in ICPC custody and has been very cooperative and has made useful statements. ICPC is using this public medium to praise the family and friends of Mr. Joseph for their rare patriotic act which it said was worthy of emulation by well meaning citizens. The commission commends this re-newed citizen participation against corrupt practices and calls on other Nigerians to see the fight against corruption as a collective responsibility.

N924.98m Fraud: ICPC Arrests Four Suspects

icpcuser — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 16:10:39 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has taken into custody four suspects in the alleged Federal Ministry of Environment fraud involving the unauthorised transfer of N924.98million from the Ministry's account with the First City Monument Bank(FCMB) to the accounts of some organisations in four banks. The suspects include one of the key suspects, Mr Adeolu Adeyanju, Chief Executive Officer of Detwinx Global Services Ltd, whose company allegedly received the sum of N465,193,460.05 in its account with Zenith Bank which he withdrew on the same day the money was transfered from FCMB. The three other suspects are Usman Omoh Sani who is the brother to a key suspect named Murphy Sani who is at large; Raphael Orim, Managing Director of De-Ormat Furniture and Abubakar Mamman Mutari of Afazuwa Ventures (Bureau De Change). While Adeolu Adeyanju, who had fled to a neighbouring country when the fraud was uncovered, was arrested by ICPC after a manhunt, the other three suspects were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commisssion (EFCC) and handed over to the ICPC due to an existing collaboration between the two agencies. The case was reported to ICPC by the Ministry of Environment via a letter dated 1st December, 2014, following which the Commission commenced investigation by immediately freezing the affected bank accounts and inviting, arresting and interrogating several staff of the banks and officials of the ministry. A similar report had also been made by FCMB to the EFCC which later transferred the case file to the ICPC. Details released by the ICPC showed how the money was allegedly distributed to the organisations through the four banks namely: Access Bank: De- Ormart Furniture Company Ltd- N143,562,532.50; First Bank: Felitex Global Enterprises Ltd-N39,051,359.00 and Afazuwa Ventures-N43,182,404.00; Zenith Bank: Detwinx Global Services Ltd -N468,794,613.79 and Alozen Pharmacy Nig. Ltd-N1397,899,494.00; and UBA: Federal Board of Inland Revenue-N92,499,553.60 The ICPC has so far blocked the sum of N459,789,456.76 in most of the banks they were transfered to. This includes the sum of N92,490,553.60 transfered to UBA purportedly as tax remittance in an account designated as Federal Board of Inland Revenue Account and which has been returned to FCMB as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) denied operating such an account in UBA. The sum of N358,695,789.50 has been mopped up and transferred to the ICPC's Recovery Account to prevent any further diversions while investigation is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the ICPC has declared Mr Murphy Sani (alias Murphy Ozi Opene) wanted and has requested anyone with useful information to contact the nearest ICPC, EFCC office or Police station. He works or worked at Mike-Davies Integrated Services Ltd. He attended University of Jos, Nigeria and was last reported to be living in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria The spokesman for the ICPC , Mr Folu Olamiti disclosed that the commission was aware of moves being made by certain persons to frustrate the investigation into the case and issuing threats to suspects, witnesses as well as officers handling the case. He warned that such people risk the wrath of the commission adding that those whose hands are clean had no cause to be apprehensive. Mr Olamiti also said that ICPC had issued directives to the Ministries, Departments and agencies (MDAs) to remind them of the need to monitor and change or upgrade where necessary, the institutional processes that will block future occurrences of unauthorized financial transactions.

Pension Scam: ICPC to Prosecute Banks

icpcuser — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:12:46 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is set to prosecute indicted commercial banks that aided pension thieves to steal billions of naira from the pension funds. Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta who disclosed this during courtesy visit to the Supreme Court in Abuja noted that the Commission discovered that some commercial banks provided their platforms for pension thieves to steal billions of naira without any regard for banking regulations. He cited one of the indicted commercial bank in the pension scam that allowed an individual to open 22 accounts with one picture, but 22 different names. He said, “The banking sector is becoming much more regulated. Our investigation activities have shown that the Know Your Customer (KYC) regulation is not really being adhered to. That is why we found in pension scam where a bank has opened an account for a 22 year old whose mandate reads pensioner. ‘And we found out in the same bank that one person using one picture, has 22 accounts with different names. We are also moving against the bank. We have charged them to courts.” Nta who also enumerated some of the achievements of the Commission in the fight against corruption, told the Justices that the ICPC has helped the Federal Government to recover billions of naira through its preventive approaches. He added that the ICPC has partnered with government agencies to weed out ghost workers from their payrolls. He said, “The ICPC has a very robust approach to the prevention of corruption. We have been partnering with agencies to develop platforms to block corruption. The Integrated Personal Payroll System (IPPS) has reduced the incidence of people carrying money to give to persons that are not entitled to it. Our investigation has now shifted to mopping up of funds at the year end.” The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed in his response commended the ICPC, noting that the apex court is in full knowledge of the activities of the Commission as it seeks to rid Nigeria of corruption. The CJN stated that the Supreme Court is willing to support ICPC by helping to fast track all corruption cases brought before it. He however asked the Commission to be thorough in its investigations before sending the cases to court so as to rule out time wasting. He said, “It is extremely important to curb corruption because of what it has done to us as a nation. Getting support from us is not a problem. Efforts are on to fast track all corruption cases in the courts. We are ready to give all corruption cases expeditious hearing. ‘All I will add is that you must make sure that proper investigation is done before the cases come to us. We are in full support. It is good because we are agencies that have to work together to improve the image of the country.” Justice Mohammed also warned lawyers to desist from the practices of delaying cases at the court through unnecessary motions for adjournments. Justice Mary Peter Odili in her contributions noted that the Commission’s preventive approach to corruption would go a long way to curb the menace in the future. She said, “I commend the Commission on the preventive action it has taken. The sensitisation of school children which goes to show that the Commission is not just about pursuing people and arresting them is very good. It is good for children to know early enough that they will have to do the right thing to earn money when they are through with schooling.” Some of the Justices that spoke also commended the work of the ICPC in the fight against corruption. They advised the Commission to desist from slamming hundreds of charges on suspects, adding that fewer charges make adjudication of cases easier in the court of law.

Raising the Bar in the Anti-Graft War

icpcuser — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 08:28:36 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has raised the stakes in the fight against corruption in Nigeria with the establishment of an anti-corruption academy. The institution known as the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) is the training and capacity building arm of the Commission. The establishment of ACAN is one of the bold steps taken by the ICPC in recent years to step up the fight against corruption in a more structured, determined and concerted onslaught. It is also partly a fulfilment of Nigeria’s commitment to the global initiative to rid the world of the menace, as the Academy is a key enabling instrument required for the successful implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in the country. With this singular move, Nigeria has taken its pride of place among the nations that have shown seriousness to tackle corruption under the UNCAC initiative. When the Convention came into force in 2005, it was the first legally binding international anti-corruption instrument, clearly defining corruption in its various forms and setting templates to deal with them through constitutional and legal methods. The Convention required signatory nations to implement a wide range of measures in areas including law enforcement, asset recovery, mobilisation of stakeholders and international cooperation, for the overall success of the national and global anti-corruption campaign. The challenge posed by this tall agenda gave rise to the need for an intellectual and practical support platform to guide, direct and coordinate the campaign. That was what led to the establishment of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) with headquarters in Laxenburg, Austria, by the United Nations. The Academy began operations in September 2010 with a clear mandate to promote advanced academic research on corruption related issues, especially on newer types of corruption as well as provide superior anti-corruption training for various categories of law enforcement practitioners. IACA was also mandated to provide education, capacity building and necessary technical assistance to relevant groups of stakeholders involved in the anti-corruption fight in both the public and private sectors. The institution has been delivering on these core mandates. Nigeria joined IACA in 2011. Her membership was ratified by the Federal Executive Council in 2012 and the country is proudly represented in IACA’s faculty. ICPC’s Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) is therefore a necessity in the fight to rid the country of the menace. And like IACA, it is poised to make a difference. Situated in a serene environment in Keffi, Nasarawa State, the Academy began operations in November last year, two years behind the target set for its take off by the current Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, due to funding constraints. However, the Provost of the institution, Professor Sola Akinrinade, who was appointed only last October hit the ground running, as if to make up for the delay in its take-off. The institution has already done its first training programme for officers in the Intelligence Unit of the ICPC, which was concluded in January 2015. According to the Provost, another training programme is scheduled for March 2015. This one, like some others being planned for the year, will involve external participants. Prof Akinrinade, before his new appointment, was the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the Osun State University, Osogbo and former Visiting Professor to the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC). He describes the Academy as an investment in the future of the country, a centre of excellence in anti-corruption research, learning, teaching, knowledge dissemination, training and capacity building. According to him, this specialised institution is also expected to become the hub of the activities of IACA in the African region, Speaking on the mandate given to ACAN by its parent body the ICPC, the Provost listed five key areas of focus. First, its primary duty is to train ICPC staff to meet contemporary challenges of anti-corruption fighting, to enhance the operations of the Commission. By doing this, it will build the capacity of staff to effectively deliver the strategic plan of the commission in its areas of operations including investigation, prosecution, asset recovery, public education and enlightenment. Second, to engage ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the public sector as well as organisations in the private sector, such as corporate entities, professional bodies and others to address issues of corruption within their own areas of operation. This involves running seminars and workshops to address areas where they are prone to corrupt practices. The academy is already working on the training of Anti-Corruption Units (ACTUs) in the MDAs. Third, to run special courses that will lead to the certification of anti-corruption professionals. To actualise this, the academy will collaborate with some universities and other relevant academic institutions both in Nigeria and abroad to run post graduate programmes up to Masters degree level for practitioners in the field of anti-corruption to enhance their knowledge and skills. Already, the Senate of the University of Calabar has approved a compulsory first level General Studies Programme in anti-Corruption studies in this regard. Fourth, the Academy will engage in knowledge production and dissemination. It has a research unit which is already developing a research policy on corruption related issues. This will make it easy to access information on such issues. The academy is backed by state of the art e-learning facilities. The research unit is headed by a renowned scholar from the University of Ibadan. Fifth, the Academy will network and establish linkages with institutions engaged in specialised training of professionals in both the public and private sectors. These include institutions related to the banking and finance industry, media and legal professions; and public service, among others. Recently, the Provost visited the National Electoral Institute where he sought collaboration to address electoral corruption ahead the 2015 elections. The Academy has a tall ambition to reach and educate not only the critical stakeholders in anti-corruption fight but also the general populace. This desire is underscored by the global shift of emphasis to preventive mechanisms for fighting corruption through proactive sensitization and education of all stakeholders on ethics and integrity issues as well as compliance with established rules. In this task, the Academy has the full support of the ICPC Chairman who is eager to have it be a world class institution that will address all the country’s capacity building needs in anti-corruption fighting. All these, however, will depend on the availability of adequate funding. Adesanya wrote from Abuja.

50 Fed Ministry of Works` Contracting Firms Forge Tax Certificates - Vanguard News

icpcuser — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 09:21:20 +0000

ICPC Recovers N8m for Civil Servant

icpcuser — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 08:52:07 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been commended for helping a former staff of the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Eddy Oko-Jaja recover N8, 019, 804 owed him on account of medical bills he incurred while receiving treatment in a London hospital 20 years ago. The Commission, after thorough investigation discovered that the Ministry was indeed indebted to Mr. Oko-Jaja and therefore mandated that he should be paid. The money has since been released to him by the Budget Office of the Federation. Mr. Oko-Jaja in a letter of appreciation was full of praise for the ICPC for helping him recover his money after 20 years. His letter reads in part, “I have on the 9^th January 2015 received the payment in respect of the reimbursement for my medical costs which have been outstanding since 1995. ‘I wholeheartedly express my immense gratitude to the Chairman for working tirelessly in exerting maximum pressure on the Federal Ministry of Transport without letting them any breathing space which has resulted in the eventual release of this payment. ‘I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that without the intervention and maximum application of the Commission’s authority, the Ministry would never have made this payment which has been pending for 20 years this January. ‘ICPC is an excellent institution, something Nigerians should be proud of because of the way the institution has transparently and meticulously handled this matter for me with above the board credibility.” The Commission hereby reiterates its commitment to the fight against corruption in Nigeria by marshaling all its statutory powers to correct systemic deficiencies or corrupt practices that give way to the denial of citizens` legitimate entitlements. Click here to view letter of appreciation and confirmation of payment

ICPC Board Member Wins Award for Best Paper at an International Conference

icpcuser — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 13:25:05 +0000

A Board Member of the ICPC Prof Olu Aina, OFR has won an award for presenting the best paper at the International Conference organized by the International Islamic University Chittagong, Bangladesh held in December 2014. Click here to download paper.

After 20 Years, ICPC Recovers N8m for Spinal Cord Patient - Thisday

icpcuser — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 10:23:11 +0000

Nta: How We are Institutionalising Battle Against Corruption (I) - The Guardian

icpcuser — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 10:34:29 +0000

Nta: Our Systems Have Ensured No More Open Bribery At Nation`s Airports - The Guardian

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 10:51:36 +0000

Status Improvement on ICT Infrastructure in the Commission

icpcuser — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 11:21:20 +0000

UNODC’S collaboration with the ICPC for ICT upgrade The Commission has benefited a lot from the assistance of the UNODC. The European Union provided a grant as a form of support to anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria, which is supervised by the National Planning Commission (NPC). As part of the 2014 work plan, the UNODC provided hardware as part of the ICT component as a form of institutional strengthening of the Commission. The Commission now has a special goCIS (Criminal Investigation Software). This is also being used for special training of staff on its use. The commission has constituted a 15-man task force team/committee to test-run the beta version of goCIS that was installed. The team has successfully carried out the test-running of the beta version of the goCIS and will review it periodically and critique it. It is worthy to note that the UNODC had already commenced training for some members of staff on the use of goCIS at the Petition Registry. The Hon. Chairman was present at one of the sessions to underscore the importance of the milestone in the upgrade of the Commission’s ICT infrastructure. UNODC TRAINING FOR STATE OFFICES Key staff in three pilot state offices: Enugu, Kaduna and Lagos have been identified for the purpose of training them on the use of the goCIS software. After the Petition Registry, the three pilot state offices will be the next target for the establishment of data exchange centres. DIGITIZATION OF PETITIONS The process of digitization of petitions from year 2000 to 2014 has begun and will be concluded in May 2015. So far year 2000 to 2013 has been concluded and the aim is to upload the digitized petitions onto goCIS. This is expected to create a seamless information storage and retrieval system to enhance the Commission’s work process. Local Area Network (LAN)/Bandwidth Further to the Chairman’s directive, the ICT Unit has processed for the upgrade of the Commission’s bandwidth from 1Mb Duplex to a minimum of 4Mb, full Duplex. The bandwidth upgrade has increased the internet access and rate/speed within the Commission’s workspace, for all staff to utilize optimally and effectively. As a result of this upgrade, the Commission will soon deploy video-conferencing within its workspace to improve communication with the zonal offices. This will be implemented in phases, subject to availability of resources. Status of the Commission’s Intranet It is instructive to note that the Commission has given approval for the resuscitation of the Commission’s intranet. By this approval, all staff of the Commission will be able to seamlessly exchange digital information internally within the Commission’s workspace. Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) The Hon. Chairman has directed that the ICT Unit should work in partnership with AfriHub Plc. on various ICT trainings for members of staff. The Commission will also deploy an E-library at the headquarters (HQ) and the ICPC academy. A special framework has been created to enable the academy to be used as an examination centre for various external and internal examinations. To this effect, the Commission has already entered into an agreement with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) so that its examinations can take place at the Academy. In conclusion, it is clear that the Commission is proactively addressing the ICT issues within its system.

Man bags One Year Imprisonment for Fraud

icpcuser — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 15:56:19 +0000

An Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama has sentenced Mr Emmaunel Ikechukwu Ihediwa to a one - year imprisonment for defrauding Nkechinyere Mercy Onuoha of N 1.5million. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had dragged Mr Ihediwa before Justice Umar Abubakar Sidiq on a two -count charge of impersonation and forgery which are contrary to Section 132 of the Penal Code cap.532. The ICPC counsel, Mr. Osuoben Ekoi Akponimisingha, in his submission, said the accused had used a forged identity card of the Federal Ministry 0f Information and Communication to obtain the sum of N1.5 million from Onuoha and 5 other people, with the promise of securing employment for them in different government agencies. Ihediwa pleaded guilty when all the charges were read to him by the judge upon an application by the prosecution counsel for summary trial. Justice Sidiq, in his ruling, convicted and sentenced the accused to one year imprisonment with the option of a fine of N50, 000.

Akwa-Ibom State Polytechnic Commends ICPC, Sends Letter of Appreciation

icpcuser — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:19:42 +0000

The Governing Council and Management of Akwa-Ibom State Polytechnic have commended ICPC for recovering the sum of N4.6m from one of its defaulting Distant Learning coordinators. In a letter of appreciation sent to the Commission, the Rector of the Polytechnic Dr Israel B. Affia, said “I must say that this is highly commendable and has gone a long way to convincing society that there are still some agencies that live up to the very purpose for which they were established.” Click here to download Letter of Appreciation.

ICPC retrieves N.6million unpaid pension to 65 year old retiree

icpcuser — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 20:45:11 +0000

Reprieve has come the way of Mallam Adamu Umar, a retiree of Sabon Gari Local Government, Zaria in Kaduna State, who has been living in abject poverty since he retired five years ago having been denied his retirement benefits.

Umar claimed to have worked at the Local Government for 13 years, in a petition dated 22nd September, 2014, and forwarded to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr Ekpo Nta, alleging that the Kaduna State Local Government Staff Pension Board had denied him his retirement benefits (Gratuity and Pension) since 2010.

Following ICPC intervention and commencement of investigation into the matter, it was discovered that the pension board was indebted to Mallam Adamu for the sum of N554,263.80 (five hundred and fifty four thousand, two hundred and sixty three naira, eighty kobo).

When all hopes were lost and he was dying from old age and bouts of related diseases, one of his relatives enlightened him of how he could seek recourse through the anti corruption agency. Upon intervention by the Commission on the matter, the sum of N554,263.80 owed Mallam Umar Adamu as Gratuity and accrued Pension of 53 months was paid to him. In addition the pension board immediately perfected the payment of Mallam Adamu's monthly pension as it was supposed to be.

Imo State Polytechnic Commends ICPC

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 16:08:45 +0000

The Governing Council and Management of Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo have commended ICPC for its spirited efforts in the recovery of the institution`s money that hither-to was lost to one of its defaulting distant learning coordinators. Mrs S. Njemanze, Registrar of the Polytechnic on behalf of the Rector Rev. Fr. Wence Madu said “There is no gain saying that corruption has been very difficult to deal with, as it has been there for a long time and has many different aspects. At a time when it has raised its hydra-headed challenges unabated in the Public and Civil Service, the ICPC has worked relentlessly at ensuring that corrupt practices and other related offences in Nigeria, if not eliminated, are reduced to its barest minimum.” Click here to download Letter of Appreciation

Imo State Polytechnic Commends ICPC

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 16:27:17 +0000

Court Affirms ICPC's Powers to Declare Former NSCDC Deputy Commandant Wanted

icpcuser — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 12:44:33 +0000

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, before Justice Evoh Chukwu has affirmed that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), never infringed on Mbuotidem Daniel Akpan Edike's fundamental human rights by declaring him wanted on the pages of newspaper. Akpan Edike, who was a Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) had sought an order of the court seeking to declare the publication, purpotedly declaring him wanted by the commission as a breach of his own fundamental right to liberty, in which he had also sought N10million in damages against the commission. At the resumed hearing of the matter in which the trial judge delivered a ruling, counsel to the applicant Catherine Anene and O. G. Iwuagwu, counsel to the respondents readopted their addresses having elapsed the duration period before ruling, as stipulated by the constitution. The applicant in the suit instituted against the commission had earlier argued that the commission breached his fundamental rights, as he was not properly invited for investigation before the news publication declaring him wanted. The trial judge in his ruling, averred that the anti corruption agency having provided the court with sufficient evidence in support of its invitations sent to the applicant, it was clearly obvious that the respondents (ICPC and its Chairman) "did everything humanly possible to invite the applicant" for investigation into a petition against him. It also noted that having gone AWOL as affirmed by the NSCDC, over the investigation into the petition against the applicant, the commission sent another invitation to a business enterprise linked to him, even at that, the commission went further to serve invitations on the applicant's lawyers which were acknowledged in 2013. On this premise, Justice Chukwu ruled in favour of the commission, ordering the applicant to bear the cost of the litigation in the sum of N50,000 to the commission.

Reps Hail ICPC for Recovering Stolen N925m - Punch

icpcuser — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 13:15:37 +0000

ICPC Secures 5-Year Jail Term Against Former Council Boss

icpcuser — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 08:21:23 +0000

The Court of Appeal has upheld the five-year jail term handed to the former Deputy Chairman of Akure North Local Government Council, Honourable Gbenga Ojo, by an Ondo State High Court. Justice T. O. Osoba of the Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure had convicted Ojo on the 28th of January, 2014, on a three-count charge that includes making false statement and embezzlement, preferred against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). ICPC had accused Ojo of diverting N1.3 million meant for “Logistic arrangement” for the visit of the then Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Agagu, to the Council, as head of the visit’s Planning Committee in 2004, an action punishable under Sections 16 and 26 (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The Commission accused Ojo of “Knowingly furnishing false statement in respect of the sum of N70, 000 received by him claiming that part of the money was disbursed to security agents of the Executive Governor of Ondo State, for fuelling, when no such disbursement was made.” Ojo and the Head of Personnel of the Local Government, Leye Adejumoye were also accused of conspiring to defraud the Council of N1.3 million meant for the visit by claiming that the sum of N90, 000 was taken out of the money to buy Ankara cloth from a seller called Mama Butik, when no such purchase was done. Justice Osoba in his ruling had sentenced the ex-Vice Chairman to five years imprisonment on each count and an option of fine in the sum of N2 million. The sentence was to run concurrently, but the fine was to be paid cumulatively. But Mr. Ojo through his lawyer kicked against the judgment claiming that it was a miscarriage of justice against him and Mr. Adejumoye. He therefore sought for the quashing of the judgment at the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal at the conclusion of hearing on the appeal affirmed on the 17th of April 2015, the conviction of Ojo thereby sentencing him to five years imprisonment.

Egypt Seeks Tie With Nigeria on Fight Against Corruption

icpcuser — Fri, 01 May 2015 12:05:56 +0000

The Egyptian government has offered to provide strong support for the government of Nigeria in her fight against corruption. The Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ashraf Abdel Kader Salama made this known in Abuja, during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),Mr Ekpo Nta at the commission's headquarters, Abuja. The envoy said Egypt had long years of experience in fighting corruption and hence sought a mutually beneficial cooperation with Nigeria, while expressing willingness in organizing training courses for anti-corruption agencies in the country with emphasis on ICPC members of staff. The Ambassador said both Nigeria and Egypt had enjoyed long years of diplomatic ties, recalling how Egypt stood by Nigeria during the civil war which it fought to sustain its unity and oneness. He said Nigeria and Egypt shared many things in common, stressing that while Nigeria remains the largest country in the black continent, Egypt ranked second just as the citizens of the two countries had been relating peacefully in many areas. According to the Ambassador, the two countries should capitalize on the unique similarities between them to forge a synergy on trade and commerce as well as on the fight against corruption while setting a good example for the rest of African countries. He said, “Nigerians should be proud of their country, not in terms of wealth, but in terms of human resources. Nigeria is a rich country and that should be maintained.’’ “Egypt and Nigeria have gone a long way in history. Egypt is the only country that stood by Nigeria during the civil war. The two countries have since been sharing many things in common. Many Nigerians live in Egypt and Egyptians have descendants in Nigeria.’’ “In terms of population, Nigeria is the biggest country in Africa, while Egypt is the second. There is need for the two countries to start discussing while striking a balance in relationship and to be a good example for other African Countries." He said. Responding, the Chairman of ICPC Ekpo Nta expressed delight at the offer by the Egyptian government as he assured his visitors of the preparedness of ICPC to collaborate with the government of Egypt on the fight against corruption. He praised the long years of relationship between Egypt and Nigeria, most especially in the areas of trade and religion, describing such as wonderful. He told his visitors that ICPC under his leadership has been blazing the trail in the fight against corruption, alluding to the setting up of the Anti-Corruption Academy as part of efforts by the Commission to raise the bar on war against corruption in the country. Mr Nta said ICPC had been keeping with the terms of references setting it up. This he said included Investigation of corrupt acts, Education and mass mobilisation of Nigerians against corruption as well as system studies to block loop holes that entrench corruption in Nigeria. He said to further strengthen the war against corruption in Nigeria, ICPC had extended its outreach to the universities and tertiary institutions in Nigeria, while also launching ethics and civics into the primary schools’ academic curricula in the country. He said ICPC in 2012 had produced a “Teachers Guide” for teaching anti-corruption precepts in schools with a view to inculcating the spirit of anti-corruption in Nigerian students. He told the Egyptian Ambassador also that ICPC has so far extended its war on corruption to visa racketeers as a means of preventing the forging of traveling documents in Nigeria. He urged the Embassy of Egypt in Nigeria to always "request for the intervention of ICPC each time you get forged traveling documents from Nigerians." He promised to assist the Embassy in fishing out Nigerians with forged traveling documents while attempting to procure visa.

Court Jails One for Two Years, Sentences Another ......

icpcuser — Fri, 01 May 2015 14:12:41 +0000

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Mr. Ugwouke Ugochukwu to two years imprisonment for forging a letter of waiver of the Federal Ministry of Health to repatriate a corpse from South Africa. Ugochukwu, 33, was charged before Justice Salihu Garba by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for forging the signature of Dr. N. Sani-Gwarzo of the Federal Ministry of Health to repatriate the corpse of his cousin, Bartholomew Ugwu who died in South Africa. ICPC counsel, Ekoi Akponimisngha told the court that the offence was committed on the 5th of November, 2014 and punishable under Section 97(2) of the Penal Code. The charge brought against him reads in part, “That you agreed with one Ogwouke Uche (now at large) to do an illegal act to make a false letter of the Federal Ministry of Health, Port Health (Quarantine) Services to wit: waiver for the repatriation of corpse with reference number HMH/AB/505/VOL/220 dated 30th September, 2014 by superimposing the signature of one Dr. N. Sani-Gwarzo for the purposes of using same to repatriate the corpse of one Bartholomew Ikenna Ugwu who died in South Africa knowing same to be a false letter and intending that same be used as genuine.” Counsel to the accused, Emeka Ugwani, admitted before the court that his client was guilty of the offence and prayed the court to be lenient in its judgment, noting that the accused has shown great remorse since the commission of the crime. He said, “He has admitted that he is guilty of the crime and he has shown maximum remorse since the commission of the crime. I pray the court to be considerate because the accused did not waste the time of the court, he has cooperated fully with the court.” Justice Garba, while ruling, observed that the accused would be punished to serve as a deterrent to others and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. He said, “I have seen that you are a young man with family. The punishment will serve as a deterrent to others. You are sentenced to two years imprisonment.” In a related development, Justice Kutigi of an Abuja High Court has sentenced Mr. Obaemeka Ifeanyi Augustine to nine months imprisonment for forging visa documents and impersonating the Senior Special Assistant on Projects to the FCT Minister. The accused was charged by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a three-count charge that includes impersonating a public officer contrary to section 363, 364 and 132 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of Northern Nigeria 1990.

ICPC and the War Against Graft - Punch

icpcuser — Mon, 04 May 2015 10:28:44 +0000

Spinal Cord Patient Commends ICPC for Recovering Funds From Government Hospital

icpcuser — Tue, 05 May 2015 15:42:01 +0000

Mr Iorver Terumbur, an applicant and resident of Abuja has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for the recovery of the sum of N477, 300:00 which the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital could not refund after refusing to treat him. Terumbur, who presented his commendation in a letter dated 14^th April, 2015, stated that the Teaching Hospital failed to treat him after it received the required payment and later discharged him without making refund to him for good 12 months (May 2014 – April 2015). According to the Petitioner, the said amount paid to the hospital was for the cost of implant of 8 screws and 2 rods in his spinal cord, consumables and drugs. He charged the operatives of the Commission to keep up the good work they exhibited in not collecting any bribe or tip before or after they recovered the money for him. ‘’This selfless effort of the Commission in recovering this money for me has completely deleted the bad impressions that some of us had on the enforcement agencies, that a common citizen cannot get justice because he has no money to bribe .” The patient emphasized. Responding to this commendation, the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Ekpo Nta stated that “Our effort in anti-corruption as it affects all Nigerians, including the masses, will be pursued with all vigour and concern”.

Job Scam:ICPC Arraigns Prison Officer

icpcuser — Tue, 05 May 2015 15:46:45 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Ahmed Abdu, an officer of the Nigeria Prisons Service before Hon Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Apo Abuja. In a 2-count charge bordering on fraud, the prosecuting counsel Ngozi Onwuka of ICPC alleged that the accused person fraudulently requested for the sum of N250, 000.00 from one Adamu Abubakar to secure him employment with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Investigations by ICPC revealed that Ahmed had also on different occasions received the sum of N250,000.00 each from five other persons promising to get them jobs with the Nigerian Immigration Service, Civil Defence or Prisons Service, thereby committing an offence contrary and punishable under Section 10 (a) (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The Accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges. His counsel Albashir Lawal Likko, asked the court to grant his client bail. Hon. Justice Kutigi, granted the accused person bail on the following conditions; bail at N200, 000.00 and 1 surety in like sum who must be a civil servant not below the rank of GL 09 The matter was then adjourned to 23^rd May, 2015 for commencement of hearing.

International Conference: Invitation for Papers

icpcuser — Wed, 13 May 2015 13:06:32 +0000

The European Union’s Support to Anti-corruption in Nigeria project implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the research and training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission of Nigeria (ICPC), is inviting papers from interested academics, staff of civil society organisations, development agencies, and operatives of anti-corruption agencies for an International Conference, "ANTI-CORRUPTION RESEARCH AND POLICYMAKING IN NIGERIA: 40 YEARS AFTER THE THEORY OF TWO PUBLICS". Click here to download full Conference Advert.

Shun Corruption,ICPC Warns New lawmakers - Punch

icpcuser — Fri, 15 May 2015 09:06:42 +0000

Time delay, another form of corruption – ICPC (Daily Trust)

icpcuser — Mon, 18 May 2015 11:00:39 +0000

An Honourable member of the Board of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Alhaji Isa Ozi Salami, has described delay of time at occasions popularly known as 'African Time' as another form of corruption.

Alhaji Salami spoke in Abuja when he represented the Chairman of the ICPC, Mr Ekpo Nta, at the official launch of "My African Union My Future Campaign; 'Be the Voice for Africa'", a campaign being coordinated by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) with the support of the State of the Union (SOTU) aimed at integrating African countries on issues concerning the ratification, domestication and implementation of key African Union (AU) conventions and legal instruments.

He recalled the day management of University of Nigeria, Nsukka in Enugu State felt embarrassed by the decision of the ICPC Chairman to commence his Inaugural Lecture at the scheduled time before the arrival of the State governor.

"We, in the ICPC, have zero tolerance for the so-called African time. Youths should do everything to discourage delay of time because it is the number one corruption. When you steal time, it is corruption. ICPC is very serious on time management. Let us value time. It is important to underline this principle," he added.

Speaking on the level of adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (2003), Alhaji Salami lamented the discovery during a session he attended in Arusha, Tanzania that only 34 out of 54 nations in Africa had ratified convention on corruption. He also regretted that some of the 34 countries which ratified the convention had not done the basic requirements, expressing the readiness of the ICPC to collaborate with all civil liberty organizations (CLOs).

Addressing the concern raised by students at the event, Mr Salami said the ICPC had been tackling cases of sexual harassment and examination malpractices in schools, seeking the support of all stakeholders through the provision of credible information that would assist the agency in tackling corruption.

"We have collaborated with the National University Commission (NUC). We have closed down illegal degree-awarding universities," he added.

Giving an overview of the campaign, Mr Okeke Anya, Project Coordinator SOTU Nigeria, said the CSOs were currently working on 14 legal instruments, saying the success of the campaign would address issues such as visa restrictions in Africa and Nigeria would relate with other African countries for the benefit of all.

Highlights of the occasion was the message by the campaign's National Champion Mr Ejike Asiegbu and pledge taking by the participants.

Government organs and institutions, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Human Rights Commission (NHCR), National Assembly, National Orientation Agency (NOA), and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as well as secondary schools and tertiary institutions were represented at the launch.

Interview: Our Anti-Corruption Drive Will Continue to Intervene in Assisting the Voiceless – ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Mon, 18 May 2015 11:10:30 +0000

Question: ICPC has made a lot of recoveries for ordinary people who were swindled or had their money stuck in government establishments due to corruption or administrative bottlenecks. Sir, what is the impact of these recoveries in the context of the overall anti-corruption crusade? Response: The issue of corruption has been looked at as being a matter concerning only highly placed persons in our society, which we have addressed. The Commission takes this from a human angle intervention, which is to build the fight to assist the voiceless Nigerians. I call them voiceless because for you to speak in this country particularly in fighting for your rights you must have a platform to operate and some of these platforms require payment of huge money like paying lawyers and having to pay for advertisement in newspapers or airtime in the electronic media. I was a bit worried about the bureaucracy of government in shutting out the common man’s rights and for this reason they have cause to write ICPC. The more we got involved, the more merit I see in the approach we adopt that we should fight for all persons without discrimination. One of the very rewarding interventions was the spinal cord patient who resides in the United Kingdom. For about 20 years he had been writing everywhere to get the money that he was entitled to and his duly approved N8 Million was withheld. Fortunately, in December 2014, ICPC was able to make his Christmas beautiful by getting the appropriate Ministry to remit the sum of N8Million into his account and he was so excited. He wrote a very beautiful letter to ICPC. Eventually, he was interviewed by Ben Television Station in the UK and he said very good things about us. I think last month, we intervened on behalf of another spinal cord patient who paid for surgery at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital; and when the surgery did not take place, the patient requested for reimbursement and the Hospital refused to give him. Last month, the Commission recovered over Four Hundred Thousand Naira for him. We are Nigerians and our children and relatives are studying in various universities. The Commission gets complaints about harassment for one reason or the other that these children have either over stayed in the universities or polytechnics out of unnecessary harassment from persons who are in positions of authority. Two clear examples come to my mind, in the University of Nigeria Nsukka, a student spent about 12 years without graduation and got frustrated. He sent a petition to ICPC and our intervention brought him to graduate immediately. We also intervened on behalf of a young lady from Ambrose Alli University over the issue of sexual harassment, we investigated the matter and she is now a graduate. She has written to thank the Commission. The whole essence why I’m mentioning these is that we don’t do it as one-stop-process. ICPC goes further to know why these things happen in the first instance. And two, the outcomes that I have talked to you about led to validating some of the conclusions we had found out when we did the University System Study and Review. We are strengthening the university system to ensure these do not happen anymore and if they do, then sanctions are to follow. One other area of intervention where everyone is shouting has to do with pensions. When the pensions are paid eventually, we return to status-quo and let suffering continue. ICPC has done a lot of recoveries on pensions directly for beneficiaries. One letter just came in from a pensioner of Katsina State Local Government Pensions Board and we recovered about N2.5Milion for this particular gentleman who wrote to us. I’m going to order the System Review of that Pensions Board to avoid further similar complaints. If any Nigerian has a solid petition with verifiable evidence, go ahead and submit to us through the use of our website, offices, toll free lines or send a written petition and we shall address those issues immediately. ICPC doesn’t look at petitions in terms of its monetary value. We want people to look out and if there is an infraction of our enabling law, no matter your status in life we shall respond. We don’t look at the status of the persons involved. Last year or two years ago, a case involved a house maid whose employers denied her wages, this looks as simple as what has that got to do with ICPC? But the two people involved , the husband and the wife, were public officers. We sent them a letter asking them to comment on this and the couple came to the Commission with N100, 000:00 as they were scared. The girl was just asking for N17, 000:00 only. We took her money, N17, 000:00 out of the N100, 000:00 and we simply returned the balance to them. In getting justice, we did not charge the petitioner anything. Now, that this young girl is growing up within Nigeria, she would believe in this Country, and that is the essence of our intervention. During my advocacy visit to the University of Benin, I spoke to the staff and students of the University and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Oshodin was there. The late Professor Festus Iyayi was the one who invited me. I had an interactive session with the students. What came out of that session, was that Nigerian youths are very good people. All we need to do is to give them an opportunity to express themselves on a level playing ground. When I got back to Abuja within a period of one month I got 312 emails. We were able to analyze all these emails. The ones that needed attention, we sent back to the Vice Chancellor, who was very nice to us and he took action to address quite a number of these issues that came up. Without this intervention, this would have led to unnecessary demonstration by students. That was what probably informed the University of Nigeria Nsukka’s students who were requested to pay N12, 000:00 each for annual subscription for internet service to disagree with this proposition. The students argued that it should be on the basis of pay- as –you- go like the way we use our phones. Most of them stay off campus why would they be charging them, they complained. So when the University was not ready to listen to them, they came to ICPC and I immediately assigned someone to go to Nsukka and the matter was resolved to everybody’s satisfaction. This is the kind of impact I would say is encouraging the citizens. And we don’t stop at this; we also go to NYSC orientation camps in Nigeria. We did advocacy lectures in all the 36 states and FCT, sensitizing them on the issue of ethics, integrity and inviting to volunteer against corruption. We have interventions in secondary and primary schools. So I expect that this kind of intervention would continue. Question: From the remarks of the petitioners, it seems that ICPC staff that treat such cases do their jobs with integrity and uprightness. How are you able to ensure this good attitude on the part of your staff? Response: I must say I’m very proud of the vast majority of my staff in ICPC and we have come a long way. If I look at 2012, I think that was the boom year for training in ICPC. The training came in two parts. First, for you to acquire the technical knowledge from various parts of the world, the second part which is more important, is for my staff to go to other parts of the world to see how systems work. I remember that during a Roundtable discussion in Dubai with some of my staff and members of the Anti-corruption Units in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, I told them to concentrate less on the lectures we were holding and to go round Dubai and study how systems and discipline operate. I asked them to go back home and discuss why we cannot have similar achievements in our Country. That we are better placed than these people and should take it as a challenge. Is it because the salary that we receive is small? No matter how big the salary we receive is, if we want to be corrupt we would be. Each time I get letters from the people we have to interact with, all the letters keep on saying the same thing such as your staff are courteous, your staff are above-board, and we are happy. If my staff are bad, the same letter will come. As an Integrity Organisation, I’m very proud of it. We are happy with these testimonies. Question: Is it the Policy of the Commission to continue to help ordinary people recover such monies? And should Nigerians expect the continuity of this policy? Response: The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 is directed towards the eradication of corruption and other related offences. I don’t want the general public to think that you need to be a big man in the society before you get justice done from somebody who corruptly swindled your money. People should be able to see ICPC and other law enforcement agencies in Nigeria as being in the position to respond to the legitimate requests of the entire citizenry. Otherwise, people will seek alternate means of redressing their grievances. The Nigerian state must protect the rights of its citizens irrespective of anybody’s religion, ethnicity, gender etc. That is why I’m very passionate about helping my country. Ever since this present ICPC Board came on board, we had addressed the issue of the Detention Centre. I don’t like a situation where when you bring someone into custody, you keep him under dehumanizing conditions. We made sure our Detention Centre is equal to any found in civilized nations. I have even gone one step further. As soon as you are arrested we ensure that you are fit before detention. The Commission paid about N300, 000:00 for the surgery of a suspect at National Hospital. A suspect is considered not guilty until a court of law proves him guilty. All your rights are protected in ICPC. The attitude for the respect of all suspects’ rights is being upheld by every staff of the Commission. Whether I’m in the country or not I must know the condition of the person we detained. This policy for the respect of human rights is something that I inherited from the past Chairmen of this Commission. ICPC does not play with human rights. And I have done my best to continue in that direction. I’m very happy to see that the Bill to protect detainees has abolished the extraction of information through torture. This is something the Commission abhors. We have never tortured anybody during interrogation in the history of our existence. Interrogators in different law enforcement agencies must be trained and retrained on how to do the right thing. The theme of this interview is very apt. If you tell your child not to throw out banana peels out of a car window, he will accept that. If he sees the father throwing out banana peels, that will begin to create the problem of compliance by the child. Thank you.

ICPC Anti-Corruption Academy to Train Health Workers On Good Governance

icpcuser — Wed, 20 May 2015 13:52:09 +0000

The Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a training institute of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is working towards training health workers on good governance, accountability, transparency, integrity, ethics and building a body of knowledge that will facilitate the development of knowledge-based anti-corruption policies in Nigeria. The Provost of the Academy, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, made this known in a paper he presented to the Board of the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) during a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja recently. Prof Akinrinade stated that the establishment of the Academy was in tandem with the provision at Section 6 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 which empowers the Commission to carry out certain preventive, enforcement and enlightenment functions. He added that the Academy’s mission is to be a centre of excellence, enhancing a multi-disciplinary approach to the fight against corruption through Training, Research, Documentation and Advisory Services. Against this backdrop, the Provost revealed that the visit was designed to develop a partnership with NACA and formulate a programme aimed at building capacity in the sector. According to him, the health sector has not been spared the challenges confronting the country, saying that over the years the budgetary allocation to the health sector has not produced the required output. He further said that the programme would help build integrity and transparency in the health sector by bringing together professionals in the healthcare sector to address critical issues and to x-ray loopholes for corruption and corrupt practices. The intended programme is expected to have target participants of one thousand (1000), with membership cutting across members of health and appropriation committees of the National Assembly, Federal Ministry of Health , Ministries of Health in the State and FCT, critical intervention agencies and programmes including NACA, Rollback Malaria, Polio and Guinea Worm Eradication etc. The Director General, NACA, Prof John Idoko commended the Academy for initiating the idea, saying “ the problem with corruption has to do with our orientation”. He said the framework for the control of HIV prevention can be adopted for the fight against corruption. He hopes to work with the Academy in achieving success in the fight against corruption.

Pay Attention to Anti-Corruption Institutions, Mbeki Tells Buhari

icpcuser — Sat, 23 May 2015 18:59:47 +0000

ICPC Boss Calls for Effective Budgetary System in Local Councils - Leadership News

icpcuser — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 14:42:40 +0000

ICPC Introduces CBT in Staff Promotion Exams - The Guardian

icpcuser — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 14:48:21 +0000

ICPC Defends Closure of Borough College London Study Centre, Igboho

icpcuser — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:50:22 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) acknowledges the concerns generated within the Igboho Community in Oyo State over the closure of the Borough College London, Igboho Study Centre.

The institution was shut down following preliminary investigation of a petition that it was running university courses without being duly accredited and licensed by the relevant and appropriate authorities as approved under the law.

ICPC, in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), effected the closure on Wednesday, 25th March, 2015 as part of their on-going efforts to sanitize the tertiary education sector in the country.

The College has been running academic programmes since October 2014 and has an enrolment of 200 students. It applied for and got the provisional approval of the Oyo State Ministry of Education in January 2015 to operate as a Study/Continuing Education Centre of Borough College, London.

The college also applied to the Federal Ministry of Education for evaluation and accreditation as a Training Institute to operate in Nigeria in collaboration with Universidad Azteca, Mexico which approval the Ministry granted also in January 2015.

Prof. Ogunleye further proceeded to register Borough College London Limited with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The certificate of incorporation granted by the CAC in February 2015 indicates that Borough College London, Igboho Study Centre was registered and established to develop and offer academic and professional programmes leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, post-graduate research and higher degrees.

As at the time the institution was shut down, it was offering six academic courses in Law, Sciences, Accounting/Marketing, Political Science, Business Administration and Communication, without the approval of NUC which is the statutory regulatory body for such operations. It was also claimed that the College was affiliated to one Concentric University.

In 2006, Prof. Ogunleye had applied to set up the Concentric University based at Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State but it was not approved by the NUC. He later secured an allocation of land from Igboho community for the establishment of the hitherto unapproved Concentric University in Bonnie quarters, Igboho.

ICPC has recovered some relevant documents and obtained useful statements from some principal officers of the institution. The proprietor of the College, Prof. James Ogunleye, who resides in London, UK, has sent a written brief to ICPC, promising to physically honour its invitation.

The ICPC appreciates the desire of the Igboho Community to have a higher institution within their reach and their current concern over the closure of the Borough College London, Igboho Study Centre.

ICPC assures the Community that the actions it has taken so far is in the best interest of the Community, the students who have paid N70,000 each, and other stakeholders in order to ensure compliance with existing Laws regulating the establishment of Universities.

As presently constituted all parties should note that the products are not eligible to serve under the NYSC scheme or get employed in any public sector‎ organisation or indeed attend any approved university for post-Igboho studies.

Lastly, it must be further noted that the owners of Borough College London and Concentric University both located at Igboho, have several options open to them.

They can either redress any defaults and thereafter resume operations; or seek legal protection of its rights if it believes that they are executing their activities with the approval of applicable State and Federal legislation.‎ As a last resort they can forcibly reopen the institution and face criminal charges.

We’re focused on Attitudinal Change – ACAN Provost

icpcuser — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 09:04:05 +0000

The Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Professor Shola Akinrinade, has said that the focus of the Academy aside the training of staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is to create attitudinal change in the public service. Akinrinade made this remark recently when he paid a courtesy visit to the Director- General of the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS), Dr. Ladi Hamalai. He declared that the Academy was meant to interface with the general public and create strategic alliances with various sectors of the society in order to be able to carry the war against corruption to those areas where it was actually taking place. The Provost added that the purpose of the visit was to seek partnership with the institute and run a workshop for the newly-elected and returning members of the legislature on legislative integrity, with particular focus on anti-corruption issues. While responding, Dr. Hamalai expressed the willingness of the institute to partner with ACAN. She said that the fight against corruption would succeed and the work made easier for ICPC if the leadership was committed to fighting corruption. She called on ICPC to partner with the legislature to fight corruption in Nigeria.

Nigerian Youths Challenged to Speak Up Against Corruption

icpcuser — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 10:48:41 +0000

Nigerian Youths have been urged to assist anti- graft agencies in the fight against Corruption. The call was made by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta, during the excursion of Nigerian Association of Management and Business Students [NUAMBS] University of Abuja chapter, to the commission recently. ICPC Chairman represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Elvis Oglafa noted that most young people have taken to music and dance, paying little attention to other important sectors that deal with their future. Nta said youths are the leaders of tomorrow, their contribution to the fight against corruption was paramount hence, there was need for them to take an interest in and develop themselves on corruption- related issues. The Chairman further explained that apart from investigation and prosecution, ICPC had assisted several organizations’ to review corruption- prone processes as part of its anti-corruption campaign. According to him, one of the problems in the anti-corruption campaign is the attitude of Nigerians. He advised the youths to imbibe the right values and avoid acts that are hazardous to their future. He commended the association for taking the initiative to visit the Commission when others shy away. Some heads of department in the ICPC present at the forum said in their separate remarks corruption thrives where systems do not work. Therefore, the students were challenged to speak up against what is wrong. President of the association Emmanuel Owoicho, said the visit was part of academic excursions meant to build the students’ scope on management issues and corporate responsibilities. The visiting students commended the Commission for the warm reception and promised to be change agents.

League of African Development Students Honours ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Sun, 17 May 2015 09:32:47 +0000

The League of African Development Students (LEADS), the umbrella body for all democratic students unions in Africa, has bestowed the ICPC Chairman with its prestigious merit award of “Africa`s Patriotic Personality” and the Board Members and Staff of the Commission with the Award of “Corporate Mandate Delivery”. The awards were presented by a delegation of LEADS led by Idris Abdulkareem during a recent courtesy call on the Commission`s Chairman and Board members. ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta commended the union for the honour on behalf of the management and entire staff of the Commission. He pledged to collaborate with the association by providing training through the Commission`s youth capacity-building programme at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) along with international development partners. Mr Nta also urged members of the union to keep up their good work and shun sycophancy and praise singing While presenting the awards, Abdulkareem said “Mr. Ekpo Nta has alongside his indefatigable team of erudite Board Members and patriotic administrative staff prominently participated in the entrenchment of a robust anti-corruption mandate in accordance with the Act which entails receiving complaints, prohibiting and prescribing punishment according to the law”. He added, “It is indeed obvious that our recipient-the entire Board Members and Staff of this Commission have demonstrated unequalled zeal, zest and dexterity by their immense contributions to fulfill the mandate of this Commission.”

ICPC Quizzes Okiro Over Alleged N275m Fraud at PSC - The Guardian

icpcuser — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 08:57:13 +0000

ICPC to Prosecute Officials Who Persecute Whistle Blowers

icpcuser — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 14:32:58 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has vowed to investigate and prosecute any official or head of government Ministries, Departments or Agencies (MDA) that victimizes staff who expose corruption in the MDA. The Commission’s decision to tackle MDA over victimization was based on the many petitions from staff of government agencies that they are being victimized for exposing various forms of corruption in their work places. Recently, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Defence sought the assistance of ICPC against victimization for exposing corruption at the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC). The staff claimed that FCSC has denied him promotion because he reported to ICPC, a case of demand for bribe from a staff of the Commission before his file could be worked on. The staff's travails began in 2013 when his file was sent to the Commission for regularization and promotion. The Petitioner alleged that following the prosecution of the indicted FCSC staff in an Abuja High Court by ICPC, his file was left unattended to and has now disappeared from the records of FCSC. In addition he has been named an enemy of the civil service and was disqualified from the 2015 promotion exercise. ICPC has written to the Chairperson of the Federal Civil Service Commission requesting her to intervene in the matter and ensure that the matter is resolved.

Inter –Agency Task Team Reviews Progress Report

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:28:39 +0000

As part of the efforts geared towards making anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria to be more efficient in the campaign against corruption, the Inter- Agency Task Team (IATT), a working group of anti-graft agencies met at the Headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja recently. Organizations that make up the IATT include Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Federal Ministry of Justice (FMoJ), Nigeria Financial Investigation Unit (NFIU), Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS). In his address to the group, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta who chaired the meeting urged them to focus on the objectives of the working group which were to improve the coordination and partnership amongst participating agencies in the areas of investigation and prosecution and also serve as a platform for sharing opinions, ideas, information and identifying strengths/weaknesses in the current strategies. He further asked the members of the sub-committee on capacity- building to present their training needs to the UNODC as agreed at the previous meeting. Mr. Chile Okoroma, Director of Legal and Prosecution Department of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in his paper titled: CHALLENGES IN INVESTIGATING AND PROSECUTING ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES IN NIGERIA said investigation and prosecution of corruption-related crimes in Nigeria were daunting. According to him, some of the challenges included socio-cultural norms; high cost of prosecuting cases, procedural and evidential issues; undue delays in the judicial process and international cooperation issues. Chile added that, the celebration of wealth irrespective of whether it was ill-gotten or not was also one of the challenges of fighting corruption. Explaining that people who became suddenly rich as a result of corruption were neither questioned on how they got their wealth nor are they despised in the society. Instead, people would cluster around them, and seek their favours, hence the tendency to obstruct investigation, tamper with witnesses either by compromise or outright intimidation which maked it difficult to get their testimonies and attendance in courts. He frowned at the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which gives so much protection to an accused to the disadvantage of the state. For instance, the right of an accused person not to be detained beyond twenty- four or forty-eight hours (depending on the proximity of the court) without being taken to court. This makes it very difficult to conduct thorough investigations, obtain relevant and material evidence and interview material witnesses for successful prosecution of cases within the very short period allowed by the constitution. The transfer of Federal High Court Judges who spend an average of three years in a particular division to another division of the court in his opinion poses a great challenge in the prosecution of corruption related cases/crimes. In conclusion, he urged the National Assembly to pass into law the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill which would address some of the obsolete provisions of the laws which have constituted pitfalls in the expeditious determination of cases

10 ICPC Staff Bag Management Trainers Certificate

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:36:55 +0000

Ten staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have recently been certified by the Nigerian Council for Management Development (NCMD) as Management Trainers. The staff who were selected from the different departments and units of the Commission, were exposed to various courses at the Centre for Management Development (CMD). The course content covered two broad areas: Basic Management Development and Advanced Management Development. Under Basic Management Development, the areas covered included

OVERVIEW OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN LEARNING
OVERVIEW OF TRAINING
APPROACHES TO TRAINING
IDENTIFICATION OF TRAINING NEEDS
SETTING AND WRITING TRAINING OBJECTIVES
TRAINING PROGRAMME DESIGN
TRAINING STRATEGIES AND METHODS
PRESENTATION SKILLS
ROLE OF CO-ORDINATORS IN TRAINING
TRAINING BUDGET AND PREPARATION
INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT POWER POINT
PREPARATION FOR MICRO-TEACHING
EVALUATION OF TRAINING PROGRAMME
TRAINING REPORT WRITING
PRACTICAL USE OF INDUSTRIAL AID.

The Advanced Management Development course content covered the following areas:

OVERVIEW OF CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INSTRUMENTATION TECHNIQUES
CAREER PATH DEVELOPMENT
THE LEARNING POLICY FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
A TRAINER AS A CONSULTANT
TRAINING AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT
THE FACILITATOR AND COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS
SUCCESSION PLANNING AS A TOOL FOR TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT
ETHICS IN TRAINING
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS (ECONOMIES OF TRAINING IN ORGANIZATION)
COACHING, COUNSELLING AND MENTORING
WRITING AND DEVELOPING CASE STUDIES
TRAINERS’ ACCREDITATION AWARENESS
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
ELECTRONIC LEARNING
WRITING AND DEVELOPING ROLE PLAYS
DEATH BY POWER POINT
DESIGNING TRAINING EVALUATION INSTRUMENT

With this certification, they have enriched and expanded the academic resource base of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) the Training and Research arm of ICPC because they will from time to time serve as facilitators at the Academy. Staff who added new feathers to their caps are Agha-Ibe Grace Orieoma, Bulus Jimmy Mai, Bello Dauda Onimisi, Odey John Okor, Ogugua Azuka Chinelo, Agboro Michael Omowera, Kuatsea Justin Kwaghgosor, Ebbhotemen Ehiabhi Kennedy, Gold Lionel Femi, Ayaoge-Osayi Patience Premo.

ICPC Refutes Statement on “ICPC Hails Shehu, Adesina’s Appointments”

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 11:42:26 +0000

The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a congratulatory message published on page 51 of June 6^,2015 edition of The Punch titled, “ICPC Hails Shehu, Adesina’s Appointments.”

While ICPC does not in any way doubt the competence and suitability of the officers for their appointments, the message did not emanate from it as its official position.
The Commission has noted that the publisher took immediate steps to correct the online caption and the URL to read “Olamiti Hails Shehu, Adesina’s Appointments” following Mr. Folu Olamiti’s averment that it was his private and individual message.
Against this backdrop, the Commission requests that the story be retracted by the newspaper that originally published the statement for the benefit of its discerning readers.

Anti-corruption Lessons From China - Leadership

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 10:34:42 +0000

ICPC Recovers N4 million from Chief Medical Director

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 14:31:43 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered the sum of Four million, sixteen thousand, five-hundred and sixty-two naira forty-five kobo (N4,016,562.45k) from a former Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Akin Osubogu of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba. The recovery was sequel to a petition forwarded to the Commission which alleged that the former CMD had approved and paid himself the sum of N4, 016,562.45 as allowance for accrued leave. In the course of investigations, the Heads of the Federal Civil Service Commission and the National Income, Salaries and Wages Commission responded to inquiries by ICPC operatives and faulted this conduct, averring that the payments contravened provisions of the Public Service Rules and Financial Regulations. By this conduct, the former CMD allegedly committed administrative malfeasance and abused his position as a public officer. He was therefore asked to refund the money into the Recovery Account of ICPC. He complied promptly, and the Commission has since returned the money to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba.

NRC Boss tasks Nigerians on the Fight against Corruption

icpcuser — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 13:41:21 +0000

The Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Adeseyi Sijuwade, has tasked all Nigerians not to leave the fight against corruption to law makers and anti-graft agencies alone. The Managing Director represented by the Director Administration and Human Resources, Mr. Aminu Gusau, made the charge at the swearing-in ceremony of five new members of the Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of NRC in Lagos. He said that no organization would be able to sustain any kind of development if the level of corruption was high. Mr. Sijuade said he hoped that the event would enable members of ACTU bring up policies to control corrupt acts in the organization. He advised the new members to take their responsibilities seriously, and uplift the organization by enlightening members of staff about the dangers of corruption in the corporation. He promised the full support of the NRC to the new members. Head, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of ICPC, Mr. Akeem Lawal, who represented the Chairman of ICPC, in his goodwill message, urged the new ACTU members and all staff of NRC to see public office as the greatest means of serving humanity because any act of corruption a public officer engages in affects the society in one way or the other. Mr. Lawal said that the expectation of the ICPC was that the strategic liaison which the ACTU of the NRC would provide should make her a trusted partner in achieving the goal of an ethically sound and reliable service delivery organization. He, therefore, urged the new members to set the bar of integrity and honour high and must not use their position to witch-hunt or victimize persons within their organization. Mr. Lawal asked for the co-operation of all staff of the NRC by reporting activities and issues within the organization that require the attention and intervention of the unit while on its part, the ACTU must ensure the confidentiality of such information and the identities of the complainants. In her acceptance speech the chairperson of ACTU, Mrs. Omotayo, gave assurance of their full cooperation with ICPC, adding that the unit would act as a tool to check and make sure that all of its activities align with the objectives of NRC. She promised to work diligently and add value to the NRC, and also maintain the trust reposed in them.

ICPC Moves to Partner with ICSAN

icpcuser — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 13:10:45 +0000

In its bid to foster the support of professional bodies in the fight against corruption, the Lagos State office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) visited the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Lagos Chapter. This was to create a synergy with the organisation which would serve as a key driver of ethical standards for its members and the general public at large. Speaking during the meeting with the management of the Institute, Head of Education Unit, ICPC Lagos office, Mr. Olufemi Nofiu said there was need for ICSAN to review and inject relevant sections of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 into its operational guidelines. He also said that the Act would empower and also serve as a form of code for the Institute, in addition to strengthening its effectiveness thereby bringing unethical practices and the incidence of corruption to the barest minimum. He stated that the ICPC was not out to change the existing law of the institute but to empower it. The Registrar of the Institute, Mr. Dele Togunde lauded the ICPC’s effort to partner with the Institute in the fight against corruption. He said ICSAN was an organization that observes corporate governance and its code of operations had appropriate sanctions for members on violations. The management of the institute pledged its support for the ICPC while it would promote and entrench good values in the polity. The Registrar also added that the Institute in its capacity ensures promotion of a corrupt- free society as part of its contributions to nation building. He further charged ICPC to pay attention to the reward and motivation system in the various institutions of government. Mr. Togunde advised that there must be a nexus between offences and punishments to really scare people from indulging in corrupt practices.

Curbing Corruption Through ICPC Initiatives

icpcuser — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 09:33:35 +0000

Corruption according to Transparency International is the use of public office to confer on oneself undue advantage, and over the years this hydra-headed monster appears to be spreading like a wild fire. Corruption no doubt undermines the rule of law, causes political instability, leads to infrastructural decay, negates economic development, weakens administrative institutions, hinders competitiveness, brings about voters apathy, erodes societal norms and leads to general state of exasperation. There is virtually no country in the world that is completely free from this menace. There is no singsong to the fact that Nigeria has been one of the countries that are worst hit by this cankerworm to the extent that it was ranked one of the most corrupt among countries surveyed by Transparency International. For three consecutive years, Nigeria occupied that unenviable position. This negative development led to the establishment of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in 2000 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to wean Nigeria from the strangle grip of corruption. The anti-graft Commission is saddled with the responsibility of tackling corruption through its three-pronged mandate of enforcement, prevention and education/public enlightenment. Apart from its prosecutorial duties the ICPC also examines, reviews, enforces the correction of corruption prone systems and procedures of public bodies; educates and enlightens the public on and against corruption. To drive home these sacred obligations, the Commission has initiated a lot of programmes aimed at educating Nigerians that the sweet fruit of corruption carries along with it the seed of the nation’s destruction. To be its watchdog in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), ICPC has established Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Transparency Units (ACTUs). The ACTUs performs all ICPC duties at the MDAS except prosecution. This initiative is no doubt yielding result as the anti-graft agency is not resting on its oars at checking institutional corruption. The Commission is also involved in checking institutional vulnerabilities through the systems study of some MDAs in which a milestone has been recorded as billions of naira have been recovered for the Federal Government and ghost workers flushed out. In the educational sector, ICPC has and is still blazing the trail through the introduction of National Values Curriculum. This initiative is to “catch them young.” If the children are taught at their formative stages on the ills of corruption, when they find themselves in positions of responsibility they are expected to abhor the menace called corruption. The Commission also produces a television programme tagged “Corruption Must Go” and other radio jingles. These are aimed at fostering and enlisting public support in the fight against corruption. Now the town hall meeting and many other initiatives have also been evolved to enable Nigerians desist from this unwholesome trend which is bent on stagnating the nation’s growth. Without mincing words these initiatives are yielding the desired results as Nigeria which was almost in state of a bewildered nation and ranked second most corrupt nation in the world a couple of years back is now ranked 136^th and is on course to greatness again.

ICPC/Aviation Ministry`s MOU to Curb Corruption at Airports - Tribune

icpcuser — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 10:38:28 +0000

IGP Pledges Police Support to ICPC to tackle Corruption

icpcuser — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 14:41:10 +0000

The Nigeria Police Force has offered to support the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) tackle corruption in Nigeria through staff capacity development. The offer was made by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase who was at ICPC headquarters recently to forge a common front against corruption with the Commission. Arase stated that the two agencies need to build a strong working relationship together to combat the problem of corruption facing the country. He urged the Commission to make use of its training facilities in Enugu to develop the capacity of its staff, noting that the training academy boasts the best specialists in crime analysis. He said, “The Nigeria Police contributed immensely towards the birth of ICPC. We want to ensure further cooperation to ensure that we drive our anti-corruption crusade to a logical conclusion. One area we can really cement our relationship is joint training. ‘We have the best facility for intelligence training in Enugu. The school is open and running and we train crime analysts. We can adapt it to what ICPC is doing. You need to know the trend in official corruption to tackle it.” ICPC Chairman, Ekpo Nta while responding commended the Nigeria Police for its strategic support to the Commission, noting that the Police had contributed greatly to the achievements of ICPC. He lauded Arase for employing technology to tackle crime in the country, adding that his innovative approaches to policing had transformed the force within his brief stay as IGP. Mr. Nta said, “The few weeks he has been on board, we have seen the new direction the police is taking. We have noted his deployment of technology in the police and his zero tolerance for corruption where it involves the police and Nigerians.”

ICPC to Conduct Systems Study and Review in Aviation Sector

icpcuser — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:43:02 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to carry out Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) which is a form of system study and review at the Federal Ministry of Aviation (FMA) to help tackle corruption in the aviation sector. The project is a fallout of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Commission and the Federal Ministry of Aviation (FMA) in 2014 towards eradicating corruption in the nation’s aviation sector. The Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Anti-Corruption intervention in the Aviation Sector, a board member of the ICPC, Alhaji Isa Ozi-Salami, OFR, in his opening address at the inaugural meeting of the Project Advisory Committee on the conduct of the risk assessment, said that the exercise would help block all corruption-prone areas in the sector. Alhaji Salami noted that ICPC is mandated by Section 6(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 to conduct corruption risk assessments in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA). The section reads in part, “To examine the practices, systems and procedures of public bodies and where, in the opinion of the Commission, such practices, systems or procedures aid or facilitate fraud or corruption, to direct a review of them.” He added that CRA was aimed to identifying areas that were prone to corruption, proffer recommendations, and develop integrity plans that would strengthen accountability, transparency and enhance service delivery. He further emphasized that CRA should not be seen as a criminal investigation, but rather a study of systems with a view to recommending a review so as to reduce corruption in the sector. He therefore urged all staff of FMA to co-operate by providing insightful information that would assist the committee in achieving its set goals and objectives. In his welcome remarks at the meeting, Director, Internal Audit, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Mr. Jibrin Muhammed had commended ICPC for setting up the committee as a preventive measure against corruption in the aviation sector. A presentation: “Corruption Risk Assessment in the Aviation Sector” done by the Project Coordinator, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, mni, a Commissioner of the Public Enlightenment Department of ICPC, who was represented by Mrs. Azuka Ogugua of the Education Department, detailed the goals and objectives, methodology, its scope of work, outputs and deliverables, outcomes and follow-up plan. She explained that the use of international best practice tools would be developed and these tools would be modified to suit the aviation sector. She also said that there would be the need to expand the membership of the committee to include other agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Customs and other operators at the airports, for effective implementation of the project.

Embrace Integrity as Future Leaders- Secretary ICPC

icpcuser — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:51:53 +0000

The Secretary to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Elvis Oglafa, has urged students across the country to join in the fight against corruption by embracing integrity. Mr. Oglafa gave this charge while welcoming the students of Hill Top Academy, Suleja, Niger State who were led by their Principal, Mr. Adebayo Adewole and a team of teachers, on an excursion to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja. He commended the Principal and described him as a visionary leader for choosing to bring the students to ICPC. Mr. Oglafa said that the Principal’s action is a priceless gift that would equip and make them change-agents in the fight against corruption. He added that the visit would help the nation at large and encourage the students to spread the anti-corruption message in their school, at home and everywhere they go. Mr. Gad Nathan Bako, Head of Administration Department, advised the students to be part of the solution to Nigeria’s problem by shunning examination malpractice as that too was corruption and could destroy the image of the nation. He also called on them to join in the anti-corruption crusade as change-agents who have a greater stake in building the image of the country. Also speaking at the event was the Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), Mr. Akeem Lawal, who said that Nigeria would be greater if all and sundry avoided corrupt practices. The students were further treated to a short documentary titled: “ICPC Intervention in Schools” which reflected honesty, truth and contentment aimed to instill the culture of integrity in students. In his vote of thanks, the principal specially thanked the entire management and staff of the Commission for their warm reception and friendliness, and prayed that the Commission’s effort in the fight against corruption would not be in vain.

INVITATION TO ACADEMIC AND PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY WORKSHOPS FOR NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES, POLYTECHNICS AND COLLEGES OF EDUCATION

icpcuser — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 09:09:05 +0000

ANTI-CORRUPTION ACADEMY OF NIGERIA INDEPENDENT CORRUPT PRACTICES AND OTHER RELATED OFFENCES COMMISSION Kilometer 46, Abuja-Keffi Expressway/Plot 802, Constitution Avenue, Central Area, Abuja INVITATION TO ACADEMIC AND PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY WORKSHOPS FOR NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES, POLYTECHNICS AND COLLEGES OF EDUCATION Further to our earlier correspondence with Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts of Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, we are pleased to confirm the convening of the workshops as detailed below. BACKGROUND The ICPC-TETFUND National Conference on Transparency, Accountability and Ethical Values in Tertiary Institutions for Sustainable Development was held on 20 – 21 May, 2014, with the Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts of Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education along with their Principal Officers in attendance. The findings of the pilot ICPC/NUC University System Study and Review (USSR) of corruption in the university system were shared with the participants who agreed that the findings were applicable to other tertiary institutions including Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. The Conference therefore decided that the ICPC should conduct management level training for the leadership of Nigerian tertiary institutions in the key areas of infractions identified in the USSR report. It is in line with this that the ICPC, through its training arm, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, is organizing the two sets of workshops on Academic Integrity and Entrenching Integrity in the Procurement Processes of Tertiary Institutions. NOTES ON PARTICIPATION BY FEDERAL, STATE AND PRIVATE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Attendance at the two workshops is mandatory for the target participants in all Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education currently enjoying the funding of TETFUND.
Attendance at the Academic Integrity Workshop is mandatory for all private universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. This category of institutions are however encouraged to participate in the Procurement Integrity Workshop.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS The events are scheduled as follows:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY PROGRAMME

Academic Integrity Programme for Universities

Participants: Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Academics); Registrars; Chairmen, Committee of Deans; and Directors/Heads of Academic Affairs in Federal, State and Private Universities Venue: Auditorium, ICPC Headquarters, Abuja Date: July 6 - 7, 2015 Time: 9.00 am daily

Academic Integrity Programme for Polytechnics/Monotechnics

Participants: Deputy Rectors (Academics); Registrars; Chairmen, Committee of Deans; and Directors/Heads of Academic Affairs in Federal, State and Private Polytechnics and Monotechnics Venue: Auditorium, ICPC Headquarters, Abuja Date: July 13 - 14, 2015 Time: 9.00 am daily

Academic Integrity Programme for Colleges of Education

Participants: Provosts/Deputy Provosts; Registrars; Chairmen, Committee of Deans; and Directors/Heads of Academic Affairs in Federal, State and Private Colleges of Education Venue: Auditorium, ICPC Headquarters, Abuja Date: July 20 - 21, 2015 Time: 9.00 am daily

ENTRENCHING INTEGRITY IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Integrity in the Procurement Processes – Universities

Participants: Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, Directors of Physical Planning, Directors of Works and Bursars in Federal, State and Private Universities Venue: ICPC Headquarters, Abuja Date: July 9 - 10, 2015 Time: 9.00 am daily

Integrity in the Procurement Processes – Polytechnics andMonotechnics

Participants: Rectors, Registrars, Directors of Physical Planning, Directors of Works and Bursars in Federal, State and Private Polytechnics and Monotechnics Venue: ICPC Headquarters, Abuja Date: July 16 - 17, 2015 Time: 9.00 am daily

Integrity in the Procurement Processes – Colleges of Education

Participants: Provosts, Registrars, Directors of Physical Planning, Directors of Works and Bursars in Federal, State and Private Colleges of Education Venue: ICPC Headquarters, Abuja Date: July 23 - 25, 2015 Time: 9.00 am daily KEYNOTE SPEAKER The Keynote Paper for the Academic Integrity Programme will be delivered by Professor Peter Okebukola, OFR, the immediate past Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Consultant to the ICPC/NUC Universities System Study and Review project. NOTE ON REGISTRATION Participants should please come with evidence of payment of the participation fee which should be paid as indicated in the invitation letter before the commencement of the programme. Receipts would be issued at the point of registration. ENQUIRIES For further enquiries, please call +234 803 3200 519 or +234 803 3554 816. You may also send an e-mail to acan.icpc@outlook.com or academy@icpc.gov.ng. signed Professor Sola Akinrinade, FNAL Provost

Anti-Corruption Officials Trained on use of Integrity Score Card

icpcuser — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 08:23:31 +0000

Due to the imperative of training and re-training of anti-corruption foot soldiers in order to make the campaign against corruption more effective in Nigeria, Justice for All (J4A) an arm of Department for International Development (DFID) collaborated with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to train selected officers drawn from ICPC and other government agencies. The essence of the exercise was to teach the selected officers how to use an anti-corruption tool called Integrity Score-Card for Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to further enhance the anti-corruption campaign. Speaking at the event, the Representative of J4A, Mr. Emmanuel Uche said DFID had been involved in the training of Desk Officers attached to Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Units (ACTUs) including members of the units in MDAs as part of British Government’s support for Nigeria’s reforms in justice, police and anti-corruption sectors. He noted that the programme was meant to improve on integrity compliance in MDAs through the administration of the integrity compliance score-card. Mr. Uche commended the present administration for its stand against corruption. He hoped that when the integrity compliance score-card would have been fine tuned, the government would be willing to adopt the document. To him, the presence of a score-card that gives parameters for assessing MDAs in their compliance with the anti-corruption campaign would build healthy competition that would eventually be beneficial to the nation. He maintained that DFID could only suggest measures in enhancing anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria and that was the reason for the collaboration with ICPC to start an anti-corruption index that would be an annual compliance index of the ICPC. With that, ICPC could measure ethical compliance in government agencies. The J4A representative urged the participants to be more proactive after the training by performing their duties optimally. He commended the ICPC by saying “ICPC remains one of our best partners. Systems are improving because of the fight for institutional reforms”, adding that “Throwing corrupt people into jail is important, but more important is stopping them from stealing”. The Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), Mr. Akeem Lawal said the fight against corruption had been intensified by ICPC. According to him, apart from pursuing investigation and prosecution of corrupt persons, the Commission was trying to ensure that corruption was reduced through system study and reviews. “The Commission is addressing corruption systematically through corrective mechanism in MDAs”, he added. The first part of the integrity score-card training was taken by Mrs. Isabella A. Igbokwe, a consultant with J4A on Day One of the training. She engaged participants in discussing parameters and “scores” that could be used to measure integrity compliance of an organization in the areas of Management, Culture and Structure, Financial Management Systems and Administrative Systems. On Day Two of the training, Mr. Justin Kuatsea, Assistant Commissioner CMED spoke on the effectiveness of the index, ACTU Reporting Template before the session ended in discussion and recommendations by participants.

ICPC Staff Sensitized on Autism

icpcuser — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 08:24:53 +0000

The Executive Director of Thoughtful House Foundation, Yahcit Zakari, has called on staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) not to stigmatize people with autism. She made the call recently at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja while sensitizing staff of ICPC on autism. She defined autism as a developmental disorder in children and its manifestation in them could take the form of delayed speech and making poor eye contact with others. Other indicators are stereotype or repetitive behaviors, poor social interaction with peers and struggle with academic work. Zakari said that autism is not contagious; therefore, parents should not forbid their children from interacting with those living with the challenge. Instead, that people should show them love and care because that will encourage them to learn how to do things they would not have been able to do naturally. She added that with the right intervention and support, children suffering from autism can be turned into great assets. “At the moment, research is still on-going as to what causes autism. Scientifically there is no known cause yet”, she said. Zakari further used the platform to call on staff of ICPC to support the effort of the foundation through financial donations, and spreading the word. She also urged staff to always show love and not stigmatize children living with autism. She also stated that 2^nd April has been tagged World Autism Day. The Thoughtful House Foundation, as a Non-Profit Organization, is a forward-thinking organization focused on deploying resources and programmes to support children on autism spectrum.

Court adjourns ICPC Arraignment of 68yr old Contractor over Tax Fraud

icpcuser — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 09:20:06 +0000

An Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) case against Charles Eneh, a 68 years old contractor has been adjourned till 3rd July 2015 by Justice Hussein sitting in a Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) High Court in Abuja. The court could not take the case because of an application filed by the accused challenging the jurisdiction of the court. Paul Bassi, an ICPC prosecuting counsel, had informed the court of the receipt of notice of preliminary objection challenging the court's jurisdiction and also seeking for the charges to be quashed. Charles Eneh is facing a one-count charge for "knowingly and corruptly giving a false document - a forged tax clearance certificate- which he claimed was issued by the Federal Internal Revenue Service ( FIRS) by presenting it as Barbeach Phin Nigeria Ltd for the Year 2012 to the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry Of Works as genuine for the purpose of bidding for contract among other bidders. The arraignment of the accused is coming following a request for investigation from the Bureau of Public Procurement to ICPC by forwarding the accused document for verification among other bidders documents. The accused document was later verified to be forged and the accused was excluded from further participation in the bidding process. The ICPC counsel sought for further permission of the court to file its objection to the application. Counsel to the accused/applicant, P. E. C. Ekwueme who did not object to the submission of the prosecution, sought the court for a short adjournment which was granted. The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 17 (1) (c) of the corrupt practices and other related offences Act, 2000".

ICPC Arraigns two Anti-graft Fighters for N72.6m Fraud - Punch

icpcuser — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 09:24:58 +0000

Scammers Using Resident Consultant`s Name

icpcuser — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 11:27:47 +0000

My attention has been drawn to the fraudulent acts by some scammers who have been dropping my name with the intention to extort monies from unsuspecting members of the public on supposed summons by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The scammers have been sending text messages to individuals, asking them to appear before ICPC for investigations with my name as undersigned .

I, therefore, wish to appeal to members of the Nigerian public to disregard such text messages, which never originated from me. Put succinctly, ICPC does not summon suspects through text messages since there are laid down rules for doing so.

On the other hand, I do not work in the Investigative Department of the ICPC and hence not qualified to summon anyone for investigations.

Members of the public should please take note, as I believe that the scammers involved will soon fall into the hands of the law.

Folu Olamiti

ICPC Resident Consultant ( Media & Event)

ICPC Insists on Prosecuting FIRS Officials on Tax Certificate Forgery

icpcuser — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:24:58 +0000

Nigerian Universities must embrace Academic Integrity-Okebukola

icpcuser — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 12:41:01 +0000

The former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Peter Okebukola said that the ranking of Nigerian Universities on the global index will remain poor unless the issue of Academic integrity is seriously tackled. Prof. Okebukola stated this recently in a keynote address titled “Evaluating Academic Integrity in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria,” at a workshop organized by the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, which took place at the ICPC auditorium Abuja. The former NUC Executive Secretary, who admitted that there was no national empirical data on the status of academic integrity in Nigerian university system, said that students’ academic integrity, staff academic integrity and Vice-Chancellor behaviour were some of the factors considered in ranking of universities in Nigeria. According to him “We must all come to the realization that whether we like it or not, ranking is here to stay. He explained that the socio-cultural influence of the larger Nigeria society on the university cannot be under estimated, noting that “The corruption level which directly and indirectly impact on academic integrity is high in Nigeria more so in the last 8 years. We cannot have a saintly university system in an ocean of corrupt larger community reeking with persons with dishonest attribute, where parents are key agent in ‘sorting’ by inducing lecturers for marks for their children and wards and bribing admission officers to secure admission.” He argued that technology was another force affecting academic integrity in Nigeria adding that internet was rich with resources which aided plagiarism while examination malpractices and certificate forgery were aided by technology. Prof. Okebukola further said that the third force affecting academic integrity in universities was institutional constraints, adding that Nigerian universities must tackle some of the integrity challenges associated with academic integrity in Nigeria, if, “our global rating in academic integrity must be elevated.” As a way of improving academic standard in Nigerian Universities, Prof. Okebukola advocated ten prong steps. These include; developing a university policy/code on academic integrity, wide dissemination of the policy, conducting university–wide workshops on the policy, securing signature of staff and students as endorsement and agreement with the provisions of the policy, setting up a unit on academic integrity, rewarding and celebrating exemplary staff and students, procuring, periodic update and widely using plagiarism software, confirmation of non-plagiarism, include concepts on academic integrity in the general studies programme, and sanctioning erring students and staff. The Executive Secretary of the NUC Prof.Julius A.Okojie, in his goodwill message delivered by the Director of Quality Assurance, Dr. N.O. Saliu, called on stakeholders in the education sector to adopt a democratic atmosphere which will not permit dishonesty, stressing that the issue of academic dishonesty had lessened the credibility of qualifications and certificate in Nigerian universities in recent years. In his welcome address, the Provost, Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) Prof. Sola Akinrinade lamented that graduates of Nigerian universities have come under immense scrutiny with a lot of question marks on the veracity of their qualifications. He said, “In the recent years, doubts had been raised about the extent to which qualifications being paraded by the graduates of tertiary institutions are true reflections of their abilities and achievements while they traversed the corridors of our tertiary institutions as undergraduates”. The Chairman of ICPC, Barrister Ekpo Nta enumerated several collaboration engaged by the Commission with other organizations like the TETFUND, DFID, and UNODC, adding that the initiatives had impacted positively on the integrity culture in the country. Other speakers at the workshop include;, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Prof. Olu Aina, Board member of ICPC, Prof Adesegun Fatusi and Mrs R.A. Okoduwa Director, Public Enlightenment Department of ICPC.

ICPC Warns Petitioners Against Public Protests on Filed Petitions

icpcuser — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 12:43:20 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged complainants and petitioners reporting cases of suspected corrupt acts at the Commission's offices to avoid conducting themselves in a manner that can be prejudicial to its investigation process and the rights of suspects. In a statement the commission decries attempts by some petitioners to sensationalise cases reported by them by engaging in public demonstrations in the precincts of the Commission office while submitting or wanting to know what has become of their petition while investigations are on-going. The acts which are fast becoming the trend, are not only detrimental to the investigation process but can also amount to blackmail as well as infringement on the rights of persons alleged to have committed corrupt acts, who under the law remain suspects until found guilty after diligent investigation and prosecution.. For example a recent incident involving a public demonstration took place at the headquarters of the Commission in Abuja by a group of placard-carrying protesters seeking the investigation and prosecution of the Chief Executive Officer of NEXIM Bank on allegations of corruption. For the avoidance of any doubt the Commission is committed to its mandate to treat all reports, petitions and complaints brought before it dispassionately whether they are endorsed by the petitioners or anonymous, and is always ready to receive such complaints through several channels made available to the public for that purpose Section 6(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 places ICPC under the obligation to receive reports, petitions and complaints on corrupt acts perpetrated by individuals in the country and thereafter carry out investigations and if appropriate prosecute such individuals in courts of law. The ICPC has over the years evolved several modes and channels through which such reports, petitions and complaints can be made. Copies of petitions can be physically submitted at its headquarters in Abuja or any of its 15 offices spread across the six geo-political zones of the counttry. Electronic reports can also be sent through its email addresses, social media platforms such as BBM and Twitter or through any of our five toll- free lines. The ICPC is impartial in dealing with petitions and sources of information and adheres strictly to the stipulations of its enabling law which prescribes a high level of objectivity when dealing with petitions and it also protects the identity of whistle-blowers. However, petitioners should always ensure that their petitions are genuine as the Commission will not allow itself to be used by individuals or groups to settle personal scores or to victimise other people. The Commission will not hesitate to apply the provision of its enabling law which stipulates harsh punishment for individuals who choose to waste its time and resources by making malicious or frivolous petitions against others.

How N605m N/Delta money was withdrawn, shared - Vanguard

icpcuser — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 10:24:45 +0000

ICPC Arraigns Medical Doctor for Gratification

icpcuser — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 08:50:48 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently arraigned one Chika Benson before Justice Chukwu Ndukwe of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Kuje. ICPC Prosecution counsel, Shehu Yahaya and Ibrahim Garba, in the charge sheet with Reference Number FCT/CR/194/2015 presented a six-count charge bordering on bribery and gratification. Benson, a Medical Doctor who works with the National Women Development Center in Abuja, pleaded “not guilty” to all the counts. He further applied for bail which was opposed by the prosecution on the grounds that the accused had earlier attempted to bribe the investigating officer. Consequently, the accused was denied bail and ordered to be remanded in the Kuje Federal Prison by the trial judge. The matter was then adjourned to September 28th, 2015 for commencement of trial.

Lagos NYSC-Anti-Corruption CDS Group sensitizes Public against Corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:12:56 +0000

In their efforts to contribute their quota to the fight against corruption, members of National Youth Service Corps/Anti-Corruption Community Development Service (CDS) group, Lagos State Chapter recently organised an anti-corruption sensitization rally in Lagos. It should be recalled that Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in collaboration with NYSC came up with the initiative of setting up a Community Development Service programme to enlighten and sensitize corps-members against the ills of corruption in the society and to also create a platform upon which they can support the fight against corruption. The initiative also provides the anti-graft agencies with the medium through which the culture of integrity, transparency and accountability can be inculcated into the youth so that they can grow into future leaders to blend these virtues of tradition with the values of modernity. Against this backdrop, the Lagos Chapter of the CDS group came up with a strategy to extend this anti-corruption sensitization and awareness drive to members of their host community. To drive home this laudable initiative, the youth corps-members came out in their numbers for the sensitization rally through distribution of anti-corruption posters, fliers, and branded wrist bands to the public.

ICPC, CIBN Set to Fight Corruption in the Banking Sector

icpcuser — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:20:11 +0000

In its determination to tackle frontally the problem of financial fraud in the country, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has signed an agreement with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to ensure a corruption-free and completely transformed banking sector in Nigeria. The collaboration agreement between the CIBN and the Commission was signed through the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) - the training arm of ICPC at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja recently. The Vice President of CIBN, Dr. Segun Ajibola who represented the President of the Council, Mrs. Debola Osibogun, led a team of the Board of the Institute on the visit. Dr. Ajibola described ICPC as an institution committed to purging Nigeria of corruption through lawful enforcement and preventive measures. In his words, ‘’ It is this credibility that has encouraged the CIBN, an institution committed to maintenance and observance of ethics and professionalism in the banking and finance industry to collaborate with the Anti- Corruption Academy of Nigeria in order to run training programmes that will help educate and enlighten the public on matters of Corruption’’. In his remarks, the ACAN Provost, Professor Sola Akinrinade, stated that the agreement would guide and ensure the commitment of the Institute and the Academy in preventing fraud or corruption in financial institutions. He described the Academy as a training institute designed to provide training for public officers and the general public on good governance, accountability, transparency, integrity, ethics and all issues relating to corruption and corrupt practices, and to build up a body of knowledge that will facilitate the development of knowledge – based anti- corruption policies in Nigeria. The Secretary to the Commission, Mr Elvis Oglafa who represented the ICPC Chairman, laid emphasis on the objectives for establishing the ICPC training academy, saying it was to focus on the preventive mandate of the Commission and not waiting for infractions to occur before it began to run after people, thereby wasting productive time. According to him, ‘’without a fraud – free banking and financial sector, our economy will not grow; ICPC will ensure that this collaboration becomes fruitful so we can talk about gains in the agriculture, power and manufacturing sectors’’. He commended the CIBN for its initiative and the bold step taken for the collaboration. The highpoint of the visit was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the two organisations which was witnessed by the Secretary to the Commission, Provost of ACAN, and the Vice President of CIBN.

ICPC Chairman Charges Youths to Embrace Government Economic Initiatives

icpcuser — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:34:41 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mr. Ekpo Nta, has called on Nigerian youths to embrace government initiatives aimed at securing their economic future. Mr. Nta made the call at a one- day Youth Summit, organized by the Youth Empowerment Solutions, a non-governmental Organization, in Abuja recently. The Chairman of the Commission, represented by the Commissioner, Public Enlightenment of ICPC, Rasheedat Adunni Okoduwa mni, noted that programmes such as the Youth Enterprise With Innovation [YOUWIN], Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme [SURE-P] Graduate Internship Scheme [GIS] among many others are opportunities for youths to write a more positive history for themselves. “Although as lofty as these programmes are, they cannot achieve a more lasting impact if they are not backed by sound moral values, hence ICPC’s role in securing their future by curbing corruption in its entire ramification”. the Chairman emphasized. The Chairman added that the focus on the youths stems from the fact that the youths are more vulnerable to corruption and corrupt acts. He therefore charged them to task their minds and come up with ideas that would be beneficial to them and the society in general. Guest speaker at the Summit, Mr. Femi Bamgboye, a banker, said youths constitute eighty percent of the population; hence the strength of the economy lies with them. Bamgboye challenged them to find specific, attainable and relevant goals for themselves in order to actualizing their dream. In his address, Prof. Yusuf Ogbaje pioneer Chancellor Bowen University, lamented that any country without a national ideology couldn’t attain national unity, transformation and youth empowerment. He advised youths to take interest in the affairs of the country and be proud of where they come from. Prof Ogbaje used the forum to call on government to create structures for youth to work with and for financial institutions to cut down their interest rates, so as to support youths actualize their needs thereby developing the Nigerian economy. Oche Edeh, Director of the Youth Empowerment Solutions, said the body is a non- Profit organization aimed at raising and empowering youths to be self reliant. He advocated that organizations should support youth empowerment programmes. Stakeholders at the forum unanimously challenged youths to believe in their abilities, identify a need and meet it and that that was the best way they could make a mark. Highlight of the summit was the presentation of grants for some young Nigerians to help start up a trade as supported by the organization.

25 Lecturers Demoted, 500 Students Rusticated for Corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:37:45 +0000

About 25 lecturers of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State have been demoted by the management of the school due to their involvement in corrupt activities. Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the school, Mr. C. Chukwuma disclosed this during a working visit of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Imo State office led by the Head, Mr. Sakaba Ishaku to the polytechnic. Chukwuma who expressed the tough stance of the school on corruption noted that ACTU with support from the management of the school, had helped to reduce the incidence of corruption within the school. He said, “ACTU has been very vigilant on issues of indiscipline. This has resulted in the demotion of about 25 staff members of the school in the past 12 months. ACTU has been able to effectively minimize cases of illegal sales of academic literature, gratification, sorting and sexual harassment in the school.” In a related development, the management of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) has rusticated over 500 students over their involvement in various offences prohibited by the school. FUTO ACTU Chairman, Professor N. Okeudo stated that the school had expressed its zero tolerance for corruption by rusticating the students, banning sale of handouts and punishing lecturers indicted for sexual harassment of students. Professor Okeudo who spoke to ICPC staff from Imo State office led by Ishaku noted that ACTU had been very functional in the school leading to investigation of plagiarism, illegal sales of text books and bribery allegations against staff. He said, “ACTU had been involved in the provision of a Complaint Box for the school community and publication of anti-corruption articles to sensitise the school community against corruption. We have shown zero tolerance for corruption by working closely with the school management to achieve it. Our actions had led to the rustication of over 500 students for various offences. We are working against illegal sales of text books and handouts. We are investigating cases of plagiarism and bribery amongst staff which has led to a female staff absconding.” Mr. Ishaku, in his responses to the heads of ACTU of the two institutions, maintained that the visits were prompted by the need to have a national coverage of activities of all ministries, departments and agencies by the Commission. He added that the Commission would ensure continued collaboration with ACTU members in various government establishments to reduce corruption in the country.

ICPC Partners NUC, Others on Integrity Ranking for Tertiary Institutions

icpcuser — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 15:38:51 +0000

...As Don Advocates Leadership Training for Top Government Officials, Politicians Participants at a three-week integrity workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), rose with a resolution to introduce integrity ranking for tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The proposed Integrity Ranking is targeted at rating tertiary institutions in accordance with the levels of integrity found in their systems. The participants drawn from universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria, in a communiqué issued at the end of the workshop, felt strongly that the introduction of integrity ranking in tertiary institutions would deal with all corruption-related cases in the institutions. The participants were worried that corruption was taking centre stage in tertiary institutions due to alleged lack of integrity on the part of management and the students. They believed that the integrity ranking would curb vices such as abuse of procurement process, frauds, examination malpractice amongst others. Part of the communiqué reads, “ACAN should work with the regulatory authorities (NUC for Universities, NBTE for Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Allied institutions, and NCCE for Colleges of Education), and with the Committees of chief executives of tertiary institutions (Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Committee of Heads of Polytechnics and Allied Institutions, Committee of Provosts of Nigerian Colleges of Education), to introduce Integrity Ranking for Nigerian tertiary institutions.” The resolution also includes the requirement that tertiary institutions should employ technology to tackle corrupt activities such as examination fraud, plagiarism amongst students and other fraudulent activities in tertiary institutions. The communiqué further reads, “Where appropriate, institutions should deploy technology to tackle corruption in academic processes. Specifically, institutions should procure and periodically update anti-plagiarism software to routinely check students’ projects, dissertations, postgraduate thesis, and staff research work.” Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Professor Godwin Onu in his vote of thanks at the end of the programme advocated for a mandatory leadership training on integrity at ACAN for people seeking leadership positions in Nigeria. He said the integrity training would equip the leaders with skills to avoid administrative mistakes that would result in corruption upon assumption of office. He said, “It should be made possible that anybody seeking position of leadership in Nigeria, not just politicians but everybody, should undergo integrity training at ACAN.) This is because ICPC has gotten a more sustainable approach to fighting corruption. ICPC’s approach is uprooting it from the root which is very good for us. With the training, people would avoid administrative mistakes because no Rector wants to go to jail.”

ACAN/Nigeria Police to collaborate on Training of Anti-Corruption Operatives

icpcuser — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 15:51:33 +0000

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Solomon Arase has expressed the readiness of the Nigerian Police Force to partner with the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) on the training and retraining of anti-corruption operatives in the country. Mr. Arase who gave this assurance while receiving the Provost of the ACAN and its management team in his office recently stated that the Force would collaborate with ACAN in carrying out its mandate. Speaking to the provost of ACAN, the IGP said ,”When I was the AIG in charge of Force Intelligence, I set up an intelligence school. We can help in training of your officers in intelligence and crime analysis. We have a school in Enugu for that purpose. ‘We are going to collaborate with your academy in the training of Nigerians on the anti-corruption issues. We have a lot of experts on the issues of fraud and we shall be glad to deploy them. We shall also be willing to attend and participate in your workshops and seminars”. Earlier, Mr Arase had informed the Provost and his team that the major challenge before him was to correct the wrong perception of the Force among Nigerians, stressing that “policing is generally about perception and if the perception is bad, it will be difficult to police the society. Prof Akinrinade in his remarks said that there was need for ACAN and the Police to work together and promote a symbiotic working relationship in view of the mandates of the two organizations which are among other things, to prevent crimes. Explaining the role of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), he said, “ACAN is an initiative put in place to take the fight against corruption beyond investigation and prosecution, but to enlighten the public on the ills of corruption, which includes training of officers and men from various organizations”. The ACAN boss emphasized the need for capacity-building and closer cooperation between the ICPC and other anti-graft agencies in the country, particularly in the area of security, adding that ACAN would provide the necessary assistance to make them more focused and effective in their quest for a corruption-free Nigeria. He also briefed the IGP on the various initiatives and workshops being put together by the Academy and solicited his help to clean up the nation’s Aviation Sector of corruption and other social vices that are impacting negatively on the image of Nigeria.

Court Dismisses NATFORCE Boss Suit Against ICPC

icpcuser — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 13:11:56 +0000

Justice Adeyemi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja has dismissed the suit filed by the Director-General of the National Task Force on Combating Illegal Importation of Goods, Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons (NATFORCE), Dr. Emmanuel Okereke. The suit was to stop Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from investigating alleged employment scam leveled against his organisation. In 2013, ICPC had received a petition through the Bauchi State Office of the Commission that NATFORCE was defrauding the public through an employment scam. The petitioner alleged that under the leadership of Dr. Okereke, unsuspecting members of the public were made to believe that NATFORCE was recruiting, and desperate Nigerians looking for employment parted with money for the recruitment exercise. In the course of its preliminary investigations, the Commission invited the man to defend himself. Rather than honour the invitation of ICPC to clear the allegations, Dr. Okereke went to court to challenge the powers of the Commission to invite and/or summon him for investigation on the activities of his organisation. He also asked the court to restrain the Commission from further summoning, attempting to arrest, detain or investigate him in connection with the alleged employment scam. The counsel of ICPC, Mr. Ezeana Sunny, filed a preliminary objection challenging the competence of the plaintiff to sue the Commission based on the grounds that “the suit is vague, speculative and academic, misconceived, bereft of live issues, diversionary, lacking merit and ought to be dismissed as an abuse of court process”. After listening to arguments of both counsel, Justice Ademola decided the case in favour of ICPC saying the court cannot stop the Commission from performing its statutory duties. With this decision, ICPC could continue its investigation of the allegations against NATFORCE.

ICPC Thwarts Attempt to Embezzle N10m Enugu SPEB Funds

icpcuser — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 13:46:16 +0000

ICPC has recovered the sum of N10 million attempted fraud money from some officials of the Enugu State Primary Education Board (ESPEB). Acting on a petition submitted by some teachers of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, operatives of ICPC carried out investigations which uncovered the plot to embezzle the money which was meant for the payment of salaries and other entitlements of teachers in the Local Government. The suspects in the attempted fraud include Mr. J.E. Chukwuani, Head of Accounts, and several other officials of the ESPEB. However, with the intervention of ICPC, the money has been retrieved from the suspects and the teachers have been paid accordingly. Brimming with joy, the teachers have written to ICPC commending its efforts in the unraveling of the attempted fraud and subsequent recovery of their money

ICPC Compels Former Governing Council Chairman of Federal Polytechnic to Return N4m Diverted Fund

icpcuser — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 13:56:56 +0000

A former Chairman of the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi State, Mr. Peter Gunah has returned the sum of N4million advanced to him by the institution for a project but which seemingly was diverted by him. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had swung into action upon the receipt of a petition which alleged that the former Governing Council Chairman of the Polytechnic had collected the sum of N4million which was meant to provide logistics for the setting up of an Agricultural Engineering Department in the Polytechnic. Mr. Gunah, however did not carry out the project nor return the money by the time he was removed from office. In the course of its investigation, the Commission invited Mr. Gunah for questioning during which he claimed that he had not “disappeared” with the money as alleged in the petition but “was looking for a most appropriate way of returning the money to the Polytechnic”. According to him, the investigation therefore afforded him a good opportunity to do so. Mr. Gunah, therefore, paid back the money into the Recovery Account of the Commission which was subsequently released to the Federal Polytechnic, Idah. The management of the Polytechnic has written to acknowledge the receipt of the money and commended ICPC for its efforts in the recovery.

ICPC Compels Firm to Remit N28.3m Staff Pension Funds

icpcuser — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 14:16:20 +0000

Servitrust/Prudential Guards Limited, a guard company operating in Nigeria, has been directed to by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to remit the sum of N141,785.75 to the retirement savings account of one of its employees. ICPC, while acting on a petition by the employee, discovered that the company had failed to remit the said sum being the petitioner’s accrued pension for eight years to his Pension Fund Administrator, Leadway Pension Ltd., in violation of Section 11 (3) (b) of the Pension Reform Act, 2014 The Commission also uncovered other irregularities in the management of staff pension funds by the firm. ICPC found out that the firm had also not remitted N28, 252,299.89 contributory pension monies to the National Pension Commission for 647 members of staff in its Rivers State office alone to their Pension Funds Administrators (PFA) since 2005. ICPC, at the end of the investigation, has also alerted the National Pension Commission to enforce Section 11 (6) (7) of its Act as it relates to the activities of Servitrust/Prudential Guards limited so as to serve as a deterrent to other companies like it.

Anti-corruption war begins • ICPC seizes 24 properties from three civil servants - Punch

icpcuser — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 12:40:30 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission has commenced a clampdown on very wealthy civil servants. Already, the agency has seized 24 properties and several cars from three civil servants with one of them having 18 properties. A document obtained from the Office of the Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, with the title ‘Notice of Seizure of Movable and Immovable Properties Pursuant to Section 45 (4) a – (b) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Ac 2000, revealed that the commission seized the property from three officials of the Ministry of Niger Delta. It stated that the property was seized because they were “excessive of the emoluments of the affected officers.” Although the document, dated August 11, 2015, is silent on the status of the officials, it was gathered that the three officials are all principal account officers of the ministry, which has been one of the focuses of investigations by the ICPC in recent times. The Niger Delta ministry officers listed in the document are Poloma Kabiru Nuhu, Mangset Longyl Dickson and Daniel Obah. The ICPC boss said the decision to seize the property would be served on the appropriate Land Registries and Departments in all the states where the property are situated. He stated, “The commission is investigating a matter involving some staff (members) of the Niger Delta Ministry, with certain movable and immovable property owned by the said staff. “The commission is of the opinion based on the aforementioned investigation that these movable and immovable property owned by these people who are staff of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs are excessive, having regards to their present emoluments and all other relevant circumstances. The commission hereby notifies the entire public that all movable and immovable properties owned by these staff (members) and listed hereunder are seized.” According to the ICPC boss, one of the officers, Nuhu, has 10 hectares of land, covered by Right of Occupancy at Kuje valued at N50m. It was stated that the same officer has an uncompleted duplex at Diamond Estate, Apo, Abuja, that is worth N90m. Nta also said Nuhu has 16 plots of land which are all covered by Certificate of Occupancy in different parts of Gwagwalada, Abuja. Another civil servant on the ICPC list, Dickson, is said to have a plot of land at Kubwa District, Cadastral Zone, Abuja. The property is valued at N7m. The third official, Obah, is said to own different plots of land in Abuja and Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Nta said Obah has a four-bedroom duplex at Karsana South District, Abuja, valued at N60m. He is also said to have a plot of land at Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Other plots of land said to belong to Obah are located in Umuodili Odubo Community in Rivers that is worth N16.5m; Olipobo Rumuekini Layout, Obio Akpor Local Government Area valued at N18m and another plot at Livingstone Estate Umuogodo, Igbo Etche in Obio Akpor Local Government of the Rivers State. The PUNCH had exclusively reported on July 30 that the Federal Government’s anti-corruption operatives had been sent after ‘super rich’ public officers who had multiple property and other assets suspected to have been the rewards of graft. According to the report, the searchlight of the anti-corruption agents was on civil servants that possess questionable property in the Federal Capital Territory. It was also reported that operatives in the Assets Tracing, Recovery and Management Unit of the ICPC had been asked to haul in suspects for interrogation and recovery of ill-gotten assets in their possession. The ICPC was reported to have strengthened the ATRMU by posting more personnel to the unit to ensure the success of its campaign. Click here to view list of Seized Properties

Again, ICPC seizes properties worth N88.5m - The Nation

icpcuser — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 09:17:54 +0000

ICPC Boss Decries Shielding of Corrupt Suspects by Loyalists

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 08:42:32 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has expressed concern over the opposition faced by anti-graft agencies in the fight against corruption especially from supporters of alleged corrupt people. Nta who was represented by a Board Member of the Commission, Alhaji Ozi Salami, at a training workshop for stakeholders in the aviation sector at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, was dismayed that people could back alleged corrupt people and try to stop anti-graft agencies from arresting and prosecuting them. He said, “The problem of corruption is everywhere. But it is only in Nigeria that the anti-graft agencies will want to apprehend a corrupt person and the villagers will rise and oppose them. We saw somewhere in the South-South where operatives of an anti-graft agency went and the people came out in their numbers to stop them from doing their work and arresting the suspects.” Nta said such actions hamper the crusade against corruption, and urged people to join anti-graft agencies to rid the country of the menace of corruption. He told the stakeholders that a joint effort by ICPC and the Ministry of Aviation is already yielding results in the aviation sector as it has reduced the nuisance of touts and other miscreants at Nigerian international airports. According to him, “The former Minister (Osita Chidoka) noticed what he called low level corruption in the aviation sector and he wanted our system to tackle it. That was what gave birth to the memorandum of understanding we signed with the Ministry sometime last year. ‘Part of it was the training of staff from every agency in the aviation sector including stakeholders from banks, Immigration, Customs, DSS, shop owners at the airports and the airline operators. Our starting point is sensitization. We bring them here; we try to expose them to the best practices in the aviation sector. ‘The collaboration was designed to tackle all the drawbacks at the airports in order for us to realize all the huge investments government is putting in the airports.” He further clarified that the capacity-building training was part of the mandate of ICPC because the Commission is saddled with the responsibility of educating the public on and against corruption. “ICPC is not interested in only taking people to prison. We are equally interested in getting people to stay out of trouble. We balance our approach to corruption which is prevention, education and prosecution,” he added. The provost of ACAN, Professor Sola Akinrinade, in his remark, noted that the training was informed by the huge importance of the aviation sector to the lives of Nigerians and the nation’s economy. His words: “The concern of critical stakeholders regarding developments at the nation’s gateways, i.e. international airports, and the impact on the country’s image have given birth to this initiative. The importance of the aviation sector to the nation’s development can and should never be underestimated. The need to engage with travellers in ways that promote the corporate image of the country cannot be discounted.” He urged the participants to make use of the knowledge gained at the end of the workshop to better the aviation sector.

Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) ACTU inaugurated

icpcuser — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 08:51:23 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in effecting its preventive mandate in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), recently inaugurated the Anti- Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Abuja. Delivering his welcome address at the event, the Director-General of the Institute, Prof. Oshita O. Oshita expressed optimism about the benefit of ACTU to the country. He said that with the ACTU on board the country would be able to run an accountable, open and responsible government for the good of all. According to him, ‘’With this inauguration , the management will further strengthen the accountability mechanism at the institute to ensure value for money in all transactions, and that no one should be afraid to challenge the system on the observation of any irregularity’’. Earlier in his goodwill message, Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who spoke through Mr. Justin Kuatsea, a senior officer of the Commission, expressed delight over the prompt inauguration of the ACTU of the Institute. He stated that the ACTU was expected to work for the success of the organisation. Therefore, members of the unit should be focused on the task of carrying out their assignment. ICPC, he added, was committed to supporting the unit to ensure the success of the war against corruption. Presenting a paper, ‘’ An Overview of the Establishment and Responsibilities of the Anti- Corruption Monitoring and Transparency Unit’’ at the event, Mr. Kuatsea of the ICPC told the inductees that they had a duty to perform preliminary investigations; study and review operational systems of IPCR; and educate and enlighten all staff of IPCR on the ills of corruption. This is in order to promote ethics and enforce integrity through compliance with ethical codes of the institute.

ICPC Declares Civil Servant Wanted over N36.2m Fraud

icpcuser — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 11:23:02 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has declared a staff of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Joseph Tony Ogah, wanted for defrauding the Federal Government of N36.2 million. Ogah, an indigene of Idah, Kogi State, was part of a crime syndicate that defrauded the Federal Ministry of Environment. Preliminary findings by ICPC revealed that the syndicate used a company called Soft Alliance Disco, Limited to pay huge salary arrears totaling N36, 194, 636.00 to fictitious staff on the payment platform of the Ministry of Environment. Ogah, 38 years old, allegedly, in connivance with the others perpetrated and benefited from the fraud as N9.4 million was paid into his account with the United Bank for Africa (UBA). A statement of accounts obtained from UBA revealed that the money was drawn from the Ministry of Environment and paid into the account (1006521816) belonging to Ogah. The Commission, upon the findings requested Mr. Ogah to appear before it and answer questions regarding the transfer of money from another Ministry into his account, but he failed to do so. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture was requested on several occasions through letters to compel him to appear before ICPC but responses to the letters show that Ogah has absconded from his duty post for over three months now. The Ministry, in response to the allegation and his failure to report to work, has stopped the payment of his salary and other entitlements since July 2015. Ogah is currently at large which has prompted the Commission to declare him wanted for fraud. Dark-complexioned Ogah’s last known address was Road 121, House 24, Gwarinpa Housing Estate, Abuja. SIGNED: RASHEEDAT A. OKODUWA, mni Commissioner, Public Enlightenment & Spokesperson ICPC

ICPC seeks information from individuals, CSOs - Punch

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 17:21:57 +0000

Stolen Funds: ICPC returns N924m desertification project fund to ministry of environment - Vanguard

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 11:27:56 +0000

Environment: 43 Million Nigerians To Benefit From FG GG/Wall –Perm Sec

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 11:44:59 +0000

*Says Programme Also Aimed At Ending Farmers, Cattle Grazers Clashes

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Mrs Nana Fatima Mede on Tuesday stressed the importance of the Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative of the Federal Government, which she said, was designed to assuage the crises faced by over 43 million Nigerian on desertification.

She said the initiative by the government was aimed at managing drought, desertification while ensuring the afforestation of a wide expanse of land currently being ravaged by deserts in the northern part of the country.

The Permanent Secretary said as designed, the GGW will empower the people around the desert areas economically with skills acquisition programmes on agriculture and allied matters.

She said through the process of afforestation currently being embarked upon by the GGW, the constant clash between farmers and cattle herders in some parts of the north would soon be a thing of the past.

She said lack of adequate grazing areas for cattle in the north was mainly responsible for the sustained clash between the farmers and the cattle herders.

Mrs Mene said this at the Headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) when receiving the sum of N925 million looted from the Ministry of Environment and recovered by the anti-graft Commission.

She said the amount could go a long way in assisting to fulfill the objectives of the GGW, which according to her, has started charting a new course for the economic development of the desert prone areas of the north.

The agenda of GGW, if comes into manifest reality will re-grass the desert areas of the north with economic trees and abundant fruits; as well as offer of jobs for not less than 5,000 people.

Those to be offered jobs through the GGW scheme include, those engaged in tree planting, forest guards, sellers of fruits and vegetables, and watering while it will also encourage private sector players to set up juice processing factories to absorb the raw materials from orchards.

Through the scheme, modern grazing areas in the affected states would be created to make available wood and other forestry resources; provide parks for tourist attractions; act as windbreakers against sand storms and other climate change induced weather upheavals.

It will also act as carbon sink for the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thereby checking ozone depletion and global warming.

The Permanent Secretary said the GGW programme has been programmed for implementation in 11 northern states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno; while passing through 43 local government areas which will be covered to rehabilitate 225,000 hectares of land.

She thanked the ICPC for assisting to recover the looted funds, which according to her got missing barely two weeks after she resume for duties in the Ministry of Environment.

Culled from www.newspotng.com

Bailout: ICPC to monitor cash usage in 27 states - The Nation

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 11:53:11 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, on Tuesday said the anti-graft agency will monitor the disbursement and use of the N338billion bailout funds for 27 states. He asked Nigerians to feel free to raise the alarm if any state is mismanaging the funds. Nta made the plea in Abuja after presenting some looted funds to victims. He said: “ICPC will like to sound a note of warning to some states. I am sure we all read about bailout funds to states which are unable to pay salaries. “Part of what we do is to monitor where government funds are kept and how they are spent. There are concerns that bailout funds are not going to the purposes which they were meant for. “This issue of running after funds after appropriation will not continue. We will follow how bailout funds are disbursed and the beneficiaries. “I am calling on all the beneficiaries to pass information on the use of bailout funds to ICPC to achieve what is required.” President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the release of N713.7billion intervention funds to states. The bailout was part of a three-pronged relief package that will end the workers’ plight. While N413.7billion represents special intervention funds, the balance of about N250billion to N300billion is a soft loan to states. Also, N413.7b ($2.1b) is sourced from the recent Liquefied Natural Gas proceeds and the remaining is a Central Bank-packaged special intervention fund. The Debt Management Office (DMO) is expected to assist states to restructure over N660billion commercial loans crippling their economy. With the development, President Buhari has stopped deduction of monthly allocations to states at source. The CBN has started disbursing N338b bailout funds to 27 states. The states are – Abia (N14.152b); Adamawa‎( N2.378b); Bauchi( N8.60b); Bayelsa (N1.285b); Benue(N28.013b); Borno(N7.680b); Cross River(N7.856b); Delta( N10.036b); Ebonyi(N4.063b); Edo(N3.167b); Ekiti (N9.604b); Enugu (N4.207b); Gombe (N16.459b) and Imo (N26.806b). Others are – Kastina (N3.304b); Kebbi (N0.690b); Kogi (N50.842b); Kwara (N4.320b); Nasarawa (N8.317b ); Niger (N4.306b); Ogun (N20.00b); Ondo (N14.686b); Osun(N34.988b); Oyo( N26.606b ); Plateau (N5.357b); Sokoto (N10.093b) and Zamfara (N10.020b). The conditions for securing the funds, include a resolution of the State Houses of Assembly. Culled from The Nation

ICPC docks Directors of Niger-Delta Ministry for N655 Million Fraud

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 17:35:09 +0000

Five directors of the Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs, have been arraigned before Justice Baba Yusuf of the Federal High Court 4 sitting in Maitama, Abuja for allegedly defrauding the Ministry of N655 million and $100,000. The officials arraigned were Mr. Yusuf M. Agabi, former Director of Finance, Mr. Akpore Okeroghene, Deputy Director of Finance; Mr. Ayinla Abibu, Director of Finance; Mr. Idowu A. Adewale, Deputy Director of Accounts and Mrs. Ntu J. Ngozi, also a Deputy Director of Accounts, on charges of conspiracy, fraud and forgery. The accused persons were arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on allegations of fraudulently obtaining the sums of N655 million and $100,000 between December 2013 and December 2014 from the Ministry’s account. In the charges preferred against the accused persons, the ICPC counsel Mr. Paul Bassi had a 22-count charge against Mr. Agabi who was specifically accused of defrauding the Ministry of N458 million. The second accused person, Mr. Akpore, was arraigned on a 5-count charge of fraudulently obtaining a total sum of N33 million, while Mr. Ayinla was docked on a 10-count charge of fraud totaling N147.5 million. The fourth and fifth accused persons, Mr. Adewale and Mrs. Ntu were also arraigned on allegations of fraudulently obtaining the sums of $100, 000 and N19 million respectively from the Ministry’s account. All offences are in contravention of Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 68 of the same Act. All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail by the Court in the sum of N10 million each and on the condition that they produce sureties who are not less than Deputy Directors in the Federal Civil Service and resident in Abuja. Furthermore, they were ordered to submit their international passports to the Court Registrar as part of the bail conditions. The case was adjourned to October 7, 2015 for continuation of trial.

Bail-Out Funds: ICPC to go Tough on State Governors

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 12:40:45 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has threatened to take appropriate action against any state governor that diverts the recent bail-out funds handed over to them by the Federal Government to pay the backlog of staff salaries. The Chairman, who issued the warning in Abuja during the handing over ceremony of N980.2 million looted from the Federal Ministry of Environment and three Federal Government Colleges, said that the Commission was monitoring the application of the funds by the governors, and would not hesitate to take action against any of them that fails to use the money for its purpose. He said, “We like to monitor what is going on with the bail-out funds because there are concerns that the funds are not going to the purpose that they are meant for. The issue of running after funds when they have been appropriated will not happen concerning the bail-out funds. We will follow the funds to see how they are being disbursed and will not wait for petitions before going after any defaulting governor.” The Chairman, based on a court order, handed over N980, 211, 086 million that was looted by fraudsters from the accounts of the Federal Ministry of Environment and the three schools namely, Federal Government College (FGC), Odogbolu, Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Sagamu and Federal Science Technical College (FSTC), Ijebu-Imushin, all in Ogun State. Mr. Nta who narrated how the money was stolen said that N945 million was stolen from the Federal Ministry of Environment by one Adeolu Olugbenga Adeyanju who used a forged payment mandate of the ministry to steal the funds from First City Monument Bank plc, where the account of the ministry was domiciled. He added that N103 million belonging to the three schools was allegedly stolen by a Federal Government Pay Officer in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The stolen funds of the Ministry were meant for the Great Green Wall Programme of the Federal Government targeted at checking desert encroachment in 11 northern states through tree planting, while that of the schools were meant for school feeding of students and other projects. The ICPC Chairman while handing over the funds said, “The Commission is today returning to some victims of corrupt practices, stolen public funds recovered from certain individuals in fulfillment of one of our duties in Section 6 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. ‘On the 1^st of December, 2014, we received a petition from the Ministry of Environment in respect of a fraudulent electronic funds transfer from its accounts. A forged payment mandate in the sum of N924 million was presented to First City Monument Bank plc where the ministry’s account was domiciled. The funds were diverted to a different company’s accounts. ‘The funds being returned today, pursuant to a court order, represent actual recovered proceeds by ICPC and a retained default guaranteed sum all amounting to N924 million.” The Chairman added that the Commission was still tracing more missing funds belonging to the Ministry which were allegedly stolen by Adeyanju. “In furtherance of this case, ICPC is still tracking and investigating the movement of N468, 794, 613.79 through some financial institutions (Bureau de Change) by Adeolu Adeyanju, the main accused, who is currently facing charges before the FCT High Court 4, Maitama, Abuja for forgery, theft, conspiracy and being in possession of forged documents”, he added. In the case of the schools, Mr. Nta said, “This second case involved the alleged diversion of funds meant for meal subsidies of students and capital projects of three Federal Government Colleges namely: Federal Science Technical College Ijebu-Imushin, Federal Government Girl’s College, Sagamu and Federal Government College, Odogbolu respectively, by the Federal Pay Officer in Abeokuta, Ogun State who was reported to ICPC by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. ‘The Commission has so far recovered the sum of N56, 211, 086.23 out of the total sum of N103, 000, 000.00 which the suspect allegedly diverted. ‘In view of the time-specific nature of the services these monies were meant for, especially the feeding of students, ICPC sought and received court orders to return same to the victims whilst the substantive prosecution cases, recoveries and investigations continue.” The Commission has so far recovered N924 million for the Ministry and N56 million for the schools, which have all been handed over to representatives of their owners. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Nana Fatima Mede received for the ministry while the Principals of the schools received the funds for their schools respectively. They include: Mrs. Bassey Duke who received N20, 122, 314.23 for FGC Odogbolu, Mrs. A. Okpara who collected N8, 410, 000 for FSTC, Ijebu-Imushin and Mrs. Agnes Owolabi who also received N28, 047, 648 FGC Sagamu. Mrs. Mede while receiving the money on behalf of the Ministry lamented that N945 million stolen by the culprit would have been able to “dig 1000 bore holes and plant 1000 trees in the desert affected states of Adamawa, Yobe, Borno and Sokoto.” She lamented further that over 43 million Nigerians had suffered from the menace of desert encroachment, adding that the Ministry was grateful to ICPC for tackling the problem with promptness. She said, “N945 million was transferred when I was just two weeks old in the Ministry. I phoned the Chairman because I knew that he would get to the bottom of the matter. I am indeed happy that we have not been proven wrong.” The Principal of FGC, Sagamu, Mrs. Owolabi who spoke for her colleagues commended ICPC for helping the schools recover their stolen money. She said the action of the suspect has created so many problems for the managements of the schools. According to her, “With thorough investigation by ICPC, we are here today, we have suffered so much from our food contractors but thank God; we have recovered what belongs to us. We promise to use the money judiciously for what it was meant for.”

NLC to partner ICPC on monitoring of bailout cash -The Nation

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 21:25:57 +0000

Strengthen Institutions to Fight Corruption - Ekpo Nta

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:39:07 +0000

Suspect selling properties to return N103m loot - The Punch

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 15:37:13 +0000

ICPC Declares Civil Servant Wanted over N50m Employment Scam

icpcuser — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 14:47:10 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has declared a civil servant in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Mrs. Grace Nkoyo Nwauzor, wanted for defrauding innocent job seekers of N50 million. Nwauzor, an indigene of Aboh, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, allegedly duped many people that were looking for employment into the Federal Civil Service by promising to give them employment into the service. Preliminary findings by ICPC have revealed that Nwauzor, who is on Grade Level 12 under the Career Management Section in OHCSF and a doctorate degree holder, ran an employment scam where her victims were made to pay huge sums of money for jobs which they never got. Further findings by the Commission show that she charged her victims between N250, 000 and N500, 000 per employment. The Commission also discovered that the 46-year old Nwauzor, had allegedly duped over 200 people through her job scam which began in 2012. Some of the victims having waited endlessly for the promised jobs decided to petition ICPC which triggered investigation into the scam perpetrated by Nwauzor. Mrs. Grace Nwauzor is currently at large and Commission hereby declares her wanted for fraud. Nwauzor who is dark in complexion was last resident in Durumi District, Apo, Abuja. Signed: Mrs Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson for the Commission

Advertorial: Youth Photo Competition

icpcuser — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 15:20:59 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is organizing a nationwide photo competition for youths in tertiary institutions and secondary schools in Nigeria. Interested youths should send their entries as follows:

Tertiary Institutions; “three separate pictures illustrating how Anti- corruption can change the Face of Nigeria.”
Secondary Schools; “three separate pictures illustrating the damaging effects of corruption on your world”.

Participants may attach detailed explanation of their pictorials. Entries are to be sent through the following platforms; info@icpc.gov.ng, www.facebook.com/icpcnigeria1; twitter.com/ICPC_PE (@ICPC_PE) Submission of entries will be from 2nd - 30th October, 2015.

ICPC Recovers Property for Petitioner

icpcuser — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 12:48:30 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has been lauded for its prompt intervention and recovery of a plot of land belonging to one Mr. Emeka Agbo which was fraudulently taken from him by some officials of the Gwagwalada lands office. Mr. Agbo had made several efforts to get back his plot of land but all did not yield any positive result until he sent a petition to the Commission alleging fraudulent denial of the possession of his plot of land with number 393. Acting on the petition, ICPC immediately commenced investigations to determine the veracity of the claim and when it established that his allegation was true, the Commission ordered that the petitioner be compensated. The order resulted in the allocation of another plot with number 1362a to the petitioner. In a letter of appreciation to the Commission, Agbo lauded ICPC for timely intervention in the matter. He stated that within months ICPC secured justice for him. He also used the medium to call on the Commission to remain committed to fairness and justice in the execution of its mandate. Part of the letter reads “I write to appreciate the Commission for the services rendered on my behalf at Gwagwalada land office via Abuja Geographic Information Services, (AGIS). ‘The team of officials led by Mr. James Udom was able to secure compensation reward in respect of my former plot number 393 which officials of Gwagwalada Land office fraudulently denied me possession through dubious means. ‘When all effort to get justice failed, I petitioned the Commission…, and with their intervention I was compensated with another allocation…"

Invitation to Tender

icpcuser — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 09:59:07 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Commission (ICPC) wishes to invite interested, experienced and competent registered Companies to bid for the following. 2.1 LOT 1: Supply and Installation of Studio Equipment Studio Equipment slated for procurement and their specifications are as outlined hereunder:

2 Nos. Sony FS700 Camera
2 Nos. SonyRXR-FMU 128GB Flash memory
3 Nos. SonyNP-F970 L-Series Batteries
1 No. Apple iMac 21.5” Desktop Computer, 2.7GHz, Corei5, ITB
1 No. Genaray Spectrol LED Studio 500 Bi-colour LED 3 light kit.
1 No. Western Digital 6TB My Book Desktop Hardware.
1 No. Recording –in-Progress indicator light.
2 Nos. Poisen ULW-16 UHF Wireless Lavalier Microphones.
1 No. Tascam DR-60D 4 Channel Audio Recorder.

2.2 LOT 2: Supply and Installation of Computer Forensic Laboratory Equipments and Consumables: The following Equipment and Consumables are required for the establishment of first (1^st) phase of the computer Forensic Workstation.

S/N	ITEMS DESCRIPTION	QTY
1	Computer Forensic Workstation: High End Bespoke Forensic System. OS: Window 8.1 pro 64-bit CPU (1) intel CPU with min 6 core. RAM: 32GB DDR4-2133 ECC. OS Drive: 256GB Solid State Drive. DATA Drive: 2.0TB 7200rpm 10 Gigabit Network Card – Integrated Tableau write blocker	1
2	Cellebrite UFED Mobile Phone Analyzer	1
3	Monitors: Windscreen 26 “	2
4	Digital Lab Consumables :
	Kern PCB 6000 Scale Bench Magnifier Digital Balances Digital Multimeter Micrometer Screw Guage CD/DVD Disk Writer Verbatim DVD-RAM 9.4GB 3X double- sided 50pk. CD rewritable discs (100) DVD rewritable discs (100) Magnifying glass Peak Magnifier 10x≠1961	1
5	Digital Camera	1
6	Apple Laptops, MacBook pro with Retina Display MGXA2B Quad core, Intel Core i7 16 GB RAM, 256 SSD0 15 inch)	3

2.3 LOT 3: Supply and Installation of 800KVA Perkins Sound Proof Generator. 2.4 LOT 4: Supply and Installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) 3.0 QUALIFICATION TO TENDER Interested contractors should submit the following information/documents along with their proposals:

Registration with Corporate Affairs Commission, including Memorandum and Articles of Association, form CO2 and CO7 where applicable.
Evidence of similar contracts executed in the last five (5) years.
Evidence of Financial capability and Bank`s support
The company`s Annual Audited Account for the last three (3) years
Evidence of registration with National Pension Commission and remittances of employee`s contribution to a Pension Fund Administrator.
Tax clearance certificate for the last three (3) years.
VAT Registration Certificate.
TIN Number.
Any additional information that may enhance the company`s/contractor`s chances.
A sworn affidavit that all the information provided to the Commission is true and correct and that none of the Commission`s staff has any pecuniary interest in your organization

4.0 COLLECTION & SUBMISSION OF TENDER Tender Documents are to be submitted in a sealed envelope marked `INTERESTED TO BID” addressed to the Secretary to the Commission (ICPC, plot 802, Constitution Avenue, Central Area, Abuja) and deposited in a Tender Box at the Office of the Secretary to the Commission, within Six (6) weeks from the date of this notice. At the end of the pre-qualification exercise, eligible Companies/Contractors will be notified accordingly for further necessary actions. 5.0 PLEASE NOTE: (i) Late submission will be rejected. (ii) False claims and failure to comply with instructions above or provide any of the listed documents may automatically lead to disqualification. (iii) Nothing in this advertisement shall be construed to be a commitment on the part of ICPC to undertake the contract execution nor shall it entitle any bidder to make any claim whatsoever and seek indemnity from the Commission by virtue of having responded to this advertisement. For any further enquiries, contact the office of the Secretary to the Commission. SIGN MANAGEMENT

Club Organises Reading Competition in Abuja

icpcuser — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 10:11:08 +0000

As part of Nigeria’s 55^th independence celebration, the Explore Club, a non- governmental organisation, has organised a reading competition among young people from schools within and around Abuja to imbibe the culture of reading. The club, a member of National Anti-corruption Coalition (NACC), an initiative of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), held the event tagged, Independence Reading Festival on Independence Day in Abuja. Delivering her welcome address, Mrs Claris Ujam, an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Education and the initiator of Explore Club, said the aim of the festival was to ‘’nurture and promote positive, intellectual growth and welfare of young people in Nigeria’’. She added that, the initiative was aimed at grooming and inculcating in the youths and children national virtues, oneness, love, patriotism, self- control, self –confidence, self – reliance, creativity and the fear of God. In his good will message, Mr Obinna Oforah, a representative of the ICPC at the event, urged parents to always read to their children. In his words: ’’as a parent, reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to prepare him with a foundation for academic excellence’’. ‘Reading to our kids is a good thing that comes with lots of advantages, for instance; a stronger relationship with parent; academic excellence; basic speech skills; the basic of how to read a book; and better communication and thinking skills’’. The high – point of the occasion was the reading competition among primary school pupils and junior secondary school students within and around FCT, including the school for the blind, Jabi , Abuja.

ACTU Will Enthrone Ethics and Compliance in Petroleum Ministry – Perm. Sec

icpcuser — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 12:07:00 +0000

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr, Olutaiye Haruna has said that the inauguration of the Anti- Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) in his ministry would help to monitor ethics and compliance among its staff. Mr. Haruna made this known during the inauguration ceremony of ACTU members of the ministry held in Abuja recently. ACTUs are established by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in Ministries, Departments and Agencies to complement and strengthen more effectively, the efforts of the Commission in the areas of monitoring, reporting and preventing corruption. The Permanent Secretary added that ACTU would assist him run an accountable, open and responsible tenure for the organisational good and the nation at large. According to him, ‘’The ministry contributes immensely towards generating funds for the nation. With this inauguration, the management will further strengthen the accountability, transparency mechanism of the organisation to ensure value for money in all transactions’’. While expressing his willingness to support the ACTU to succeed, the Permanent Secretary urged the inductees to carry out their duties diligently without fear or favour and to challenge the system on any irregularities observed by them even when it involves the Permanent Secretary himself. Haruna further promised the unit continuous capacity training, while urging the ICPC to organise sensitization programme for the ACTU members and all the staff in order to promote ethics and integrity. In his key-note address, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who spoke through Mr. Justin Kuatsea, a senior officer of the Commission, expressed his delight over the significance of the event because an important agency such as the Ministry of Petroleum Resources involved in building and sustaining the continued existence and growth of the Nigerian nation had joined the league of MDAs that have established ACTUs. He stated that the ACTU was expected to work for the success of the organisation; therefore, members of the unit should be focused on the task of carrying out their assignment, adding that ICPC was committed to supporting the unit to ensure the success of the war against corruption. Presenting a paper,’’ An Overview of the Establishment and Responsibilities of the Anti- Corruption Monitoring and Transparency Unit’’ at the event, Mr. Kuatsea told the inductees that they had a duty to perform preliminary investigation; study and review operational system of Ministry of Petroleum; and educate and enlighten all staff of the ministry on the ills of corruption. At the end, the oath of office was administered on the inducted members by an officer of ICPC, Miss Jenifer Ode.

Beware of Fake Federal Government Scholarship Scheme

icpcuser — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 10:21:55 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) wishes to bring to the attention of the general public the existence of a new-fangled scholarship fraud scheme being used to swindle unsuspecting citizens of their money. The perpetrators, by the promise of a bogus scholarship purportedly offered by the Federal Government of Nigeria through prominent and former high-ranking government officials, including a former Vice President, have brought tears and anguish to many hapless citizens. The modus operandi of the scammers is as follows: scam electronic messages with the profile of prominent Nigerians are sent at random to the email addresses of people asking interested applicants to apply for the scholarship; designated bank accounts where processing fees are to be paid are provided; while an online application form is displayed for interested persons to fill in. The snare is usually in the request for the “applicant” to pay some processing fee for the scholarship application. Once the processing fee is paid, the interaction ends. There are also pop-ups on various legitimate internet sites bearing similar requests and information. Currently, for example, three suspected scammers namely: James, Mark and Blessing Akwamese Enwenode, parading themselves as agents of a former Vice President defrauded a petitioner to the tune of N262, 000. The petitioner claimed that the money was paid into a United Bank of Africa (UBA) account number 2064358743 owned by Enwenode as processing fees for the fake scholarship. In addition to this report, ICPC is in receipt of many other similar reports. The Commission maintains that no single individual can offer any Federal Government scholarship as it is the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government of Nigeria. However, affluent and altruistic members of the society do offer scholarships which come either in their names or through a foundation. The Commission hereby advises interested members of the public to always do a proper check on any scholarship scheme before applying for it to avoid falling prey to scammers.

ICPC Seeks Youths’ Partnership against Corruption

icpcuser — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 10:26:07 +0000

The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has urged the youth to avoid all forms of corruption and partner with the Commission in the fight against corruption. Mr. Nta, who was represented by Mr. Edet Ufot, a senior officer of the Public Enlightenment Department of ICPC, stated this in a workshop organized by Youngsters Development Initiative and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Washington DC United States America (USA), in Abuja. The workshop was part of a youth development and motivational retreat geared towards expanding the knowledge of the youth on democracy and good governance. He urged the youth who came from various countries in Africa namely Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria to be good citizens of their countries. He added that the Commission considered the youth a vital segment of society that should be involved both actively and passively in the anti-corruption effort. He said, “For this reason, we spare no punches, figuratively speaking, in engaging with young people on the issue of corruption.” The Chairman in his paper presentation, titled “AFRICAN PROMISE VS THE VICE OF CORRUPTION” emphasized that fighting corruption should not be left to the government or anti -corruption agencies alone, but that it was for everybody. Mr. Nta informed the youths that corruption was not restricted to Nigeria or Africa only but that it was a disease in all countries of the world. However, he said the magnitude of it is what differentiates one country from another; and one continent from the other. He regretted that African countries generally have high levels of corruption. Mr. Nta grouped corrupt acts into two; grand corruption, which is done by people in government offices or private companies who give out large contracts, and petty corruption which is done by lower people like civil servants, law enforcement officers, artisans, motorists, mechanics and market women, who deal in small scale activities and small amounts of money. He added that, “The mistake we all make is that we point accusing fingers at other people indicating that they are corrupt but we do not think that maybe, in some ways we are also doing something dishonest, illegal or corrupt.’’ He mentioned different causative factors of corruption including materialism, greed, tribalism, religious discrimination, etc. and implored the participants to eschew all forms of corruption while setting individual personal goals of integrity. Mr. Nta, while speaking on the effects of corruption, cited bad roads; hospitals that do not have medicines; schools that do not even have chairs and tables for children; hunger, poverty; and unemployment as the consequences of corruption. He added that corruption has also killed our good morals and culture as the younger generation now thinks only of making fast money through unscrupulous means. According to him, “Some young people buy examination papers and results. A child who buys examination results can never be a good doctor; he will kill patients easily through wrong diagnosis and treatment.” The coordinator of the programme, Mr. Kingsley Bangwell, while speaking noted that the youths numbering about 40 were within the ages of 20-35 and were enthusiastic about the knowledge being imparted to them on democracy and good governance.

ICPC Challenges Traditional Rulers On Unmerited Honour To Persons With Moral Questions

icpcuser — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 14:30:38 +0000

ACTU Will Entrench, Sustain Accountability in NPC -NPC Sec

icpcuser — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:39:24 +0000

The Secretary of the National Planning Commission, Mr. Bassey Okon Akpanyung, has declared that the establishment of an Anti- Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) in the Commission will help entrench and sustain accountability in the organisation. The Secretary, who was represented by the Director of Administration of the Commission, Mr, Chris Ezilo, made this known during the inauguration ceremony of ACTU members for the Commission held recently in Abuja. Welcoming participants to the event, Mr. Chris Ezilo, expressed gratitude to the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, for promptly acceding to their request for the establishment of an ACTU in NPC. He said, ‘’the existence of ACTU will entrench and sustain accountability, transparency and good service delivery in the Commission, which will yield more positive dividends that will be visible in our prudent use of resources and exemplary work ethics’’. Mr. Ezilo commended ICPC’s efforts towards purging the Public Service of corrupt practices. In his words, ‘’it is my sincere belief that the activities of the units will check and possibly eliminate all forms of corrupt practices from our Public Service’’. To the inductees, Ezilo said, ‘’...Your selection as members, is a pointer to the fact that your records are encouraging and would want you to continue in that light, even as l have confidence in your abilities to effectively discharge your functions’’. He charged the newly-inaugurated ACTU members to be forthright, dedicated and tactical in the discharge of their duties, adding that the Management was determined to support the unit in areas of capacity-building, work tools and every other resource needed for effective operation of the unit. Delivering his goodwill message, Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who spoke through Mr. Justin Kuatsea, a senior officer of the Commission, pointed out that the ACTU was one of the initiatives of the ICPC directed towards combating corrupt practices and entrenching transparency in the Public Service. Mr. Kuatsea added that the unit would serve as an in- house check mechanism to monitor, identify and address the lapses within their system that could allow corruption and allied unethical practices to thrive. The ACTU, he said, was to undertake system study and review of corruption prone- processes and procedures; embark on education and enlightenment of staff on and against corruption; carry out preliminary investigations where petitions are received; and develop a code of ethics for compliance by staff amongst others.

ICPC declares Ojo Apete Wisdom wanted

icpcuser — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 11:03:43 +0000

The person, whose picture appears above, OJO APETE WISDOM, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud using the e-commerce platform (OLX). Mr. Ojo, an indigene of Edo State, was born on the 18th October, 1986 (28 years old). He is dark in complexion. His last known address was No. 12 Ogbunabali Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Anybody who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Commissioner Public Enlightenment

ICPC declares Ebhohimen Joshua Andrew wanted

icpcuser — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 11:13:49 +0000

The person, whose picture appears above, Ebhohimen Joshua Andrew, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud using the e-commerce platform (OLX). Anybody who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Commissioner Public Enlightenment

ICPC declares Ogheneovo Peter Enajite wanted

icpcuser — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 15:18:33 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. OGHENEOVO PETER ENAJITE, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on forgery of a request for Note Verbale for the issuance of United Kingdom visa. Ogheneovo who is dark in complexion was born on 12th March 1982 (33 years old). He hails from Oriah, Abraka in Ethiope Local Government Area of Delta State. He was in the service of the Delta State Government as a clerical officer attached to the Delta State Liaison Office, Plot 78 Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja. His last known address was No. 7, Lawal Uwais Street, Off Frederick Chiluba Close, behind Lagos State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja. His International Passport No: is AO4959347 and he left Nigeria for New York, US on 14th October 2015. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Commissioner, Public Enlightenment For: Hon. Chairman

ICPC Boss Lauds NAFDAC

icpcuser — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 16:03:33 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has praised the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), for its commitment to the fight against corruption. He made the remark recently through the Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of the Commission, Mr. Akeem Lawal, at a 3-day zonal sensitization programme organized by ICPC for staff of the Enugu zone of the agency. Mr. Nta particularly noted the effort of the agency in the fight against the importation of counterfeit drugs. He charged the staff to remain focused and dedicated to their duties in order for the agency to fulfill its mandate, which he said would reduce corruption in our society. At the event, a number of papers were presented by some staff of the Commission. Mr. Lawal in a paper titled “Ethics and Compliance in the Workplace” called on the participants to carry out their duties with a sense of responsibility in view of the fact that they hold office in trust for the public. He also urged them to make integrity, transparency and loyalty their guiding principles. In another paper, “Conduct of System Study and Review in Organisation”, Mr. Barnabas B. Gaji, a senior officer of the Commission enjoined the NAFDAC staff to employ System Study as an instrument of change to bring about improvement in policies and the system in their organisation. Mr. Ebenezer A. Shogunle of Prosecution Department who also spoke on the topic:“ICPC Act, Mandate and Fighting Corruption in Nigeria” told participants to see themselves as stakeholders and join in the fight against corruption. He maintained that with the citizens’ full support for the anti-corruption agencies, the war against corruption could be won. Earlier in his opening remarks, the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhi, who was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, pledged the management’s commitment to continue its support to the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the agency. Jimoh further called on participants to apply the knowledge acquired during the programme in the discharge of their duties.

ICPC Re-brands NAVC

icpcuser — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 14:26:19 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has given its National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) a new face. NAVC, a prime mass mobilization initiative of the Commission which enlists ordinary citizens as volunteers in the fight against corruption had been subjected to abuse and misapplication of its privileges by some of its members in several states of the federation. The unveiling of its new operational guidelines and re-branding which took place at the Commission’s headquarters was witnessed by representatives of different law enforcement agencies such as EFCC, the Police, Customs; dignitaries such as traditional rulers and top government officials from various establishments; and officials of civil society organizations. Speaking at the event, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta disclosed that the old NAVC was suspended because having been initially conceived to be a critical mass of civil society whistle-blowers to assist in the fight against corruption, some of its old members had converted it into an extortionist and terror scheme. He gave an example where a member of the old NAVC was arrested while acting as an escort to a senior military officer to help him circumvent the payment of some airport levies. Mr. Nta also related how a state head of NAVC used to drive about in a convoy of cars which included a pilot car. He added that some of such volunteers had been charged to court. The ICPC Chairman further explained that ICPC was more interested in behavioural change of citizens which is why it does not “ambush people but spends time to teach them what they should avoid in order not to suffer consequences of wrong-doing.” In his welcome address, the National Coordinator, NAVC, and Head of Research and Documentation Unit, ICPC, Mr. Mike Sowe, said that the major problem which led to the suspension of the old NAVC arose due to the fact that a majority of the members were unemployed and therefore started using their position for personal gain. This error, he said has been corrected in the operational guidelines of the re-branded NAVC and specifically states that members therefore, must be gainfully employed. In his goodwill message, the representative of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, the director of Public Affairs, Mr. Osita Nwajah, EFCC said that NAVC was a very useful tool in the fight against corruption as the mandate of ICPC cannot be achieved by officers of the Commission alone which makes it very important to have mass mobilization of corruption fighters. Ordinary Ahmed Isah, President/Founder of the popular ” Berekete Family” talkshow on Love FM, Abuja who also attended the event, expressed optimism towards the success in the fight against corruption in Nigeria by the launching and rebranding exercise. He therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to support ICPC so that the Commission could stamp out corruption completely. The highpoint of the event was the unveiling of the new NAVC operational guidelines and manuals by the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta supported by many of the distinguished guests present. The documents unveiled included the NAVC Operational Guidelines, Guidelines for Community Advocacy, Understanding the Nature of Corruption, Public Enlightenment/Education Strategies and Counseling Others on What To Do (Training Manual). Mr. Nta also said that soft copies of the documents and membership application forms could be found on the Commission’s website (www.icpc.gov.ng) for free download.

ICPC Chairman Unveils NAVC Operational Guidelines & Training Manuals

icpcuser — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 09:16:15 +0000

Thursday 29^th October 2015 marked a new beginning for the National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) as the ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta supervised its rebranding at the Commission’s headquarters by unveiling the Operational Guidelines and Training Manuals. The Chairman explained that the operational guidelines are aimed at overcoming identified loopholes while the Training Manuals will equip members with adequate knowledge about corruption and its ramifications. He said the new NAVC will develop a corps of volunteers for community service against corruption, mobilize and educate the citizens on corruption and its ills, and also act as a vanguard for good governance in our society. Mr Nta emphasised that the NAVC is not a Para-military organisation and warned state Coordinators to desist from militarising activities of the Corps. He advised all interested citizens to register for membership online on the ICPC website, adding that elections into the various positions as contained in the operational guidelines will be conducted after vetting of prospective applicants. Earlier in his welcome address, the National Coordinator, Mike sowe expressed the hope that there would be fewer crises in the states now that membership is restricted to only citizens who are gainfully employed, with verifiable means of livelihood. He said apart from the operational guidelines, the training manuals include;-Public Enlightenment and Education Strategies, Understanding the nature of Corruption, Guidelines For Community Advocacy and Counselling Others On What To Do. In his goodwill message, the president of Berekete Family, Ordinary President Ahmed Isa, who was specially invited by the ICPC chairman to be the Guest of Honour, commended the Commission for rebranding the NAVC and for taking the fight against corruption to the grassroots. The Ordinary President was particularly concerned with the plight of pensioners in the country who have been made to undergo untold hardship in the hands of government officials. He urged the ICPC to focus its searchlight on pension matters so that retired government officials can live a peaceful life. Speaking on behalf of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Osita Uwajaren who is the Director of Public Affairs acknowledged the pioneering role ICPC has played in the campaign against corruption in Nigeria. He praised the synergy and working relationship between ICPC and EFCC and pledged the support of his Commission towards the success of the NAVC. In his vote of thanks, A Board member of the ICPC, Bako Abdullahi, expressed the appreciation of the commission for the large turnout which he noted to be an indication of the passion of participants to fight corruption and make Nigeria a better place. The rebranding ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, University of Abuja Prof. Gboyega Kolawole, Mrs H. I. Adesanya Director of Reforms, who stood in for the Permanent Secretary the Ministry of police Affairs; barrister Onwukwe Ahamefula Director, Special Duties who represented the Permanent secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Acting Secretary Code of Conduct Bureau Mrs F. A. Kolawole; the representative of the director-General, Department of State Services, Mr Abdulkareem Olayiwola, the representative of the Inspector –General of Police AIG Adenaike while the Nigeria Customs Service was represented by Comptroller Sani Ade. The Royal Fathers that witnessed the occasion include the District Head of Ija-Gbagyi Arc. Muhammad Adamu Abuja who represented the Emir of Zazzau Suleija; His Royal Highness Igwe (Hon) Dr Okey Sokoto Ukatah, Chief (Mrs) Stella Okey, Chief Benjamin Nwobi, Chief Benard Okafor and His Royal Highness Ibrahim Gajatma Aleyita. See more pictures of the event.

Abide by your Professional Ethics, Prevent Corruption-MD NIGCOMSAT

icpcuser — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 09:20:56 +0000

Staff of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) have been called upon to continue to ensure that they abide by their respective professional ethics in the discharge of their duties; and indeed in serving their fatherland. This call was made by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NIGCOMSAT, Ms.Abimbola Alale during her opening remarks at the one-day Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) sensitization programme held at the organization’s headquarters, Abuja. Represented by the General Manager, Marketing; Mr.Shehu Kaura, the Managing Director said that the sensitization programme was apt and served as “an eye-opener that has delivered a first-hand challenge to members of staff to redouble their efforts at doing right at all times”. In his Paper titled Concept and Philosophy of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) in MDAS delivered on behalf of ICPC, Assistant Commissioner ICPC and Head of Unit overseeing ACTU, Mr.Justin Kuatsea was quick to note that “every well-meaning Nigerian should come to the realization that change in terms of corruption can only come when everyone plays their role effectively in the fight against corruption”. Mr. Kuatsea gave the historical perspective of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) which is one of the implementation mechanisms for the corruption prohibition and prevention function of ICPC. He went further to enumerate ACTU’s overall aim; where it derives its powers from; its role in MDAs and ended the entire paper with a charge to all public servants to ensure the success of the war against corruption right from their individual tables. He urged the ACTU/NIGCOMSAT members to be focused in carrying out their assignment because ICPC was committed to supporting them. During the question and answer session, some attendees expressed their desires to see ICPC increase its preventive programmes and re-double its efforts in sensitizing Nigerians on and against corruption.

Nigeria crackdown on fake bank accounts - BBC

icpcuser — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 11:42:50 +0000

Nigeria`s success in its quest for a corruption-free society hinges on its ability to install systems that foster and facilitate transparency and accountability in its economic and political life. A few innovations have been introduced in this regard which have been quite impactful in the specific sectors they have been applied. Some of these are: Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS): This is an initiative of the Federal Government where the biometrics of its employees are captured in a centralized payment system in order to promote efficiency in the storage of personnel records and weed out ghost workers. The Federal Ministry of Finance, the anchor of this initiative is in collaboration with ICPC to prosecute culprits that have been identified as a fall-out of the exercise. Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS): This is an IT-based system for budget management and accounting that is being implemented by the Federal Government to improve the Public Expenditure Management Process and enhance accountability and transparency across Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Electronic Card Reader: This was introduced by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) as a measure to minimize or curb electoral fraud in the country. It involves the capture of a voter's biometric information and the verification of that information by a machine before the person is allowed to vote. Against this backdrop, the CBN`s introduction of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) is an addition to this list of mechanisms meant to promote transparency. The BVN initiative is expected to lead ultimately to a cleaner and low-scam environment for financial transactions in the country. It will also help anti-corruption agencies in tracing or tracking scammers and/or their bank accounts. The importance of these innovations informs the decision of BBC to make the subject of one of its recent reports: "Nigeria crackdown on fake bank accounts" see link http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34676426

N23 Billion Pension Funds Illegally Stashed in 40 bank Accounts Uncovered

icpcuser — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 11:52:14 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has uncovered N23 billion pension funds ‘lost’ in 40 bank accounts. Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, Spokesperson for the Commission made this disclosure, recently, while delivering a paper titled, Transparent Leadership and Effective Governance: The Role of ICPC at the 2015 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Capital Chapter held in Abuja. She said the Commission consolidated the accounts into four and also recovered N496 million in accrued interests on one of the accounts. ‘’The Customs, Immigrations and Prisons Pension (CIPP) fund also had N11 billion scattered in ten accounts. This was consolidated into three accounts’’, she said. Mrs. Okoduwa also revealed that while conducting systems review of personnel cost expenditure profile across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over a period of four years, ICPC compelled the return of over N6 billion unspent balances into government treasury. According to her, ‘’the activities of the Commission in the above regard boosted the deployment of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). The former Minister of Finance was reported to have said that these innovations saved the nation over N100 billion in personnel costs through the elimination of ghost workers. ‘ICPC discovered that the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) was not remitting deductions from employees’ salaries to their respective Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) owing to inaccurate information. With the intervention of ICPC the sum of N34.5 billion was remitted to 97, 842 employees’ RSAs’’. On the issues of transparent leadership, Mrs. Okoduwa said leaders could be more transparent if they communicated programmes and policies more effectively. In her words, ‘’in good times and bad, it is important that leaders communicate honestly. Being transparent about challenges, communicating next steps and results are all crucial to building trust and loyalty’’ Leadership, she said, was the key to unlocking some of the major challenges confronting Nigeria, adding that leaders "must be transparent, provide the right information at the right time and be accountable for their decisions, actions and inactions’’. Speaking on challenges facing Nigeria in her efforts to promote effective and good governance, Okoduwa said with careful planning, concerted efforts and dedication, what seemed to be an ugly situation could be turned around for the good of all. She urged all structures of the current administration to support the president in his drive to institute change in the country. ‘’…the cabinet must embrace transparent and accountable leadership towards the delivery of good governance’’, She concluded. While responding to questions from the audience on how ICPC which is located in Abuja could police the entire country, the ICPC spokesperson responded by saying that though the Act establishing the ICPC stipulates the presence of ICPC in the 36 states, but due to paucity of funds it had not been possible to achieve that. In the interim however, ICPC had offices in 15 states, strategically spread across the different zones of the country to make up for the temporary inadequacy. She expressed optimism that the Commission would in no distant future set up offices in every state as stipulated in the law. Delivering his welcome address earlier, Mr. Ohaeri Osundu, Chairman of Capital Chapter of NIPR said, ‘’…this gathering is conceived as a platform to collectively have a re-think on our process in governance and to draw government attention to the need to re-modify our attitude to modalities in governance’’. NIPR is a professional body charged with the responsibility of promoting professionalism and excellence in corporate communications and strategic public relations management among its members and corporate organisations in Nigeria. States and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) branches are called chapters.

ICPC organizes Workshop on Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 for staff

icpcuser — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 13:29:18 +0000

A 3-day workshop has been organised for staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to expose them to the provisions of the newly-enacted Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. The workshop was organised by the Legal Department of ICPC and was held at the headquarters of the Commission in Abuja. In his opening remarks at the occasion, Honorable Member of the Commission, Alh. Abdulahi Bako, commended the Prosecution Department for organising the workshop. He said the workshop was aimed at enlightening staff of ICPC on the provisions of the new law, particularly investigators and lawyers who needed to know more about how the Act could assist in the prosecution of corruption cases. He noted that at the drafting stage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill 2015, lawyers in ICPC had contributed by making observations and recommendations. Honourable Bako also mentioned that apart from lawyers, investigators in the Commission, who work in collaboration with lawyers to prosecute corruption cases in court, needed to be knowledgeable about the provisions of the Act. According to him, this would ensure that their cases were not struck out in court on technical grounds. He however said the law was applicable in only Federal High courts including courts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adding that, attorneys-general at the state level were looking into the possibility of adopting it. In his welcome address, the Head of Prosecution Department of ICPC, Mr. Okey Igbudu commended the Management Board of ICPC for its drive in the capacity building of staff to make them efficient in the anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria. The first session titled “Jurisdiction/Application of Provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 to State High Courts was delivered by Mr. Amedu J. Sule of the Prosecution Department. Mr. Amedu started by informing the audience that his paper was an attempt to convince participants at the workshop of the fact that the newly enacted criminal law should also be applicable in state high courts rather than being restricted to federal high courts. He also spoke on the evolution of criminal laws and codes in Nigeria, starting from pre-independence, post-independence and present day laws. The second session was by Mr. Elijah Akaakohol also of the Prosecution Department of ICPC. His presentation was titled “Trial Proceedings under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015: Innovative Provision to Ensure Speedy Trials”. Mr. Akaakohol explained that the newly-enacted Criminal Justice Act 2015 provides for victims compensation in a criminal procedure unlike in the past, where such provisions were not made compulsory by law. The third speaker, Mr. Sunny Ezeana presented the topic titled “Practical Steps in Statement Taking and Innovations of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015”. He explained in practical steps the types of statements acceptable in court proceedings under the new Act, so as to serve as a guide to prosecutors and investigators.

ICPC /UNODC Conference on Anti-Corruption Research: Intellectual Leverage for Effective Fight Against Corruption

icpcuser — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 14:14:45 +0000

A 2- day conference with the theme “Anti –Corruption Research and Policy Making in Nigeria: 40 Years after the Theory of Two Publics” has been held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, in his address at the event explained that the idea behind the conference was the need to bring researchers in the academia as stakeholders in the fight against corruption and to establish a theoretical frame- work for the Commission’s work. Mr. Nta emphasized that there was need for ICPC to keep pace with the requirements of the Act establishing it and also, the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) as well as the domestication of International Innovations in the anti-corruption campaign. According to him, the place of research in the anti-corruption campaign has not been fully explored hence the need to involve and partner with the academia. The UNODC Country Officer in charge of support to Anti-corruption in Nigeria, Mr. Jesse Wackanga, said, as part of his organization’s work plan for 2015, it was decided that researchers should be brought together to be part of policy-making in the field of anti-corruption, and also explore the gains and challenges of the past forty years. Wackanga further explained that, even though a lot of research had been done in the fight against corruption, there was still need for more, hence the partnership with ICPC to take stock of past researches and on-going ones in order to come up with a practical frame-work to ensure that theories match up with the practice and policies that need to be implemented. In a paper titled “Semantics of Corruption”, Professor E.U Igbo from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, explained that beyond semantics on issues regarding anti-corruption fight, it had become imperative to make a clarion call for all and sundry to assist anti-graft agencies achieve their mandates and also help them build strong institutions while strengthening the existing laws. Dr. Gulleng Daskyes Yohanna of University of Jos, in his paper “Harmonizing Internal and External Research Products among Anti-Corruption Agencies” advised that anti-graft agencies should harmonize and implement researches carried out on corruption since that would assist in the discovery of facts and proffer solutions to problems. In her paper titled: “How Researchers have not affected Policy -Making in the Fight against Corruption,” Hauwa Garba of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) explained that, it was discovered that the laws establishing anti-graft agencies were weak while governments lack political will. She then advocated for mass mobilization and education of the public on and against corruption Other papers presented at the forum included” Corruption Prevention and Enforcement Strategies of Major Anti-Corruption Agencies and Institutions in Nigeria: An Assessment” by Prof I.B Bello Imam”; “Review of Scholarship on Corruption and Anti-corruption in Nigeria” by David.U Enweremadu” and “Corruption Perception Studies and Anti-Corruption in Nigeria” by Remi Aiyede, University of Ibadan, among others. The speakers were of the opinion that in as much as corruption perception index will help stakeholders to address the issues, there was the need for Nigeria to pay more attention to performance in its anti-corruption drive, as this would help in the country’s corruption perception as presented by Transparency International. The speakers also agreed that special courts should be established to deal with corruption cases, the Legislature should strengthen existing laws and that courts should deliver judgments in good time. They further recommended that Nigeria should have a whistle-blowing mechanism in place and proper funding of anti-corruption agencies for them to deliver on their mandates.

Nigeria ‘determined to halt graft’ - The Nation

icpcuser — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 09:12:46 +0000

States Parties to United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) meet to review Mechanism for Implementation

icpcuser — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 09:17:29 +0000

The Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption was established to improve the capacity of and cooperation among nations that are parties to United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to achieve the objectives set forth in the Convention and to promote and review its implementation. Watch the Executive Director of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr Yuri Fedetov delivering his opening statement to the Sixth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) on 2^nd Nov 2015 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKSbJepsbFY&sns=em to view or simply view from our YouTube channel.

Teachers Commend ICPC for Prompt Action

icpcuser — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 08:19:58 +0000

A group of teachers under the Federal Teacher’s Scheme (FTS) of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for helping them recover their unpaid salaries, and affirmed that their confidence in the ability of the Commission to give them relief was handsomely rewarded. The teachers had been employed under the scheme, established by the government in 2006. The scheme has a 2-year contractual arrangement for recruiting batches of teachers. This particular group was recruited about two years previously. They had earlier written to ICPC concerning the seeming refusal of the authorities to pay them their outstanding salaries from February to September 2015. In a letter of appreciation addressed to the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, dated 16^th October 2015, Mr. Waziri Dauda on behalf of the group, described the speed with which the Commission’s operatives handled the matter as “unparalleled”, and said UBEC, on the intervention of ICPC paid the backlog of arrears, following the government’s quarterly release of UBEC’s capital expenditure funds under which their salaries had been charged. The ICPC intervention led to the release of about N2.16 billion of UBEC funds which had been pending with the government. Mr. Waziri gladly noted: “…But for the ICPC, our salaries would have been fretted (sic) into their deep private pockets. It is heartwarming to know that an agency of government in Nigeria like ICPC can act even better than the foreign ones we hear about”. He urged the Commission to keep up the good work.

Corrupt Politicians must be ready to forfeit all Proceeds of Fraud –ICPC chairman via Punch

icpcuser — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 08:28:18 +0000

ICPC Plans National Youth Conference on Corruption

icpcuser — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 10:52:19 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission has concluded arrangements to hold a national youth conference on corruption. The Resident Consultant, Media and Events of the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said in a statement on Thursday that the commission planned the summit to enlist the participation of the youth, especially students of tertiary institutions in the campaign against corruption. Olamiti quoted an executive member of the ICPC, Professor Olu Aina, as having made the comment while representing the Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, at a meeting with the senate of the National Association of Nigerian students, led by Mr. Tijani Usman. He said the conference tagged, ‘Mobilising Nigerian Youth Against Corruption,’ and scheduled to hold from November 24, 2015 to November 25, 2015 would attract 700 participants from tertiary institutions across the country. Olamiti said the 700 comprised 150 students from the universities, 100 from the polytechnics and 100 from colleges of education, while the rest would be drawn from youths outside the institutions. He said the planned conference was the outcome of a just concluded Zonal Advisory Consultative Assembly on Corruption held in Ibadan, Oyo State, where the youths organisation demanded to be involved in the fight against graft. Olatimi further quoted Aina as having expressed the hope that the conference would motivate the youth populace to embrace the fight against corruption in the country.

ICPC warns State Governments against Abuse of UBEC Funds

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 08:48:28 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has warned state governments against the abuse of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds meant for the development of basic education across the country. ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who gave the warning at the National Workshop on Entrenching Transparency and Integrity in the Financial and Procurement Processes of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), organised by the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) for chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), revealed that most state governments had devised unscrupulous ways to get funds from UBEC. He said a common practice with state governments was to borrow monies from banks as 50 percent matching grants, which were then returned to the banks after UBEC had provided the counterpart funds. His words, “Some states want matching grants from UBEC, but they do not have funds technically, they go to banks, take loans and present to UBEC as matching grants, when the money comes, they go back to the bank to pay the loans and are left with nothing for the projects. I want to tell you that we know what is happening and we are taking action to that effect.” Nta observed that such practices negate the mandate of UBEC and hamper development in the basic education sector, and enjoined the participants to ensure the turnaround of basic education in the country. He lamented that attendance in public schools has dropped despite growth in government funding of the sector, leading to massive increment in the number of out-of-school children. According to him, “Public funding has been increasing, but attendance in public schools has not been commensurate with the funding. We will continue to have sleepless nights caused by outlaws if we do not address issues of out-of-school children.” Nta also tasked the participants to make good use of funds for special education, stressing that the failure to do so puts the country at great risk. He said, “You should begin to address the specific role you have been set up to do in terms of the needs of our citizens. When we fail to address this, we have a problem in the country. Taking our children to other countries, but with recent happenings, the best option for us is to clean up our system.” He also charged them not to neglect Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) department as such neglect has led to the churning out of fictitious statistics in the education sector resulting in wrong application of funds by the government. “Planning, Research and Statistics is the most neglected department in all institutions. Give PRS deserved capacity they need especially now that we are talking of zero budgeting. Do not shoot yourself in the foot by generating statistics that are not true and can be used against you by international organisations,” he warned. Earlier in his remark, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Dikko Suleiman, represented by his deputy, Dr. Yakubu Gambo, had said that government was committed to providing access to basic education to the citizenry. He said UBEC was set up to ensure development of the education sector and would continue to monitor and supervise the implementation of the counterpart fund to ensure overall development of Nigeria’s education sector.

Gov. Emmanuel advises ICPC on professionalism

icpcuser — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 08:54:11 +0000

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has advised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to uphold professionalism in the discharge of its responsibilities so as to sustain the confidence Nigerians reposed in the commission. The governor stated this while talking with members of the Commission who were on a courtesy visit to him at Government House, Uyo. Emmanuel, who noted that “the commission which is a reputable anti-graft agency has commanded the respect of Nigerians following its operations and understanding of the workings of a democratic setting,” should work harder at maintaining its integrity. “Members of the commission are selected purely on merit, and it is impossible to believe that the Commission can be compromised or reduced to a tool for a political witch-hunt.” The governor, however, decried the attitude of frivolous petitions by some Nigerians, describing such petitions as smear publications rooted in misunderstanding or sheer mischief. Emmanuel used the occasion to enlist the services of the anti-graft agency in the training of political office holders as well as its workforce, stating that such programmes would go a long way in sensitising the people on the dangers of engaging in corrupt practices. Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Secretary, South South Zone of the ICPC, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, had said, “The visit was to intimate the governor on the sensitisation programme held in the state and to take the anti-corruption campaign to the doorsteps of the people at the grassroots.” Oglafa added, “Akwa Ibom is one of the states with low reports of petitions. I, therefore, advise the people to develop a positive mindset towards public office holders because most of the petitions written about those in positions of authority are based on misconceptions and disagreements.” Oglafa, however, called on the people to monitor public office holders, stressing that the responsibility of checking the excesses of those occupying positions of authority should not be left in the hands of the commission alone. He noted that every member of the society had a role to play in fighting corruption. He also commended the leadership of the state for enviable performance in terms of infrastructure and capacity building programmes. Culled from the Punch.

We `ll defeat Corruption - Nta

icpcuser — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:58:59 +0000

…Says merging anti-corruption agencies is ill- conceived Chatting with the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, you cannot but come away enriched and shorn of your presumptuous street knowledge on the subject of how Nigeria’s war against corruption is being fought or should be fought. Nta, has a way of opening layers of perspectives to issues raised that shames the common run of opinions and understanding of what are involved and thus constituting problems for the campaign. That’s not strange, because the ICPC boss is a lawyer, social scientist and a veteran of public administration, an institution he has been drafted to sniff and clear of bad eggs for the health of the nation. In this interview with Sunday Sun, the former Director at Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), explains why and how Nigeria’s battle against corruption could be different under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. He also defended the independence and credibility of ICPC amid charges that ICPC is a tool for political persecution. Reports have it that the commission is focused on some ex-governors who have allegations of corruption against them. What’s the progress on this? Generally, when we carry out our investigation, we do not disclose the content or direction, so as not to prejudice investigations or create what later in court could be said to have prejudiced the interest of the various parties. We normally look at governance in states and corruption related matters. We do not target specific persons. We have a checklist of things we are looking at in terms of procurements, approvals and payments made to determine if they were for personal gains or not. Were the items used fully and taken charge of and all that? But sometimes, people tend to think that the governor and only the governor is involved in the entire process and the target? No, because in the course of our investigation, you probably would discover that people were simply using the name and authority of the governor. And that is why under the Act, we have penalties spelt out for different infractions. Sometimes, by the time we begin investigation and using our checklist you now discover the petitioner begins to back out, saying “This information I actually got when we were eating somewhere. Sometimes they take those statutory allocations that are given to state and local governments, published by the Federal Ministry of Finance. You know, it is done regularly. They multiply what is going to their state by four years and come up with a figure and lie to ICPC saying we have not seen where this money was used, please investigate.” That is an omnibus investigation. You have not come up with the areas where you think this money had been spent. And if we don’t begin to arrest the next day, they will say: “ICPC has been compromised. We expected that this man should have been arrested yesterday”. And from our experience, they would actually go and lay ambush and tell everybody that he is going to be arrested tomorrow, just for the fun of a smear campaign. Sometimes, we invite you to come and explain what you mean in this petition that you have sent. Can you substantiate some of the issues? But the petitioner will say, “No, you go to the internet and you will see things”. It will surprise you that some pictures that had been attached, as assets of the accused , which they claim are the pictures of the persons’ houses , if you go back to observe, you will discover that they are pictures taken from Spain, etc, other people’s property. Incidentally, a few weeks before the ministerial list was released, there was an upsurge of petitions being sent everywhere and names were being dropped and we didn’t come up publicly to respond. But now, it’s very clear to me why some of these petitions had come in. That if we rushed in and it’s now published in the front pages of newspapers that ICPC was investigating somebody, it would be easy to now run to the Senate committee and say don’t interview this man. We have to be careful not to be used by any party and that is why there is a bit of reticence on the part of the ICPC. We are very careful not to fall into some of these pitfalls. We don’t even wait for you to leave office; our operation is a continuous process. We are looking at various states of the federation and collecting intelligence . It’s not until somebody brings a petition as we already know a few of the things that are happening. Yes, this is a proactive approach to what we are actually doing. But we like to thank the credible whistleblowers. Some will insist that we protect their identity. That, we must also respect. And of recent, a lot of these whistleblowers have been coming out with credible information which we have been following. The ICPC approach is not to move in when there is a fire and then put off the fire, go back to the commission and wait for another fire incident to happen. And if you notice of recent, after we set up our training academy, we have started running transparency and integrity processes in governance programmes for legislators. We have covered the country. We started from the North-east. We are explaining how you get into trouble by doing certain acts including going to agencies to ask them to fund your oversight functions but meanwhile, you have collected money in your own agency to perform the same function. We are so happy that this is happening at the commencement of the 8th Assembly, instead of waiting for four years to begin to arrest them for infractions which could have been avoided. Now, we have firm promise from all the state houses of assembly that where they have a problem with any agency, in terms of investigation , they are ready to partner with us and invite us. How helpful is this hysteria in fighting corruption? And again, is it to say that you can’t find anything against some of these people under such suspicion? Are they clean? Let me talk about the mass mobilization we’ve embarked on for the first time in Nigeria. Mass mobilization is the answer to fighting corruption. When we had Ebola, everybody stood up as one, even in the churches, people were not shaking hands again. In the Catholic Church; you are expected to greet your neighbour at a certain time during the service; but people would only bow during Ebola epidemic, no more hand-shaking. And you washed your hands religiously, they had hand sanitizers. If we have the same response, mass mobilization against corruption, this country will change immediately. You need the victim to join hands with you. In that respect, there is a total galvanization of the people against the issues of corruption. But at the same time, we must be very careful not to allow it to be mere rhetoric and shouting. They ask for something they did not deserve from you, you say no, and not only saying no, you report; because if you say no and walk away, the person will keep on trying till other people will give. But when you report, the anti-corruption agencies will begin to have an interest in the matter, that many people are making the same report on the same incident that you are denying. There is this view that your commission, as well as EFCC had hitherto been so docile and seem suddenly to have woken up with the coming of the new administration.Correct? I find it very interesting when the press describes Nigeria, as a sleeping giant. So, the word sleep, has become generic in describing almost all our systems. I can assure you that the worth of a soup has a direct relationship with what you put in the soup. If you want only animal skin (ponmo) in your soup, it will not be as tasty as the one which has dry fish and meat combined. And then, you can also have a soup that is not as sweet, but some people are happy eating it. So, my attitude is with the enthusiasm of the masses today, the support of government and funding, anti-corruption agencies are very happy to perform their roles as expected. If I get you right, you were merely barking than actually biting under the last administration? You must also realize that fighting corruption is a relay; it is not a 100 meters dash. It started from 1960, when institutions were put in place. We progressed from there to 1979 when the Nigerian Constitution now put the Code of Conduct Bureau in the constitution. So, it is incremental. Each government would apply what it thinks is the best approach in dealing with issues. The last administration was particularly perceived, rightly or wrongly to be very corrupt. Even though the present administration has been cautious in being categorical about the indictment of the past regime, the perception hasn’t gone away. Does this probably also explain why you were not given the free room to operate, particularly in terms of empowerment and funding? I wish one day, someone will do a thorough study of ICPC from 2011 when we came in. I have always thought that if you give me something small and I spend it judiciously, it will encourage you to give me something big in the future. The poor funding, for example, also generates independent thinking and creativity in ICPC. If you look at the kind of things we have been involved in, you would wonder where we got the money to put such things in place. If you can recall, however, throughout, you will never hear anyone say ICPC was used as a political tool. Never! And it is our independence and creativity that we have strictly abided with. Irrespective of what the funding was, we still tried to be a lot more creative. I still have more arraignments than previous years when I came into the commission with the present board members. I will continue to increase it, but if government funded us like other anti-corruption agencies that are well funded in other parts of the world, which are high on the Transparency International Perception Index, we would surprise this country. And I tell you that with the total support of the masses today, even people are ready to donate funds to fight corruption. Private companies are ready to help government today, because they know the cost of corruption and we will defeat the evil. What are you doing in that direction to harness and get them involved in the war? We have gone into partnership with almost all professional bodies in Nigeria. We have signed MoUs with them and that has gone a long way. Now, the professional bodies are watching their members much better than before. And we have built relationship with them. Look at the corruption issue at the international airport, it was the voluntary relationship between us and the aviation sector that catalyzed finding a solution. They were the ones who came to us for help and they have seen the results. They are the ones testifying today. We have seen the difference. Before, it would have been us going to them and they would have seen one as an intruder. I am sure you heard about the money which we returned to the Federal Ministry of Environment. That was possible because it was the Federal Ministry of Environment, the permanent secretary there, that reported about some people who took their money. In the past, they would have hidden that fact so that it won’t defame the ministry and they would have found a way to conceal the case and forget about it. But it was the lady then, who came and reported the matter. Also I recall the Niger Delta Ministry, whose staff we seized so much property from, it was the permanent secretary there who reported the matter to us. So, chief executives are coming as well as the Civil Defense who help us confiscate some property. It was the head of that institution that came here and even brought some suspects for interrogation. These things are going on. Look at education too. When I got involved in education in 2012, we did a study of corruption in education. Quite a number of papers were used against us, abusing and accusing us of delving into education; saying that it wasn’t our business; but by the time we came out with the study, we shut down about 26 illegal degree-awarding institutions.That was when they started to take us seriously. Then, female students later were courageous to report to us that they were being sexually harassed and we also got involved immediately. Today, as I speak to you, at the University of Lagos, a candidate was allegedly raped and we are getting involved and after proper investigation, the police will handle the rapist. Here we are looking at abuse of office. It happened in Calabar too and a parent wrote to ICPC. Before who could invite us? We are also going to get involved in what is happening at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Ambrose Alli University. We are not after the persons, we are after the institutions-to make sure that they put in place a protective gender and sexual harassment procedure. If they fail to do that, we deal with the institution, because if you are going to be pursuing people, it will continue to happen; but if you deal with the menace with an institutional approach, the institutions will regulate and design processes. They can come up with a new process, like, no student should be in the lecturer’s office. I attended the University of Ibadan, I never stepped into a lecturer’s office. It was only the class representative, who had to collect materials that did. Let’s take a comparative look at the quantum and value of the loot the commission has recovered since you took over and within this year alone. Do you have an idea? I can do that by sector. The question is taking me virtually unawares. But I do know that even within the first two quarters of 2015, January to June, a small unit, the financial investigation unit has already recovered about N3.4billion. Then my assets recovery unit, what we called Assets Tracing and Monitoring Unit (ATRM), so far for this year, has recovered cash and vehicles worth about N3.3 billion. In the past, our yearly average was not up to that. But this year alone you have recovered N6.7 billion in the first half of the year? Yes. That suggests a progression of what you have had over the past years? It is showing progression though it may not be arithmetical, but geometrical, because there are certain things we are targeting. You know when we recovered 25 units of property from civil servants in Nigeria, the cost of property started falling, because of the outcome of the poll undertaken by independent reporters. People started getting aware that you could be asked to explain the source of your wealth. That is the beauty of our job at ICPC. We do not wait for things to happen, we go ahead of you, plan and that was what led me to monitoring the bailout funds. I’m not waiting for the funds to be frittered away to begin to pursue everybody in the street. I made that pronouncement and as I’m speaking to you, my operatives are in all the states that have collected the bailout funds. We relied on data from the banks, their Accountants General and we met the NLC of the various states and if you want to make a payment which is not in consonance with the loans you took from the Federal Government, then we would immediately swing into action. We won’t wait until after three years and then begin to pursue a hole that’s already drilled. What’s your assessment of the Buhari administration’s anti-corruption campaign? The whole process of mass mobilization of persons and paying particular attention to eradicating corruption is, of course, paying off and for the anti-corruption agencies too as it makes our work definitely easier, because if we arrest somebody now, it is most unlikely that the community will begin to shout “why are you arresting our person?” Before, they would ask you “Is he the only person that you are focusing on?” What’s your take on the suggestion for special courts to try corruption cases in order to fast-track dispensation of justice, which, many believe is at present slow and militating against the war? You see, sometimes what goes around comes around. The very first section of the ICPC Act that was struck out was that aspect that stated “All corruption cases must be resolved within 90 days”. This was tested in court and the court said “No, you cannot dictate to us what time to get justice done in respect of corruption matters that will not do justice to the accused.” Now, we are going back to a situation, whereby everybody has now started to complain that some of those cases have been in court for five years, six years, even seven. We want justice faster. They have come up with an Administration of Criminal Justice Act which also we know and hope will hasten the processes. But in looking at that, we have to look at the institutional processes that could not support anything. How comfortable are court environments? If a judge wants to sit from 9am to 5pm, he can’t sit in some of the court buildings that are leaking, without power and airconditioners. They do not even have transcribing facilities like their counterparts elsewhere, they are writing in long hand. So, some of these things must be improved, the processes must be computerized. And I am happy Lagos State is quite ahead in that respect. In fact, the current administration of justice is something that has been borrowed from Lagos State. When arraignments are made in Lagos for ICPC, I get an electronic alert from the court system. If my lawyer does not show up in court, I am able to monitor and say this guy, I have an alert and you must be in Lagos. I have put in place a monitoring unit in my Lagos office and if a lawyer is coming from Abuja, one of the lawyers in Lagos must accompany him and make an official report. Again, when a suspect is being moved from the investigating agency to court, in the court environment, do you have a Holden facility? If you go abroad, most courts have a small detention centre, where you keep a person until you are ready, for security reasons. But, here you are all sitting under a tree because the court is in session and they are waiting for you to come in and you are sitting under the tree. You are waiting for your case to be called, or maybe in some instances, you are inside the court. So, it is a whole lot that must be done and you are asking for special courts. Yes, it might fast track the processes but you are using the same judges who are facing the same situation unless you make special provisions that would help them fast-track the process. You see what is happening in election tribunals, you are getting faster results right? It’s because special processes have been put in place. Now are you’re calling for a re-visit of that provision of the Act you spoke of? It’s only for us to see how we can make the process faster from the anti-corruption agencies’ perspective. The best way to help a court is to have very good investigations. If you carry rubbish to the court, the judge will not follow public opinion; the judge will follow facts available to him to take a decision. And in some cases when he takes that decision, based on facts available to him, the judge is being abused, but by the nature of his profession, he cannot defend himself publicly. So, it is my function as an anti-corruption agent to make sure that I give him that support by providing core evidence. Now, with the apparent seriousness of this government against graft, your organization obviously has a battle ahead of it, what will you require to deliver? First, is a Marshal plan for the anti-corruption sector. When I say Marshal plan, you must invest in the institutions that fight corruption in terms of offices, equipment, logistics. It would not happen if we are going for the present budget processes. I will explain. If you give me N5billion to fight corruption and I’m spending N4.5billion on salaries and I spend N300million on overheads and the balance is N200million for capital, that is not a budget. The development and strengthening of that institution must come from capital vote. For instance, we will need forensic laboratories. I’m going to need to buy new vehicles; the ones in our fleet now are about nine years old, they have broken down. And if I arrest a suspect in Jos or Enugu, I have to use public transport to bring him here. Are we serious? I need vehicles for my staff in carrying out investigation, they need to stay in good hotels or the government may give me an office building prototype and beside it, a secured accommodation, where staff and everybody can stay, so that they would not be vulnerable to attacks by suspects they are investigating. Give us safe houses. You cannot have a successful whistleblower protection if a whistleblower is under threat, I should be able to move him from Calabar to Sokoto and put him in a safe house and take good care of him until I finish my case. In essence, combating corruption is not wishful thinking, it’s not simple. I should be able to have funds whereby if something is happening, I can put four operatives on a flight immediately without anybody asking me where I got the money. If in the course of the operation, one of my staff gets injured; I should be able to get him to the best hospital in the country or anywhere in the world. That will ginger the fight. I should be able to have a kind of equipment and database that my counterparts anywhere in the world have, to develop research. If you fight the corruption war without running research to show the typology of the crimes, how do we effect the changes, or know what to expect? I have gone to the United States of America to request for software and hardware and I have just been given a good case facility, which analyses the trend for me automatically, what my colleagues in other parts of the world have had for the past 20 or more years! Talking about infrastructure and training, corruption is not limited to Nigeria alone, because whoever is taking your money is taking it abroad and my investigators must go to the same training academy like any investigator anywhere in the world, so that if he is investigating, he knows who to call, the person he can interact with and so on. If you say investigators cannot get specialized training, then we are not serious. So, we can safely say Nigeria has not been serious about fighting corruption, can’t we? It’s for you to decide, but if we are going by the funding pattern of the anti-corruption agencies and what I expect now, with the right funding and total support of the population and government, we would be able to address the issue of corruption once and for all. Are you getting the support of the president in this regard? Even if I don’t tell you privately, from the pronouncements that come out of the Presidency, principally, it should give you a clear picture that he’s serious about the independence and success of the anti graft agencies as created under the Acts. So, I don’t have any reason to doubt that. Culled from The Sun.

Kano ICPC State Commissioner solicits NSCDC Support

icpcuser — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 11:10:51 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called for the continued cooperation between the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and ICPC in the fight against corruption. ICPC’s Kano State Commissioner, Shehu Yahaya made the call recently when he led a delegation of some senior officers of the state office on a courtesy visit to the NSCDC State Commandant, Mohammed Yusha’u Aliyu. Yahaya stated that the aim of the visit was to solicit the cooperation as well as sustain the cordial relationship between ICPC and NSCDC in order to educate and enlighten the public on the ills of corruption. In his response, the NSCDC Commandant said he appreciated the visit of the State ICPC Commissioner, saying that the two agencies were like sisters. "...Working with ICPC is like working at home and your Commission is free to solicit for our official support in any way or even use the facilities of our command, if the need arises." he added. He promised to give his full support to ICPC and forward all corruption-related cases to ICPC. Aliyu also enjoined all his officers to extend their maximum co-operation to all Kano ICPC office staff in their efforts to minimise corruption in the state.

ICPC: A Synergy With Nigerian Youths On Fight Against Corruption

icpcuser — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 09:34:02 +0000

President Muhammadu Buhari has consistently maintained that he wants to be remembered for killing corruption in Nigeria or at least, fighting it to a stand still whereupon it would no longer be viable or constitute a clog in the wheel of the political, social and economic development of the nation. This is a tall but achievable ambition. Certainly he cannot do it alone. He has a plethora of anti-corruption agencies, security outfits and other law enforcement bodies to assist him. However, they too cannot achieve meaningful results without the support and cooperation of the people because corruption is largely a function of people’s attitude. It will thrive wherever people indulge in it or are inclined to perpetrate and perpetuate it, for whatever reasons or motives. Thus, any effort to successfully get rid of corruption in the country must be people centered and driven, carrying along the critical stakeholders among the populace and enlisting their understanding, support and patriotic zeal for the task. This approach is what the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has adopted, with its recent announcement of plans to hold a national conference of Nigerian youths on action against corruption from the 24th to 26th November, 2015, at the National Conference Center, Abuja. The special youth summit tagged “Mobilizing The Youths Against Corruption” is expected to provide a platform for in depth brainstorming on various ways the youths can be effectively mobilized to eradicate various forms of corruption. The conference will involve, among others, interactive sections where participants will bare their minds on individual experiences, perceptions and opinions on how to eradicate the menace. It would be recalled that this is not ICPC’s first initiative to engage Nigerian youths in the fight against corruption. Over the years, the Commission had cultivated and sustained the interest of youths in the war through some interventions, which led to the establishment of anti-corruption vanguards in tertiary institutions and anti-corruption clubs in secondary schools across the country. The interventions appeared to be primarily aimed at creating mass awareness about corruption and also generating distaste for it among the youths as they grew up to join the larger society. The new initiative coming up next Tuesday not only reinforces the earlier ones but also widens the scope to integrate all youth stakeholders into the crusade. This may ultimately lead to the creation of a formidable youth front or integrity army to decimate corruption through actual activism such as integrity campaigns, compliance monitoring, insistence on best practices, whistle blowing, refusal to be involved in corrupt practices as well taking deliberate actions to stop perpetrators. Why are the youths relevant to the anti-corruption struggle? They are important because they represent the largest segment of the populace, between the elderly and the under-age. Their presence cuts across all sectors of national life. In the workplaces, they are the ones that are used to perpetrate or facilitate corrupt practices with or without their connivance. In their neighborhoods, they know people who are living beyond their means or engaging in unwholesome activities. In their families, they know when their parents or uncles or aunts are corrupt though they may choose to be silent because they are also beneficiaries. More importantly, the future of the nation rests on them. If they stand aloof and allow corruption to destroy the present, they have no bright or prosperous future to look forward to. We are all witnesses to the reminiscences of the older generation about the good old days and their lamentations over the pitiable state corruption has reduced the country to. In all of these, the youth have been the losers. They are the ones who have been roaming the streets seeking employment several years after graduating from school. Many of those who were lucky to find employment have had to do with very stressful but poorly paid jobs, which cannot meet their needs. And to add salt to injury, people would ask the unemployed youth to be creative and try self employment despite the fact that the parlous state of the economy has made fund raising for businesses almost impossible for established people let alone young people who have nothing to hold on to. Indeed, the youths have a greater stake in the war to eradicate corruption than any other section of the Nigerian populace. It is actually their future that is at stake. The ICPC organized forum offers them an opportunity to step on board the war train and join President Buhari to free the nation and themselves from the evil called corruption. Yinka Adelani wrote from Lagos Culled from www.newspotng.com

ICPC cautions VIOs against extortion, bribery

icpcuser — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 09:02:09 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has advised Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) in Kaduna State to avoid extortion and other forms of corrupt practices. The ICPC North-West Zonal Commissioner, Olusegun Adigun, gave the advice on Thursday at a two-day workshop for VIOs in the state to enlighten them on the need for integrity and transparency. The workshop with the theme, “Combating Corruption in Vehicle Inspection System: The Role of ICPC”, was organised by the ICPC in collaboration with the Kaduna State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport. Adigun said the level of extortion and bribery by VIOs had continued to deny the state government huge revenue, adding that such practices must be stopped. “Corruption simply occurs when a person in a position of trust and responsibility suppresses the rules in order to advance his or her personal interest at the expense of the public. “A reasonable number of VIOs extort money from motorists instead of charging them for the offences committed, thereby reducing the Internally-Generated Revenue of the state. “Such practices must be stopped for us to make progress,’’ he said. Adigun blamed the persistent deterioration in values, decency and transparency in the country on the deliberate circumvention of ethics and discipline to facilitate self-interest. According to him, one major clog in our wheel of progress as a people is the issue of bribery and fraud, particularly now that the nation is ushering the needed change for sustainable development. Adigun said the workshop was to enlighten and challenge VIOs to abhor corruption and imbibe integrity and transparency in the course of their duties. “The workshop provides an opportunity for ICPC to further drive home the anti-corruption message in fulfilling its mandate of educating the public on corruption, indiscipline, unethical character and dishonesty. “We need your support as we fight to create and sustain a corrupt-free and transparent working environment in all government institutions and parastatals,’’ he said. Adigun was represented by the Zonal Assistant Commissioner, Malam Musa Alkali. Also, the State’s Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Usman Hassan, represented by the Director of Engineering in the ministry, Mohammed Badamasi, commended the ICPC for the initiative. Hassan said the workshop was the first in the history of the Vehicle Inspection Department in the last two decades. He urged the VIOs to utilise the knowledge derived from the exercise to drive the desired change in the vehicle inspection profession. The Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer, Ali Dantsoho, thanked the ICPC and the state government for ensuring that the VIOs performed their duties diligently, transparently and effectively. Culled from Premium Times

Youths Minister Commends ICPC For Engaging Youths in Anti-Corruption Fight

icpcuser — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:33:27 +0000

The Honourable Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalong, has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) for convening a conference that would positively mobilize Nigerian youths for the fight against corruption. The Minister gave the commendation recently in Abuja at a two-day National Conference on Youth Against Corruption on the theme “Mobilizing the Youths Against Corruption” While declaring the event open, Mr. Dalong noted that “corruption is a reflection of governance and democracy deficit” and that the victims of corruption were always the youths. He bemoaned the fact that the youths had offered themselves as vehicles with which corruption was driven in Nigeria, saying the youths were no longer committed to the cause of nation-building but rather to materialism. The Youths Minister therefore called on the participants to “declare war against their conscience” to stop worshiping those leaders with criminal tendencies, adding that no nation could realize its full potentials without the active involvement of the youths. Earlier, in his remarks, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, had highlighted some areas of the public sector where the Commission had intervened to check corruption-prone processes. Some of the interventions include conducting the “University Systems Study and Review” (USSR) in tertiary institutions, conducting systems study at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), as well as the development of National Values Curriculum for primary and secondary schools among others. The ICPC Chairman also warned the youths against patronizing illegal degree-awarding institutions, stating that the Commission’s intervention in the educational sector had led to the closure of 63 “degree-awarding mills” across the country. Also, in his welcome address, Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee and Member of the Board of ICPC, Professor Oluremi Aina, revealed that the conference was part of a strategy to achieve the third objective of the Commission’s mandate which is Education/Public Enlightenment. According to him, “Since its inception in September 2000, ICPC has pursued its three-fold mandate as enshrined in the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Act 2000, namely :-enforcement, prevention and education/mass mobilization. This conference is part of the strategy to achieve the third objective of the Commission’s mandate.” He further stated that the conference was conceived following the feedback received by the Commission on the perceived exclusion of youths from the anti-corruption war during the course of its zonal consultations. “The purpose of this conference therefore is to create a platform for youths all over Nigeria to come together for the purpose of considering their perspective of corruption as well as discussing how they can be positively engaged in the fight against corruption,” Professor Aina added. The keynote speaker, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), noted that the best thing that had happened to the youths was the proliferation of technology and encouraged the youths to be technology-driven, saying “technology has been the most potent tool for the fight against corruption.” Col. Ali, who described corruption as deadly, observed that all over the world, the youths were not only dreaming of the future but shaping it. He therefore charged them to build a resilient coalition against corruption that could withstand the barrage of attacks from the defenders of the status-quo. Papers on some selected topical issues were presented by different resource persons who are role models to the youths at the conference all aimed at engaging them positively in the anti-graft crusade. A communiqué was issued at the end of the conference and part of it reads: “That ICPC should institutionalize the National Conference on Youth against Corruption as an annual event and organize more editions of the conference at regional and institutional levels; and that participants at the conferences should be tagged Anti-Corruption Ambassadors who will give i-report feedback to ICPC; and that in organizing such conferences in the future, adequate logistics arrangement should be made for all participants’ transportation, accommodation and feeding; That ICPC should launch a Campus Watchdog Initiative to establish its presence and help the students fight tertiary institution-related corrupt acts; That ICPC should monitor the use of bail-out funds given to states, unnecessary increase of school fees by school administrations, police extortion, and other corrupt acts that affect youths; That the anti-corruption war should be deepened on the Internet and the social media; and the legal framework for fighting cybercrime be strengthened to fight technology-induced corruption; That ICPC should organize anti-corruption pageants (and other anti-corruption events) to make the war against corruption more youth-friendly; That government should support ICPC with more funding to enable it execute a more intensive fight against corruption; And that the teaching of the National Values Curriculum in schools should be intensified to ensure its widespread implementation across the educational system.”

Advisory on New Forged VISA Racketeering

icpcuser — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 11:10:04 +0000

In continuation of its series of advisories to the general public on various corruption schemes that fraudulent individuals employ to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) hereby warns visa seekers, who want to travel to other countries, of a new fraud scheme that many others have fallen victim of. The perpetrators of this fraudulent scheme produce unfilled foils of foreign countries’ visas e.g. United States, UK, etc. which are then completed with the personal details of the visa seeker. These visas are passed off as genuine to unsuspecting visa applicants and, of course, at the payment of huge fees. However, the truth of the matter is that these visas are forged as they are not in the records of the purportedly issuing embassies. Only recently, ICPC secured the conviction of Mr. Nasiru Bayo Kosebinu who was arraigned before Justice A.A.I. Banjoko of High Court 10, Gudu, Abuja, for forgery and being in possession of forged documents as well as uncompleted fake visa foils contrary to sections 364 and 368 of the Penal Code, Cap.532 laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and which he had intended to use to defraud unsuspecting visa applicants. When the two count-charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty. The prosecution then opened its case, led evidence and closed the case. The accused was then called upon to enter his defence whereupon he changed his plea to guilty to the charge preferred against him. The trial judge, upon application by the prosecution counsel for summary trial in view of the evidence led, convicted and sentenced the accused, Mr. Kosebinu, to two years imprisonment. In view of this and other similar cases, ICPC wishes to reiterate its warning to the general public to be wary of such individuals and to ensure that they go through the proper channels and procedures for the procurement of travel visas to foreign countries. The Commission hereby warns persons involved in such fraudulent acts to desist, as it will continue to hunt down and bring to book all those who engage in acts that bring Nigeria into disrepute.

Advisory on New Forged Visa Racketeering

icpcuser — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 11:12:18 +0000

ICPC Bid Out-going Honourable Members Farewell

icpcuser — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 21:34:09 +0000

A valedictory session was held on November, 2015, for four out-going Board Members of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), whose tenure ended on 28th November, 2015. The Board Members were: Dame Julie Onum-Nwariaku, who represented the South-east Zone; Alhaji Isa Ozi Salami, North-central; Professor Oluremi Aina, South-west; and Alhaji Abdullahi Ado Bayero, North-west. Speaking with nostalgia at the session, the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta recalled that “... the journey of the out-going Board Members started four years ago, precisely on 29th November, 2011.” According to Nta, he was sworn in as the Acting Chairman of ICPC on the same day with them by former President Goodluck E. Jonathan after they had been screened by the National Assembly. He said the action of former President Jonathan was in pursuance of the protocol signed by Nigeria under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to ensure that the independence of government institutions established to fight corruption was preserved without executive interference, given the fact that corruption was a global phenomenon. He averred that, the existence of anti-graft institutions would not only reduce corruption but also promote good governance in the society. Speaking on the accomplishments of the Board, Mr. Nta said that it assumed duty in 2011 and immediately set up a committee to draw up a Strategic Action Plan for the smooth running of the Commission. The Committee, chaired by Professor Olu Aina, drew up a document which compared very well with the ICPC Strategic Action Plan 2013 - 2017, later developed by the British government's Department for International Development (DFID) for the Commission through its Justice For All Programme (J4A). Some of the achievements of the Board were listed by the Chairman to include collaborations with several government establishments. Such collaborations were with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND). According to the Chairman, the collaboration with NUC led to the conduct of a system study and review of a number of universities in Nigeria, which led to the closure of 63 illegal degree-awarding institutions and the prosecution of 5 proprietors of these institutions. As a follow-up to the study, the collaboration with TETFUND led to a national conference to proffer solutions to issues bedevilling tertiary education funding in Nigeria. ICPC also collaborated with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to overhaul the tax system and checkmate tax evasions. Mr. Nta added that during the tenure of the Board Members, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) started to run smoothly and more land was given to the Academy through the interface of Hon. Ozi Salami with the Nasarawa State Government. The state government decided to extend the Academy’s land in appreciation of ICPC’s assistance in getting contractors to repay tax owed to it. Mr. Nta further said that before the end of the tenure of the Members, ICPC had gained the respect of foreign embassies in Nigeria because the Commission was able to sanitise visa acquisition processes. The Commission was also involved in sanitising the pension scheme which led to the recovery of billions of Naira for the country and the eradication of ghost pensioners. Capacity-building for staff of ICPC was also stepped up during the period as more staff members were sent on both local and international training compared with what had obtained in the past in the Commission. The Board also did not fail to sanction erring staff to promote discipline in the Commission, he added. Adding to what the Chairman had said about the successes recorded by the Board, the Secretary to the Commission, Elvis Oglafa said the Members were appointed by President Jonathan to make their contribution to the anti-corruption campaign which they did commendably. In his breakdown of how each Member successfully carried out the task given to them while in ICPC, Mr. Oglafa said Dame Julie Onum-Nwariaku was the overseer of the Commission’s programmes that involved Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and by so doing, contributed to the smooth administration of ICPC. Professor Aina’s purview was the Education sector through which his wealth of experience as a university lecturer was utilised. Within the period he served as board member, the Commission was able to conduct University System Study and Review, assisted in the smooth running of ACAN and organised conferences in the sector. Alhaji Ozi Salami was in charge of media matters given his past record as a member on the Board of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) while Alhaji Ado Bayero was in charge of youths and sports development in the Commission. In her vote of thanks, Dame Onum-Nwariaku noted that the cooperation given to them by members of staff made their tenure successful. She urged staff of the Commission to always be proud of ICPC and ensure that they protect the image of the Commission through their conduct.

Provost Charges ICPC to keep up laudable Initiatives

icpcuser — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 08:22:15 +0000

The Provost of Adeyemi College of Education Ondo, Professor Olukoya Ogen has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to continue with its laudable initiatives in the fight against corruption. He made the call during the inauguration of the members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the College by ICPC. Prof. Ogen commended ICPC for its effort in institutionalizing integrity in government agencies and therefore pledged his institution`s support to the success of the Unit and the fight against corruption. Prof. Ogen said “........this college has always operated a policy of zero tolerance to corruption and this has resulted in the college being designated as the zonal centre for the dissemination of Anti-Corruption policy by ICPC.” The ICPC Chairman Mr. Ekpo Nta, while delivering a goodwill message through Mr. Justin Kuatsea, stated that the ACTU was not established to witch-hunt anyone but to work with the management and other staff in entrenching transparency in the running of the affairs of the college. Also speaking at the inauguration, Mrs V.O Akindehin, the Chairperson of ACTU, said she appreciated the support of the Provost and management staff of the college in ensuring the inauguration of the Unit.

Treat Corruption like Ebola - ICPC

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 15:25:44 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called on Nigerians to rise up against the evil of corruption the way they rose up against the scourge of Ebola Virus Disease in order to eradicate it from the country. This call was made by Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni, Spokesperson of the Commission and Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department, who represented the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, at the Report Validation Meeting of the Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) in the aviation sector in Lagos. Mrs. Okoduwa, brimming with passion, noted, “Look at the response we had against Ebola as a nation, and look at our response to corruption, we saw Ebola as life-threatening and stopped shaking hands. If we could get down to that personal level, corruption is no less killing us, in fact it is worse because it affects all of us at once. `If our response around it, is the way we responded to Ebola, not only would we check ourselves, we would be bold enough to speak up when other people are doing the wrong thing”. Earlier, while giving the welcome remarks, she had said the essence of the meeting was to validate the draft report of the CRA conducted in two international airports namely:- Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. Mrs. Okoduwa recalled that ICPC had stated clearly that the CRA exercise was not a witch-hunting exercise, rather that it was a diagnostic tool deployed in collaboration with the management of target organizations to identify vulnerabilities in their operational systems and to recommend appropriate response strategies in order to mitigate the risks of corruption. The meeting also featured goodwill messages by representatives of stakeholders in the aviation sector which included the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr. S B Simon; the Managing Directors of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA); and presentation of the draft report of the CRA by the project consultant, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye. In a short video clip message to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day, which was played at the event, the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta urged Nigerians to “break the chain of corruption” for the benefit of ourselves and future generations. He added that citizens should Start the anti-corruption fight with themselves. The Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department, ICPC, Mr Akeem Lawal, fsi, while making the closing remarks of the meeting reinforced the view of the ICPC Chairman that the CRA exercise was not an indictment, but a prevention mechanism to check corruption-prone systems and was in fulfillment of Sections 6 b-d of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Progress made, but work remains in anti-corruption fight: UPAC commissioner

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 08:29:21 +0000

Last week someone at Quebec’s anti-corruption squad got a tip that a civil servant had just received an envelope stuffed with cash and a building permit application. The inference, according to UPAC commissioner Robert Lafrenière, was that the builder would pay the civil servant in hopes of moving his project along faster. It was a bribe but one that was immediately reported. Even after working cases for five years and executing some 340 search warrants, Quebec’s UPAC still has its work cut out for it. “(Last week’s tip), it wasn’t millions of dollars but it was cash in an envelope,” said Lafrenière, former chief of investigations at the Sûreté du Québec. “You think, ‘Wow, people are still doing this.’ And I tell myself, ‘There might be places where this is still how it works. We just haven’t had any whistleblowers yet.’ So yeah, in 2016, we have to keep letting people know that we need them to report wrongdoing. They’re our eyes and ears … There are still reprehensible acts happening.” Since its inception in 2011 — as reports over rampant corruption in the awarding of public contracts continued to dog the city of Montreal and the province — UPAC has had the unenviable task of transforming Quebec’s culture of corruption. Two years ago, the squad arrested former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt on charges of corruption and gangsterism, they arrested former Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum while he was in office and have rounded up magnates, city planners and assorted civil servants. Vaillancourt and Applebaum are awaiting trial and have pleaded not guilty to the charges they face. UPAC’s investigations have led to 155 arrests — including 23 in 2015 — most of which relate to breach of trust, corruption and actions that have allegedly defrauded the government of millions. Though most of these charges have yet to be proven in court, UPAC’s findings suggest a culture where contractors trading cash for lucrative public works contracts became an almost banal occurrence. After the high-profile arrests of Vaillancourt and Applebaum, Lafrenière said he was struck by seeing brazen acts of corruption. It was around that time that a contractor tried bribing the mayor of Châteauguay in return for a zoning change — she immediately reported him. “It was in the middle of all that press coverage, ‘UPAC hits here, UPAC hits there,’ ” said Lafrenière. “The year 2013, we arrested 66 people and you see the (attempted bribe) and you think, ‘Damn, they don’t understand, they’re not afraid.’ That’s where I realized how entrenched this behaviour is in some people. “(With) Applebaum, when he went on television and said, ‘I’m not under investigation,’ and you know that it’s about to come down, you say, ‘My God, that’s incredible.'” Corruption had such deep roots in Quebec because, for years, it was easy, because it went unpunished and unreported, said Lafrenière. He was head of investigations at the SQ for three years and only came across one corruption probe. The tip for that probe didn’t come from a whistleblower but, rather, from evidence uncovered during an unrelated wiretap investigation. “Back then, our priority was the (biker wars), the bombs going off and the shootings,” he said. Sitting in his office near the Jacques Cartier Bridge, Lafrenière says he believes his unit has changed things for the better. He notes that, in some municipalities, the price of some projects has gone down by up to 30 per cent. And the construction of the publicly funded Quebec City arena — a time when UPAC inspectors would regularly visit the site — came in about $35 million under budget. With contractors beginning work on the $3.7 billion Turcot Interchange project, UPAC has visited the site 67 times. They check to make sure work is being done right, to ensure that labourers are properly certified and that the companies doing the building have been greenlit by the Autorité des marchés financiers. “With Turcot, if we don’t lose control, think of how much money we can save taxpayers,” Lafrenière said. “Yes, there’s been a change in culture, yes the level of ethics has been raised on the part of civil servants, construction firms and elected officials. But there’s still a lot of work to do.” ccurtis@montrealgazette.com

Jack: Deployment of E-Governance Will Address Corruption

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 08:33:07 +0000

The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack, has expressed optimism that the deployment of e-governance framework, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, is the best solution to the challenge of corruption in both the public and private sectors. Jack made the disclosure at an interactive workshop organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for members of staff of NITDA, in Abuja recently, with the theme: 'Ethics, Accountability and Transparency in Public Service'. The Director General, who was represented by a Director at the agency, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, said: "Deploying e-governance solution alone to a large extent will assist the government in curbing corruption. Look at how the Treasury Single Account (TSA) that was recently introduced by the federal government has become the main drive of curbing corruption in the country." According to him, "What ICT will do is to reduce physical interaction between people. When you don't see people, it will be very difficult for people to collect gratification for the job they are supposed to do." ICT, Jack added, will allow structures and systems to flow without hindrance and will eliminate the practice, where contractors will complete their work and still have to see the accountant to pull their files, before payments are made. According to him, "NITDA in conjunction with KOICA of South Korea, has developed a national framework on e-government solution that is only waiting for implementation. "We were at the point of taking the solution to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) before the twilight of the last dispensation. However, it is being re-packaged to be presented to the new administration for approval. As we speak people are already undergoing training in government public institutes on how to make it work. We have started training people from all the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government, so that by the time we deploy the solution, the government officials will easily key in and we are looking at deploying the solution before the end of the first quarter of 2016." Speaking on public service ethics, Jack said the principles of accountability and transparency are enshrined in its rules and regulations to ensure that both senior and junior officers conduct themselves according to laid down rules for proper conduct so as to facilitate efficient public service delivery, which will translate to societal development. "Ethics, accountability and transparency principles therefore place obligation on the public service to serve in a manner that will ensure the well-being of the citizen as well as societal development. Globally there is a consensus on the need for reforming public service sector institution to strengthen ethics, integrity, transparency, accountability and professionalism." People are debating and complaining about outright corruption, lack of ethics, transparency, integrity and unprofessional behaviour in government, but things have to change so that the citizens will regain confidence in the public service institution, and it is also important that the war against corruption and other things that weaken public service integrity, must be addressed, Jack said. The Chairman, ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was also represented by the commission’s Head of Anti-Corruption and Monitoring Unit (ACTU), Mr. Akeem Lawal Nta, said the use of ICT in fighting corruption cannot be relegated to the background. According to him, "Information is power and social media abounds everywhere now and that gives people the space to communicate effectively. The anti-'corruption agencies have also embraced ICT as we have our various sites and platforms for people to access government services and today Nigerians can walk into government offices with the position of knowledge and not ignorance." Culled from Thisday Live

ICPC Declares Dr Ephraim Iroakazi Wanted over N60m Fraud

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 08:52:15 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has declared Dr. Ephraim Maduebuchulam Iroakazi wanted on issues bordering on N60 million fraud. Dr. Iroakazi was born on 17th January, 1959 (56 years old). He is a businessman as well as a politician and hails from Ubakala, Abia State. His last known address was Umugbuligwe-Umuosu, Ubakala, Umuuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State. Anybody who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC headquarters Abuja, any of ICPC state offices or the nearest police station. You can also call ICPC toll free lines: 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272), 08031230280, 08031230281, 08031230282, 07056990190, 07056990191.

ICPC Declares Olatunji Adewale Wanted

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 08:58:16 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has declared Mr. Olatunji Adewale wanted for flouting the bail conditions of Dr. Ephraim Maduebuchulam Iroakazi who was arraigned in court over N60 million fraud. Mr. Adewale stood as surety for Dr. Iroakazi but failed to produce him in court for judgment. Adewale is a staff of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahi, Abia State. His last known address was No: 57 Ezeogbulafor Street, Umuahi Abia State. Anybody who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC headquarters Abuja, any of ICPC state offices or the nearest police station. You can also call ICPC toll free lines: 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272), 08031230280, 08031230281, 08031230282, 07056990190, 07056990191.

Over 400 graft cases pending in courts, says ICPC

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 09:22:21 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, Mr. Nta Ekpo, disclosed on Thursday that the anti-graft agency was currently prosecuting over 400 corruption-related cases across the various courts in the country. Nta stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Anti- Corruption and Financial Crimes, headed by Senator Chukwuka Utazi (the Peoples Democratic Party, Enugu North) at the Senate wing of the National Assembly. He noted that the ICPC had carried out some reforms in recent times but blamed the inability of the anti-corruption agency to successfully carry out its functions on non-availability of adequate budgetary provisions by previous governments. He explained that while 90 per cent of the budget meant for the commission was spent annually on prosecution, only 10 percent was expended on prevention. He described the arrangement as unproductive and not in tandem with the recommendations of the United Nations. He said ordinarily, 60 per cent ought to have been spent on prevention, as against the current practice. Ekpo said, “Nineteen per cent of the time, we talk about corruption. No one spends time to talk about anti-corruption. There is a clear distinction between corruption and other financial crimes. “When we were sworn in, I was being abused on a daily basis on the pages of national newspapers because of my approach to fighting corruption. “Our budgetary provisions every year have always been on fighting corruption. Only 10 per cent is budgeted for prevention. Corruption is a transnational issue. It goes beyond Nigeria. “People did not know that we had about 400 cases going on at the beginning of the year. We had to place an advertisement for Nigerians to know what is happening. ICPC has been in the forefront of educating Nigerians on anti-corruption.” The ICPC boss said that his agency had put in measures to monitor compliance with the Treasure Single Account and that it was collaborating with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to ensure that people pay their taxes. Utazi told members of the commission that “Nigeria is in a trying period” in history; hence, the people elected chose to carry this responsibility. According to him, the number one priority on President Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda was the fight against corruption. The senator promised that his committee would collaborate with anti-corruption agencies in the country in order to give an impetus to the current anti-graft war being waged by Buhari. Culled from The Punch

Political corruption, biggest threat to Nigeria's development -Oyegun

icpcuser — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 21:10:58 +0000

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has identified political corruption as one of the biggest threats to democracy and sustainable development in Nigeria. Speaking at the end-of-year dinner of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS) in Abuja, the APC Chairman said the civil service can play an important role in curbing political corruption just as it has played roles in enabling it. Oyegun, who spoke on “the role of Nigeria Civil Service in this era of change,” said the Civil Service remains the fulcrum for national development in this era of change. According to him, public opinion about the civil service in the country is not a favourable one, adding that “the prevailing public opinion is that the Civil Service is a hotbed for corruption, ineptitude and mediocrity, hence the current commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to rid the nation of the scourge. While saying that the generality of Nigerians misunderstand the philosophy and modus operandi of the Civil Service, Oyegun said it remains one of the most important institutions for national cohesion and development. “I can confidently affirm that even at that time, the Service was often not appreciated by the generality of Nigerians who misunderstood our philosophy and modus operandi. “Notwithstanding then, as at today, yet the Civil Service remains one of the most important institutions to national cohesion and development. “His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari has made the fight against corruption a critical commitment of his administration, and events of the past few months have shown that he is resolute about this. “This campaign has been well received by stakeholders who understand the crucial need to drastically reduce the level of corruption that is prevalent in this country if we must have any hope of achieving much needed development. “Corruption, especially political corruption, is perhaps the biggest threat to sustainable development, especially in Nigeria today. “Corruption has been, and continues to be, a destructive element in the governance of Nigeria and the perception of the country in the comity of nations. The negative effects of corruption on Nigeria’s growth are numerous. “The civil service plays a key role in enabling political corruption and equally can play an important role in curbing political corruption. “However, before it can effectively function as the formidable anti-corruption check that should be, the civil service must reform, self-regulate and wean itself of the bad eggs that have caused a justified negative public perception. “The prevailing public perception of the civil service is that of a hotbed of corruption, ineptitude and mediocrity. For decades, Nigerians have represented the civil service by a host of negative stereotypes – the official who will not treat a file until his/her palms are greased; the permanent secretary under whose watch public funds were pilfered, etc. “This notion in the national consciousness must be addressed by the civil service and in so doing; the service will not only effectively function as an anti-corruption machine but also attract public support in playing this crucial role.” The APC National Chairman said in tackling the rot from within, organisations like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) will have to play a key role. “The ICPC, by virtue of its mandate, is a critical stakeholder that must assist in strengthening public institutions to prevent and withstand corruption and has introduced several initiatives to tackle corruption in the public service. “The Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Units (ACTUs), established by the ICPC in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), should serve as watchdogs and whistle-blowers. “In several MDAs, annual internal audits specifically targeted at identifying arrears prone to corruption have reportedly been able to plug some loopholes in the management of the nation’s resources. “On the external front, there is need for a renewed vigour by the judiciary and other stakeholders to have bad eggs weeded out of the service and punished for their crimes. “These and more will eventually result in a civil service that can shrug off its negative public perception and act as a check on corruption,” he said.

Nigeria President Escalates Campaign to Stem Corruption

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 15:39:28 +0000

ICPC Stops Firm From Fleecing 1,379 Job Applicants of N5.2 million *Set To Make Refunds To Affected Applicants

icpcuser — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 18:22:19 +0000

Plans by a firm, Firstgate Business Intermediaries Limited (FBIL), few months ago to pocket the sum of N5.2 million from 1,379 applicants in Nigeria through tempting international job offers has been halted through prompt intervention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC). Before the intervention of ICPC, the Company, through newspaper advertorials, had raked in the huge sum by offering job seekers mouth-watering remunerations through internship with foreign multinational companies and manufacturing industries. Many applicants had rushed to apply, each paying the sum of N3,500 demanded as non-refundable fee. FBIL initially succeeded in enticing desperate job applicants by claiming that it was in partnership with the then Federal Ministries of Power, Youths & Sports Development and that of Trade and Investment to arrange the recruitment of Nigerian youths for international job opportunities. The company, however, ran out of luck when the former Ministry of Youths Development disassociated itself from the antics of FBIL on job offers and published a disclaimer in some national dailies, which eventually attracted the attention of ICPC. Findings have revealed that although the Federal Ministry of Power appointed the MD/CEO of FBIL, Mr Kelvin Asogwa its Consultant to undertake and drive its initiative for building the capacity of youths in six geo-political zones of the federation, it was never part of the plan to recruit and collect monies from applicants for unverified international job offers. According to ICPC, the Federal Ministry of Power in its disclaimer had stated that it never authorised FBIL to advertise and charge fees from Nigerian youths on the initial assignment given to it. In the same vein, the Ministry insisted that there was no communication from it to other Ministries who were listed as partners. On prompt intervention, however, ICPC decided to freeze the account of FBIL after they had agreed to refund the monies it collected to affected applicants through ICPC Recovery account. ICPC has advised affected applicants to make formal written request for the refund of the fees which they had paid into the company’s First Bank Plc account Number 2027076297 by letter addressed to the Chairman (Attention: Head, FIU), ICPC, Plot 802, Central Business District, Abuja or send an email to info@icpc.gov.ng stating their full names, address, bank account and BVN numbers, telephone numbers and amounts paid. They should get further details through this link: List of Victims of Employment Scam by First Gate Ltd where the list of those applicants who paid has been posted. The ICPC has, however, advised Federal Ministries to always follow due process in appointing Consultants for specific jobs and to closely vet their backgrounds to avoid embarrassment involving raising of funds from desperate job-seekers.

ICPC Puts Smiles on ITF Retirees *N314 m Pension Arrears Paid

icpcuser — Sat, 26 Dec 2015 15:30:41 +0000

Retirees of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), who were owed over N314 million in pension arrears have been paid following the intervention of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related of Offences Commission (ICPC). The Commission had waded into the matter following a petition by a concerned retiree who alleged that the Director-General of the parastatal had diverted funds meant for payment of pension arrears for personal use. Investigation by the Commission however revealed that government had not yet released money for such payment as at the time of the petition. The Commission therefore advised that the agitated retirees be paid as soon as government released money for that purpose. Consequent upon the release of the funds by the government, the ITF has now paid the retirees the sum of N314,651,623.17 (Three hundred and fourteen million, six hundred and fifty one thousand, six hundred and twenty three Naira, seventeen kobo. The amount covered the settlement of 66 months arrears of increment in pension in line with the implementation of the Federal Government circular of 2014. The Commission advises petitioners to always avoid sensationalizing, embellishing or fabricating allegations which impugns the integrity of public officers who are wrongly accused of corrupt practices.

Recovered Funds: ICPC Hands Over N290,200 to Owner

okon — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 11:54:44 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has handed over N290,200 recovered from fraudsters to the owner, Mrs. Imaobong Effiong Archibong. A Guaranty Trust Bank cheque of the amount was presented to the victim at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja by the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, on behalf of the ICPC Chairman. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. Oglafa said the recovery and the handing over of the fund was in line with the responsibilities of the Commission. He narrated that the problem started for Mrs. Archibong when her hard token ( an internet banking device) got blocked, prompting her to complain to First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Maitama branch, Abuja where she was told that the problem would be resolved. The Secretary continued that, “The victim later got an email asking her to synchronize her phone with a certain link purportedly sent by First Bank of Nigeria Plc, which she did and also got a confirmation call from a “staff” of First Bank who asked her for her security details and she gave them out, not knowing that they were fraudsters. The fraudsters transferred the amount of N620,000 from her account to five accounts domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank and Keystone Bank.” Mr. Oglafa added that, ‘When she alerted the Customer Care Unit of First Bank to notify them of the transfers, she was promised a recovery within 45 days from the day of complaint. The bank could only recover the sum of N170,700 after the 45 days had elapsed. ‘The victim brought her complaint to the Commission; we investigated and were able to recover the sum of N440,200 from the stolen amount. The first recovery was from a Keystone Bank account where the manager issued a cheque of N150,000 dated 21^st September, 2015 which was handed over to the complainant and the second from a GTB account with a cheque of N290,200 dated 25^th November, 2015 which we just handed over to her.” The Secretary to the Commission therefore warned Nigerians to be wary of bank fraudsters and also advised the general public not to comply with directives from unverified sources seeking details of their personal bank account information.

ICPC Christian Fellowship Donates Gifts to IDPs, Orphanage Home in Abuja

okon — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 12:07:22 +0000

The Christian Fellowship of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has distributed relief items to some under-privileged persons in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Members of the fellowship expressed their love borne out of the spirit of the Christmas season at the Internally Displaced Persons' (IDPs) Camp located in Area 1, Garki, and the Refugee and Orphans House at Kubwa respectively. The team of officers who paid the visits on behalf of the fellowship distributed items including bags of rice, tissue paper, copies of the Holy Bible, clothings for adults and children amongst others. Receiving the items on behalf of other IDPs, Chairman of the Area 1 IDPs, Ibrahim Ahmed, and the Women Leader, Liyatu Ayuba, respectively expressed their gratitude for the love and compassion extended to them by the representatives of the ICPC fellowship and the Commission in general. At the Kubwa Refugees and Orphans House, similar items were also donated in addition to 25,000 Naira cash. The proprietor of the House, Nkennis Ajuyah, who was overjoyed with the gifts and could not hide her gratitude for the gesture, praised the team effusively and also brought out the children of the House for a warm interaction with members of the team.

'Threats of violence ignored in anti-corruption reforms'

okon — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 07:51:01 +0000

London, Dec 25: Not enough attention is paid to threats of violence against public servants when anti-corruption reforms are developed, says a study to determine underlying causes of corruption in government administrations. “Many seriously corrupt societies have been set up in such a way that it can actually be dangerous not to accept a bribe and instead implement legislation,” said study author Aksel Sundstrom from University of Gothenburg in the Sweden. “Not accepting a bribe can mean that you obstruct criminal networks,” he added. “The people who plan anti-corruption measures should be more aware that there is a social cost to not accepting bribes. This is why policy planners must include protective measures for the people who are expected to change their behaviour,” Sundstrom said. The study results confirm earlier research but also found that threats of violence is an aspect that researchers and policy-makers have not taken sufficiently seriously. The author also studied to what extent merit-based salaries for individual officials is an effective instrument for preventing corruption. Merit-based salaries mean managers reward to those who take steps to reduce corruption. He found that these systems can be abused and, at worst, lead to increased corruption. Sundstrom interviewed the inspectors who monitor the fishing done along the coast of South Africa and the officials in the organisation to which the inspectors belong. This is an administration with major corruption problems. “Since the managers themselves have often had time to become part of the corrupt system, they tend to give salary bonuses to those who help to maintain the system rather than to those who want to abolish it. A strict monitoring system is necessary if merit-based salaries are to work as an anti-corruption instrument,” he said. (IANS) Culled from The Sentinel

The EU’s corruption problem - Oliver Marc Hartwich

okon — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 07:56:38 +0000

The EU likes to portray itself as a good and modern place to do business, despite the hiccups of the euro crisis and other distractions. Between this self-image and reality nevertheless lies a gap, and nowhere is this more evident than in spread of corruption around the continent. We actually have to thank the EU for drawing our attention to this problem. The latest Eurobarometer survey, conducted for the European Commission, asked almost 8,000 businesses across all EU member states about their perception of corruption in their countries. The results at the same time shocking and revealing. Across the whole of the EU, 71 per cent of all companies thought that corruption was widespread in their respective countries. Only 24 per cent believed it was rare, 5 per cent did not know — and precisely zero per cent declared corruption non-existent. If almost three quarters of businesses report widespread corruption, then surely this must be a serious issue, even though it is not one that receives much coverage. What is even more striking are the large differences in perceptions of corruption across Europe. In Italy, 98 per cent of respondents reported widespread corruption, but only 11 per cent of Danish companies did. Italy and Denmark are the two extreme points in this survey around which other countries cluster.

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The most corrupt places are in Italy’s loose geographic proximity. Spain (93 per cent), Greece (96 per cent), Romania (95 per cent) and Bulgaria (91 per cent) are all Southern European countries. Meanwhile, the least corrupt places such as Sweden (43 per cent), Finland (31 per cent), Britain (41 per cent) and maybe even Germany (though at 51 per cent perceived corruption) are all in central and northern Europe. Interestingly, the perception of corruption does not necessarily mean that doing business is made harder. Take Italy, for example. Though 98 per cent of Italian companies report widespread corruption, only 60 per cent agreed that corruption was a problem for doing business in Italy. Maybe the difference between the two figures are companies are so used to corrupt practices that they regard them as ‘business as usual’, in which case corruption was not a problem for doing business but the way of getting business done. The discrepancy is similar in all European countries. Even though corrupt practices are regarded as commonplace, fewer companies feel that they make their lives more difficult. It is worth pointing out that corruption does not always mean bribes and kickbacks. In fact, these were ranked relatively low as the most common occurrences of corruption. Far more prevalent are favouring friends and family members in business, tax fraud and funding political parties in exchange for influence of public contracts. Perhaps least surprising in the Eurobarometer results is the sector-by-sector analysis. By far the sector most affected by corruption is construction and building, in which 49 per cent of respondents across the EU said corruption was a problem for doing business. This was followed by engineering, electronics and motor vehicles (39 per cent) and financial services, banking and investment (35 per cent). Another result of the survey which should be embarrassing for the EU is the anticipation of criminal sanctions. Almost two thirds of companies (62 per cent) stated that they would find it unlikely that corrupt people or businesses would be imprisoned or heavily fined. In fact, only 41 per cent believe that such people or businesses would even get caught. The picture that emerges from this latest Eurobarometer survey is an unsettling one. It shows how the rule of law and clean business practices are not nearly as strong in Europe as one might have expected. After all, most EU member states are mature, developed economies with reasonably functional legal systems. We would instinctively expect them to score much better in corruption surveys. Yet only in a handful of these countries does corruption seem to be under control (and practically all of them are Scandinavian). For the EU and its member states, there is a lot of work to be done in this area. This is particularly necessary because corruption is not just criminal and wrong, but especially harmful to small companies. To quote the Eurobarometer survey: “Smaller companies are more likely to experience a range of problems when doing business in their country, including patronage and nepotism, and corruption. In addition, smaller companies are more likely to say corruption in their country is widespread: 73 per cent of the smallest companies say this, compared to 50 per cent of those with 250+ employees. “Smaller companies are also much more likely to say corruption prevented them from winning a public tender or procurement contract. Smaller companies are more likely to say bribery or the abuse of power for personal gain is widespread among politicians, party representatives or senior officials at the national or regional/local level.” So a corrupt business environment seems to work in favour of large incumbent companies while stopping new and smaller rivals from growing in the market. For countries in economic crises, however, it is the dynamic of the SME sector that is vital for creating growth and jobs. This makes an effective strategy for tackling the corruption problem all the more important. But it is not apparent either the EU or any of its member states has one.

Dr Oliver Marc Hartwich is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative.

Off the Cuff - Corruption doesn’t pay

okon — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 23:55:32 +0000

An important mission of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is to prevent corrupt practice and this has proven to be a most difficult task. It’s harder than for example, arresting those involved in corruption and even charging them in court. Of course whether they will be convicted at the end of the day and serve their sentence is another story. The MACC’s prevention efforts have taken many forms, including having an independent advisory panel on prevention and a separate unit whose task is to spread the message on the evils of corruption through educational campaigns. I served as a member of this panel for six years until the earlier part of 2015, and now I am happy to say that fellow columnist R. Nadeswaran, also known as Citizen Nades, sits on the panel. It’s disturbing to note that an MACC survey found even students did not regard corruption as a serious issue and even spoke of “peer influence” as being a contributing factor. Statistics also show that we are still far from being able to “break the backbone” of corruption, so to speak, after all these years just as the nation is nowhere near to winning the war against drug abuse than when we started 40 years ago. No one can actually say if it’s a winnable war by a long shot but the fight against both corruption and the drug menace must go on unrelentingly. Thinking outside the box, the MACC recently added a new dimension to its preventive efforts and I am devoting this week’s column to it. A young former magistrate, who has served a three-year jail sentence for receiving a RM8,000 bribe, has come out in the open as a motivational speaker to assist the MACC spread the anti-corruption message. Let me first of all praise Mohd Firdaus Ramlan for his gallantry to not only own up for the crime but to tell others about it. Not many such people are willing to do it given society’s stigma against former prisoners. Besides the jail term, Firdaus was fined RM40,000 for the offence and he began serving the sentence in 2012 after the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict imposed by the Kota Baru sessions court three years earlier. He told of his ordeal before he was put behind bars in an interview with the Malaysia Gazette news portal last week. To begin with, he spoke of how all four new car tyres and a handphone that he bought with the corrupt money were later stolen. His marriage was on the rocks and after his arrest, he had to endure unbearable humiliation while family members went through a trauma. The case not only hit him and his family but also his workplace and even the good name of the university he graduated from. “After my arrest and court prosecution, I had to sell nasi lemak to put food on the table and no one, even close friends, bothered to ask me if I had money to buy napkins and milk for my children,” he said. All his friends kept their distance but the most traumatic one was yet to come. Two weeks before the Court of Appeal made its decision, his mother, step-father and younger brother were killed in a road accident during the Hari Raya month. “Imagine how I felt while I was standing at the graveside while their bodies were being lowered for burial ... I was devastated because I didn’t manage to seek forgiveness from my mother ... and there was this fear that I could have unintentionally given my mother some of the corrupt money that I received,” he said. Firdaus said he had this sense of guilt although he had made sure that he gave his mother only money from his legitimate salary as a magistrate but somehow felt on hindsight that there could be a mix-up of such money. Another startling revelation of the effect of his ill-gotten money was that being a collector of shoes, he bought 48 pairs with the money and had them packed in plastic wrappers. All the shoes were eaten up by termites and only two older pairs including one that he received as a wedding gift were spared! Firdaus went on to say that the crime he committed took another toll on him. His tongue would just stiffen every time he wanted to recite verses from the Quran although he came from a religious school background. It was only after going through hundreds of prayers seeking forgiveness from Allah the Almighty that he was able read the Quran again. He also spoke about his harrowing experience behind bars where his spirits were only lifted when he realised that there were others who were serving longer jail terms. “When I realised that there were some who have to go through as long as 47 years behind bars and I (had to serve) only three years ... It made me grateful. I actually served only two years (after remission for good behaviour),” said Firdaus. He used his time in prison to write a book that was published recently entitled 'Tersugung Dek Rasuah' (Felled by Corruption). This shows how determined this young man is not to let the bitter lessons that he underwent be in vain and to use them for the benefit of society at large. In the fight against the growing threat of corruption in Malaysia, we certainly need more brave people like Firdaus to send home more effectively the anti-corruption message. Asked how everyone could hope to reduce or wipe out corrupt practice that could not only destroy individuals, society and even civilisation, Firdaus said philosophically: “It can only be realised if people are conscious of the fact that there is life after death.” Azman wishes everyone a Happy New Year. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com Culled from The Sun Daily

ICPC Toll-Free Line Got My 9-Year Delayed Gratuity Paid To Me – A Retiree

okon — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 15:44:12 +0000

In its bid to sustain the continued success of the anti-corruption crusade at all levels, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently intervened and ensured that the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) paid a retiree, Mr. Muhammad Isa Kabir, his over 9-year delayed gratuity. Mr. Kabir, who launched his complaint through a call to ICPC toll-free line, got his problem satisfactorily solved and his gratuity was fully paid to him on 26th November, 2015. In a thank you letter to the Commission dated 30th November, 2015, the greatly elated retiree expressed his gratitude to the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Ekpo Nta and his entire staff. He said “On behalf of myself and my family, I am writing this letter as a humble note of appreciation for the amazing work done on the issue of my nonpayment of gratuity”. Kabir added “The professionalism portrayed has impressed me immensely. I must say the correct and prompt support extended to me keep me wondering whether ICPC is a government-owned organization or an organized private one. I called the toll-free line and ICPC staff answered all my queries very politely and helpful (sic) throughout the call”. Commending the ICPC boss, the elated retiree stated “Sir, you should certainly feel proud of such resources, which bring in goodwill for the organization. I appreciate the way you have trained your staff and the way they are following their duty perfectly”. Responding to these remarks, the ICPC boss stated that the contents of Mr. Kabir’s letter to ICPC had gladdened his heart.

Nigerian Students Excel at the All Africa International Humanitarian Law Competition Organised By The International Committee of the Red Cross

okon — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 14:29:38 +0000

University of Uyo, having won the National rounds of the Annual International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Moot competition, represented Nigeria at the All Africa IHL Moot competition. Nigeria emerged the FIRST RUNNERS UP at the 15th All African Moot competition held in Arusha, Tanzania between 15th - 22nd November, 2015, and produced the BEST SPEAKER in the finals. It was a very memorable and wonderful week for us as team and representatives of our country NIGERIA, at the 15th All Africa Moot Competition held at Arusha,Tanzania and organised by the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross). We had the opportunity during the finals to have a live court session in the ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda) in front of ICTR And UN-MICT (United Nations Mechanism For International Criminal Tribunals) judges, this was a once in a life time experience especially bearing in mind that the ICTR officially closed on the 31st of December, 2015, and currently has its operations run by the United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (UN-MICT). Firstly, I give thanks to God Almighty for the wisdom and strength to achieve this feat. I also acknowledge the support given by my lovely parents and siblings through prayers and encouragement. Secondly, a big thank you to ICRC (The Nairobi Delegation) for this wonderful opportunity to learn a lot about International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and also to meet SMART, WONDERFUL, INTELLIGENT and AMAZING people from all parts of Africa, this experience made me realise that if our generation is well taken care of and if our leaders focus more on the younger generation than themselves, Africa would be a 'better place'. A very special thank you to my teammates Ubong Ebong and Kelechi Sunday Ibe for being extra-ordinary all through this exercise and to our coaches Barr. Idorenyin Eyo and Barr. Gabriel Udoh for moulding each of us to reach this height. Note During the competition, University of Uyo, Nigeria, in her first appearance became the first West African team in 15 years to make it to the finals of the competition but emerged first runners up. Philip, Sechie Solomon emerged the best speaker in the finals and would be doing an internship with the United Nations Mechanism for International Tribunals (UN-MICT) in 2016 becoming the first Nigerian to achieve this in the history of the competition. Written by Sechie Philip

Honest Ghanaian Airport Immigration officers return lost Ipad to a Nigerian passenger (photos)

okon — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 20:24:10 +0000

Court Sentences Ex-Council Boss To 6 Years Imprisonment

okon — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 15:58:12 +0000

A Sokoto State High Court sitting in Sokoto has sentenced the former Chairman of Shagari Local Government Area, Alhaji Nasiru Habibu Shagari, to six years imprisonment over N1.37 million fraud. Alhaji Shagari who was convicted of fraud by Justice Bello Abbas of Sokoto High Court 2, was charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). ICPC in a 6-count charge preferred against the former council boss alleged that he collected bribes on three different occasions in 2005 from Mr. Omirinde Bashiru and Bello Marof, in order to facilitate a contract purportedly awarded to another company, Triangular Venture Limited, by the local government and thereby contravened Sections 8 and 10 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The Commission in the charge sheet affirmed that Alhaji Shagari collected N527, 000 in March 2005 from Bashiru and Marof to confirm as true, a letter of award of contract supposedly issued by the local government to Triangular Venture Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (1) and punishable under Section 8 (b) (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Alhaji Shagari was further accused by ICPC of receiving another N716, 000 from Bashiru and Marof in March 2005, to enable him change a letter of award of contract allegedly awarded to Triangular Ventures Limited by the local government to their names, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 10 (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. ICPC also told the court that the ex-council boss did contravene Section 10 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 by receiving N135, 000 from the duo of Bashiru and Marof in March 2005, to enable him process documents relating to the contract purportedly awarded by the Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State to Triangular Ventures Limited, to their company name, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 10 (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Counsel to the accused, Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, told the court that Alhaji Shagari was a first time offender, and pleaded that the court be lenient in its judgment. Justice Abbas in his ruling sentenced him to six years imprisonment with an option of fine of N300, 000. He was sentenced to one year each for the 6-count charge and a corresponding N50, 000 each for each year.

Court Grants ICPC Right To Confiscate N.6m

okon — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 16:05:41 +0000

Justice Jude Okeke of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the powers to confiscate N601, 249.60 fraud proceeds recovered from Mr. Jerry Onyebuenyi. ICPC in a motion filed before Justice Okeke, sought the permission of the court to seize the money which was part of N1, 230, 000 that was fraudulently acquired by Onyebuenyi from a victim, Mr. Abdullahi Suleiman Abdullahi, while posing as the former Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Inde Dikko. The Commission in the motion accused Onyebuenyi of impersonating Mr. Dikko with the intent to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians by promising them employment with NCS and giving out vehicles and containers at cheap prices through auctions. He was accused of posing as Mr. Dikko to fraudulently receive N1.23 million from Abdullahi through his Union Bank account in Asaba, Delta State, in exchange for a car and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. ICPC told the court that a petition by Abdullahi led the Commission to the fraudulent activities of Onyebuenyi, who was using a fake platform called Inde Dikko Foundation based in Asaba, to swindle unsuspecting Nigerians of their money in the belief that NCS will offer them jobs, auction vehicles and containers. The Commission affirmed that the move to seize the money would forestall any attempt by the accused to defraud other people. It added that Onyebuenyi who was arrested by the police after his bank was alerted of his nefarious activities by the Commission, has since jumped bail and remains at large. Justice Okeke in his ruling directed that the sum of N601, 249.60 proceeds of fraud domiciled in account number 0038977469 with Union Bank PLC, Asaba Branch, Delta state, be paid into the Recovery Account of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

ICPC Boss Urges Civil Servants to Embrace the Change Agenda

okon — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 20:12:03 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has urged civil servants to see the ‘change agenda’ of President Muhammadu Buhari as a good tool in the fight against corruption. Nta, who was represented by Assistant Commissioner, Legal Department of ICPC, Mr. Adenekan Shogunle, at a workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU), of the State House, Abuja, said the ‘change’ that has come on board with the new administration, should be seen as a challenge to all Nigerians in the fight against corruption. The ICPC Chairman encouraged management and staff of the State House to play their roles as everyone is a leader and should therefore make the fight against corruption their responsibility. In his address, the Permanent Secretary of the State House, who was represented by Alhaji Tijani Umar, Director, Office of the Permanent Secretary, assured staff that the outcome of the workshop would improve the working processes of the State House. He added that the workshop should not be seen as an ordinary exercise but as a learning process because everyone will be accountable for their actions in the course of their service to the nation. In a paper presentation titled “The Freedom of Information Act 2011 and the Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria”, Mr. Shogunle educated participants at the workshop on the background, salient features, and offences under the FOI Act and its importance as a tool in the fight against corruption. In his presentation titled “The ICPC and the Promotion of Ethics in Public Service” Mr. Tanko Sama’ila Abdulahi of ICPC, talked on the importance of ethics in public service and he encouraged participants to apply ethical values in their daily endeavours. In his closing remarks the ACTU Chairman of State House, Mallam Ahmed Sulieman told the participants that the workshop was not just meant to be useful to them as public servants, but that they could also continue to make use of the knowledge gathered when they retire from service because corruption has to do with morality.

Senate Advocates Preventive Strategy Against Corruption, Promises To Strengthen ICPC

okon — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 12:04:36 +0000

The Senate has expressed its support for the preventive strategy adopted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to curb corrupt practices and other related offences in Nigeria. Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Godfrey Utazi who stated the position of the Senate recently during his Committee's oversight visit to ICPC Headquarters, Abuja , also promised to strengthen the Commission through the review of its enabling law and provision of all necessary required support. Speaking passionately, Utazi emphasized that the preventive approaches as canvassed by the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) must be upheld and that anti-graft agencies should devote 60 percent of their time and resources in preventing the commission of corrupt acts, believing that this was a more robust way of addressing the menace in developing countries like Nigeria as is the practice in other climes. The remaining forty percent should be devoted equally to severe sanctions, public enlightenment and strengthening ethics. In his word, the Senator stressed “We shall meet every stakeholder, especially in the administration of justice to strengthen ICPC. We want you to give us information where you have bottlenecks in your operations. There is need for ICPC to be everywhere, its presence in 15 states is not adequate”. He said, “It bothers us as a Committee that all what we hear about the fight against corruption is limited to the prosecution of alleged corrupt people most times. We want to hear more about prevention too. The United Nations Convention against Corruption talks greatly about prevention. I think that is what we should be looking at”. The Senator further harped on the need for ICPC staff to receive specialized training internationally, since corruption is a trans-national crime and maintained that it would enable the Commission’s staff to have international best practices in the fight against corruption. Earlier in his remarks, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta expressed delight in the Senate’s backing of the Commission’s preventive approaches to corruption which does not enjoy as much publicity as sanctions. Nta said that even though the Commission also believed in the efficacy of severe sanctions through arrest and prosecution of corrupt suspects, the Senate’s understanding of the broader strategy of fighting corruption through sustained prevention was most welcome. The ICPC boss promised the Senate Committee that in view of the present Government's vow to tackle corruption head-on, the Commission had drawn up new strategies to complement this desire and pledged more hard work and dedication from the Commission. He briefed the Committee on the 2015 Budget performance based on funds released in respect of recurrent and capital votes and the resultant effect on operations, staff training, investigations, prosecutions and administration. He however noted that there was a drop between the 2016 budget projection of N4.6 billion and that of 2015 appropriation of N4.9billion and prayed that it should be re-addressed to sustain increased operations and also renovate the headquarters complex due to its physical dilapidation over the years. The oversight visit was concluded with a tour of the Petition Registry, detention centre and other facilities around the premises.

ICPC Investigates N1.34 Trillion Alleged Stolen Funds

icpcuser — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 20:32:26 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has begun the processes of investigation that would help the Federal Government trace and recover the N1.34 trillion allegedly stolen by corrupt government officials. The move followed revelations by the Honourable Minister of Information, Lai Mohammad that 55 Nigerians allegedly stole over N1.34 trillion from public coffers between 2007 and 2015. ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, speaking during an appearance on Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) said that the missing money can be traced. Mr. Nta said ICPC was analyzing intelligence reports so far gathered on the issue and would go into action at the conclusion of its analysis with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book. He said, “Some of these revelations have put to fore the issues bedeviling the country and giving us bad names. What has now been put in the open, we have to sift it and that is what we have been doing. ‘That money must come from somewhere; if it was appropriated by the government through the National Assembly, it is going to be traced. If it comes from the bank, it makes life easier for everybody.” The Chairman further spoke on new strategies being put in place by the Commission to stop the looting of public funds by corrupt civil servants and political office holders. The ICPC boss who also spoke on the independence of ICPC stressed that he had never experienced any interference or received directives from government on any investigation. He said, “From written reports of my predecessors, I can say that there has never been government interference. No government has ever directed me to go after anybody. The past government did not do that and the new government has not done that.”

N1bn Fraud: ICPC Docks Ex-Zamfara Governor, Ahmed Sani Rufai

icpcuser — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 21:00:07 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Sani Rufai to court over the mismanagement of N1 billion compensation funds for victims of collapsed Gusau Dam. ICPC in a 19-count charge filed before Justice Bello Shinkafi of High Court 4, Gusau, accused Senator Rufai of willfully diverting N385. 5 million from the money meant for the collapsed dam and the compensation of the victims, thereby contravening Section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The Commission in a charge sheet also averred that the former governor, who amputated a man’s hand for stealing a goat through his own Sharia law, used his company, Development Management System Ltd, in February 2007, to defraud the Federal Government of N91.8 million as consultancy cost for the supply of 50, 000 metric tons of grains, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Part of the charge sheet reads, “That you Ahmed Rufai Sani on or about October 2006 whilst being the Governor of Zamfara State at Gusau within the jurisdiction of this court did commit an offence of spending money allocated for one project on another to wit: out of N1,000,000,000 (one billion naira) additional budgetary allocation Zamfara State House of Assembly allocated for the repair of collapsed Gusau dam and payment of compensation to the victims of the said dam which was obtained through bank loan, you spent the sum of N43,008,000 (forty three million and eight thousand naira) purportedly on surveillance of guests and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. ‘That you Ahmed Rufai Sani on or about November 2006 whilst being the Governor of Zamfara State at Gusau within the jurisdiction of this court did commit an offence of spending money allocated for one project on another to wit: out of N 1,000,000,000 (one billion naira) additional budgetary allocation Zamfara State House of Assembly allocated for the repair of collapsed Gusau dam and payment of compensation to the victims of the said dam which was obtained through bank loan you spent the sum of N21,450,000 (twenty-one million four hundred and fifty thousand naira) purportedly on settlement of publication equipment and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. ‘That you Ahmed Rufai Sani on or about November 2006 whilst being the Governor of Zamfara State at Gusau within the jurisdiction of this court did commit an offence of spending money allocated for one project on another to wit: out of N 1,000,000,000 (one billion naira) additional budgetary allocation Zamfara State House of Assembly allocated for the repair of collapsed Gusau dam and payment of compensation to the victims of the said dam which was obtained through bank loan you spent the sum of N64,332,734 (sixty four million three hundred and thirty two thousand seven hundred and thirty four naira) purportedly on sponsorship of government officials to hajj and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. ‘That you Ahmed Rufai Sani on or about November 2006 whilst being the Governor of Zamfara State at Gusau within the jurisdiction of this court did commit an offence of spending money allocated for one project on another to wit: out of N 1,000,000,000 (one billion naira) additional budgetary allocation Zamfara State House of Assembly allocated for the repair of collapsed Gusau dam and payment of compensation to the victims of the said dam which was obtained through bank loan you spent the sum of N32,646,286 (thirty two million six hundred and forty six thousand two hundred and eighty six naira) purportedly on settlement of accommodation and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. ‘That you Ahmed Rufai Sani on or about May 2007 at Gusau within the jurisdiction of this court used your position as the Governor of Zamfara State to confer corrupt advantage upon your associate to wit: awarding consultancy services to Development Management System Ltd for the supply of 50, 000 metric tons (200,000 bags) of grains by Zamfara State Government to the Federal Government with the agreement to pay 10 % i.e. N161million of the total cost of N1,610,000,000 (one billion, six hundred and ten million naira) to Development Management Ltd as consultancy fee but for which only 9,181.89 metric tons (91, 818 bags) were supplied and for which you paid Development Management Ltd N91,840,000 (ninety one million, eight hundred and forty thousand naira) whereas Development Management Ltd was entitled only to N29,565,685.80 (twenty nine million, five hundred and sixty five thousand, six hundred and eighty five naira eighty kobo) thus overpaid her the sum of N62, 274,315 (sixty two million, two hundred and seventy four thousand, three hundred and fifteen naira) and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000”. The Senator who represents Zamfara West Senatorial District at the National Assembly pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to him by the trial judge, Justice Shinkafi. His Counsel Mahmud Magaji (SAN) asked the court to grant him bail on self recognition, saying that the ex-governor would always be available for trial. Justice Shinkafi granted him bail in the sum of N100 million and two sureties who must own landed property worth N150 million. One of the sureties must be a resident of Gusau, the state capital.

N666.08 Million Fraud: ICPC Arraigns Agabi, Former Nasarawa Governorship Candidate

okon — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 12:37:31 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned the former governorship candidate of Nasarawa State in the 2015 election, Mr. Yusuf Mohammed Agabi for defrauding the Federal Government of N666.08 million. Agabi was charged before Justice A.O Adeniyi of the Federal High Court 20, Apo, Abuja, by ICPC, alongside four others on a 46-count charge for allegedly embezzling N666.08m from the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. The four accused persons docked by ICPC were Akpore Okeroghene, Abibu Ayinla, Idowu Anthony Adewale and Ntu James Ngozi. The Commission’s counsel, Mr. Paul Bassi alleged before the court that the accused persons fraudulently shared N666.08m belonging to the Federal Government while working in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs between 4^th of December, 2013 and December, 2014 thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 13 and punishable under section 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Bassi told the court that Agabi, who was Director of Finance at the Ministry, on various occasions, fraudulently received the total sum of N453.85 million from the accounts of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs through one Kabiru Paloma. The ICPC counsel further told the court that Akpore, while acting as a Deputy Director in the same Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs fraudulently received N33 million from the ministry’s account through one Solomon Sunday Tom. He averred before the court that Ayinla who was Director of Finance of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs fraudulently received N151 million through a company, Jokings Nigeria Limited, from the same ministry. Bassi further alleged that the two other accused persons; Adewale and Ngozi, who were both Deputy Directors of Accounts in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, fraudulently received $100, 000 and N12.2 million respectively from the ministry through one Solomon Sunday Tom. Agabi and all the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the 46-count charge read to them by the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi. Mr. Efe Daniel standing for one of the accused pleaded with the court to grant them bail telling the court that his client would also be available for trial. His plea for bail was agreed upon by other defence counsel. Hon. Adeniyi in his ruling, granted the accused persons bail on the following conditions: bail at N10 million each, a surety for each not below the level of a Deputy Director in the public service, who must be resident in Abuja. The Judge also directed the accused persons to submit their International passports to the court registrar. He adjourned the case to 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd March, 2016 for commencement of hearing.

Cook Islands Parliamentarians Boost Anti-Corruption Efforts

okon — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 15:38:38 +0000

Rarotonga, Cook Islands – In a meeting held in the Legislative Assembly chamber of the Parliament of the Cook Islands, GOPAC Cook Islands members committed to boosting their oversight of anti-corruption and engage more strongly with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). “After celebrating our 50^th year of independence last year, Cook Islands needs to focus on implementing our commitments vis-a-vis the UNCAC in 2016,” said Cook Islands GOPAC Chair and Minister for Justice, the Honourable Nandi Glassie. Two thirds of the Cooks’ parliamentarians attended a two-day GOPAC-UN Development Programme (UNDP)-UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) workshop on strengthening anti-corruption mechanisms. The two UN agencies have joined forces to implement the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)-funded Pacific Regional Anti‑Corruption (UN-PRAC) project workshop. Cook Islands Speaker Mrs Niki Rattle, in opening the workshop, said that increased transparency must be accompanied by heightened accountability. “We also need to ensure that we couch our anti-corruption prevention in ways that are easily understood by our diverse and isolated population,” said Mrs Rattle. “The more we are open and transparent as a government, the more we can contribute to creating a remedy to address corruption,” said Minister Glassie. Among the parliamentarians who attended were Deputy Prime Minister Teariki Heather, Leader of the Opposition William Heather, as well as several ministers. All of the Cooks’ female parliamentarians, who are active GOPAC members, were also in attendance. GOPAC Oceania Chair John Hyde praised the commitment of the Government of Australia who is supporting the UN-PRAC project, a four- year USD$ 4.3 million endeavour involving the 15 Pacific nations being implemented by UNDP-UNODC, with GOPAC as a key partner in parliamentarian engagement and generating political will for corruption reforms. GOPAC is a worldwide alliance of parliamentarians working together to combat corruption, strengthen good government, and uphold the rule of law. Based in Ottawa, Canada, GOPAC has 57 national chapters on 5 continents. GOPAC supports its members’ efforts through original research, global anti‑corruption capacity building, and international peer support. Visit GOPAC on the web at gopacnetwork.org, on Twitter at twitter.com/GOPAC_Eng, and on Facebook at facebook.com/gopacnetwork. Media contact: Salim Saikaley Communications Officer GOPAC Global Secretariat +1.613.889-0453 salim.saikaley@gopacnetwork.org

ICPC staff, lawyer mobbed at Yerima’s arraignment in Gusau

okon — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 07:51:06 +0000

Staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and prosecution lawyer Barrister Adesina Raheem, were mobbed by supporters of former governor of Zamfara state, Ahmed Sani Yerima at the arraignment of the former governor at the High Court in Gasau on Thursday. The ICPC lawyer, Barr. Raheem who confirmed the incidence to The Guardian on telephone, said that the mob who were on protest against the arraignment of the former governor, moved to attack him and staff of the ICPC but for the intervention of men of the State Security Service and Mobile Police who whisked them away from the court premises to the mobile police base in the town. According to one of the staff of the ICPC, who did not want his name mentioned, they were chased by the mob and had to leave the court premises before the end of the proceedings. However, the proceeding had almost reached the conclusion before the mob action became unbearable and the staff were helped to escape by security personnel. “By that time, the judge, Justice Bello Shinkarfi had granted bail to the three accused persons but we couldn’t stay to know if they were able to perfect the conditions of their bail. The three accused persons, including the former governor were granted bail in the sum of N100 million each and two sureties in like sum. The sureties are to have properties worth N150 million which must be situated within Gasau”, he said. But Barr. Raheem told The Guardian that he had received information from his colleague with whom he appeared for ICPC, that the accused persons were making efforts to perfect their bail term. “I have been informed that the accused persons are presently in court and are making efforts to perfect their bail terms. They are yet to bring forward the titles to their properties. It might be difficult to get a single property that is worth N150 million within Gusau but I think by the time they combine several properties, they will be able to meet the conditions considering the caliber of persons that came to court with the former governor”, the prosecution counsel told The Guardian while also informing that the case has been adjourned till February 29 and March 1. The former Zamfara state governor is being prosecuted by the ICPC for alleged N1.6 billion fraud before Justice Bello Shinkarfi of the High Court of Zamfara State sitting in Gusau. The other suspects in the case are Alhaji Isham Dikko, Development Management Limited and HAD Nigeria Limited The said amount, was obtained as loan and was allegedly diverted to frivolous use though it was meant to execute some projects in the state. N1 billion of the loan, which was approved by the state House of Assembly was obtained by Sani’s administration for the repair of collapsed Gusau dam and settlement of the victims of the said dam while the remainder of N600 million was alleged to have been illegally obtained without the approval of the House of Assembly and was also diverted. Though the main purpose of obtaining the N600 million loan was for the purpose of executing the sale of 50,000 metric tones of assorted grains to the Federal Government, much of the sum was allegedly diverted and only 9, 181.89 metric tons of the grains was supplied to Federal Government.

ICPC Declares Three Persons Wanted

okon — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 16:28:50 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has declared the following suspects wanted for forgery of a request for Note Verbale from the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Liaison and Research, which was submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The names of the suspects and their international passport numbers are:

Ajayi Christopher – A02523240
Osazuwa Harrison Mark – A00625844
Alozie U. Darlington

Anybody who has useful information on their whereabouts should report to ICPC headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC states offices or the nearest police station. You can also call ICPC toll-free lines: 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272), 08031230280, 08031230281, 08031230282, 07056990190, 07056990191.

FGC Odogbolu Lauds ICPC for Recovery of N20.1m Stolen Fund

okon — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 12:28:12 +0000

The management of Federal Government College (FGC), Odogbolu, Ogun State, has lauded the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for helping it to recover N20.1 million stolen by a staff in Federal Pay Office in Abeokuta, the state capital. The management in a letter signed by the Principal of the School, Mrs. A. Bassey-Duke said that ICPC had helped the school to bounce back from near collapse following its inability to pay contractors due to the fraud. The letter reads in part, “On behalf of the entire management, staff, students and affected contractors. I wish to express our deep heartfelt appreciation to the Chairman, the entire management and the investigation team of the Commission for their vigorous efforts to recover the looted funds”. The letter also showed disbursement made so far from the money that was received in December, 2015. It said that more than N1.23 million had so far been spent on loaves of bread for students’ meal. The school also paid contractors N7.15 million for the renovation of one classroom and another N2.6 million to renovate Junior Secondary School 2 extension class. Further breakdown of the expenditures incurred by the school included N3 million paid to contractors for completion of work in the Administration Block and N34, 000 for supply of raw pap (Akamu), a local food drink. More breakdown of spending by the school within the period indicated that N1.78 million was spent on iced fish for students’ meal and N1.83 million for buying of tomatoes, pepper and other soup ingredients for feeding of the students. It will be recalled that ICPC in 2015, recovered N56 million out of N103 million stolen by a Federal Pay Officer in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The money was meant for feeding of students and other developmental projects in three Federal Government Colleges.

Shippers’ Council working on elimination of corruption at ports - The Guardian

okon — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 12:31:49 +0000

The Director, Consumer Affairs Department, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Ms Azuka Ogo, said that the council had been collaborating with many local and international organisations to eliminate corruption at the ports. Ogo made the disclosure at a two-day workshop on “Corruption Risk Assessment and Implementation of Integrity Plan in the Ports Sector’’, held on Tuesday in Lagos. According to her, the council has equally held series of round table conference in other to proffer lasting solution to the problems facing the ports users. Ogo said that the council would establish a port operation tool within the Single Window System to enhance the development of the port sector She said that there was need for a Nigerian port operator to have visible Complaints Desk or Complaints mechanism. Ogo said that it was agreed that operators in Nigerian ports should have a handbook or manual. “The NSC as the economic regulator for Nigerian ports has been taking note of the outcome of a survey which shows that a large number of government officials request facilitation of payments in the ports. “The request varies from ports and the survey also shows refusals to pay, delays and allegations of irregularities of documentation or operations between 2014 and 2015. “In 2014 and 2015 there has neither been any significant improvement in vessel waiting time or ease of interacting with the authorities,’’ Ogo said. In a message to the workshop, the Country Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr Pa Lamin Beyai, said that the organisation was set up to strengthen accountability and respect for the rule of law. Beyai was represented by the Programme Associate of UNDP, Mr Segun Olusola. He said that the UNDP was also working toward strengthening compliant with international standard and human rights and equitable access to justice. The UNDP chief said that the organisation had capacity at both the Federal and State levels for coordination of law reforms and service delivery for justice in the sector. He said that to eradicate corruption in Nigeria, the UNDP had introduced Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) in 2011 in collaboration with some organisations. Beyai said that the organisations were Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences (ICPC) and the Technical Unit for Governance Action Reform (TUGAR). “UNDP has trained and certificated 67 Nigerian risk assessors. “At the request of Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), corruption risk assessment was conducted on six Nigerian ports such as Tin Can, Apapa, Warri, Onne, Port-Harcuort and Calabar ports. “The survey has given opportunity to newly-certified assessors with the main purpose of intervention to improve CRA proposal for integrity in the port sector,’’ Beyai said. Also speaking, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, Director, Public Enlightenment, ICPC, said the workshop was part of anti-corruption intervention in Nigeria’s ports sector being executed by the commission. Okoduwa said that the statutory powers of ICPC encompassed enforcement, prevention and educating against corruption. She said the ICPC had power to examine the system and procedures of government agencies and review those systems that were corruption-prone. “In three years running, ICPC had led collaboration involving BPP and TUGAR; playing a strong coordinating and secretariat role. “We are currently in the process of implementing the prioritised components of the plan, of which this training workshop is one,’’ Okoduwa said. The Chairman of MACN, Mrs Ceciliia Torbrand, said the body was established in 2011 to promote good corporate practices in the maritime industry for eliminating bribery, facilitating payments and stamping out corruption. Torbrand said MACN was set up to implement and share best practices as well as create awareness of industry challenges faced by vessel owing companies and other port operators. “One of MACN’s responsibilities is to tackle issues affecting port terminal operators, shipping agents, freight forwarders, cargo owners and others,’’ she said. Torbrand said that MACN had been implementing collective action projects in Egypt, Nigeria, Argentina and Indonesia.

N10m Fraud: Suspect’s absence stalls trial

okon — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 08:09:21 +0000

The trial of Barrister Kingsley Odabi who was charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over N10 million fraud was stalled due to his absence in court. The Commission had filed a 3-count charge against Odabi at High Court 10, Gudu District Abuja, bordering on forgery and falsification of land documents to defraud one Dr. A. Babade. ICPC in the charge sheet preferred against him, accused him of “Forging a document to wit: Offer of Terms of Grant of Conveyance of approval with the intent to cause Dr. Babade B. A. to part with Ten Million Naira for the sale of plot 780 within Kaura District, Abuja contrary to section 363 and punishable under section 304 of the penal code Act 2004. Odabi was billed to be arraigned on 21^st January, 2016 but he failed to appear in court leading the judge, Justice A. Banjoko to rule for a new date for his re-arraignment. ICPC counsel, Mr. Paul Bassi, described his absence as breach of the condition of administrative bail. He asked the court to revoke the administrative bail and invite his surety to produce him in the Court. The case was rescheduled to 16^th February, 2016 for the re-arraignment.

Corruption: ICPC vows to probe civil servants - The Punch

okon — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 15:55:26 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission says the current anti-graft war is not limited to corrupt politicians alone as it will soon begin investigating corrupt civil servants across the nation. The Chairman, ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said this on a programme titled, Frank Talk, on Rave 91.7FM, Osogbo. While speaking on the current affairs programme, Nta said corrupt civil servants aid the political class in wreaking havoc to the nation’s treasury and are often beneficiaries of corruption. He said such corrupt civil servants would soon be brought to justice. He said, “Today, political functionaries are answering charges of corruption before various courts of the land but I want to assure you that civil servants who are found culpable of corruption will soon start to face the wrath of the law. There is no hiding place for those who betrayed public trust reposed in them.” The ICPC chairman, who noted that leadership had a major role to play in the fight against corruption, said his agency was dedicated to evolving a preventive mechanism that would help stem the tide of corruption in Nigeria. Nta said it was important for Nigeria to build a culture of anti-corruption and inculcate the virtues of high morals in young Nigerians through a concerted educational policy. He said the society as a whole had a critical role to play in the fight against corruption, urging Nigerians to start exposing corrupt people. The ICPC boss, in a response to questions from listeners of RAVE 91.7 FM, said his agency was not in competition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on the fight against corruption, stressing that the two agencies are complimentary and not competitive as stipulated in the enabling laws of the agencies. Culled from The Punch

Farmers Online Marketers Laud ICPC

okon — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:57:12 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been lauded for the pivotal role it plays in the development of various sectors in the country. The Executive Director of Farmers Online Market, Comrade Maduko Stephen, made the commendation on the heels of his request that ICPC should be part of the upcoming launching of the E-Marketing portal of the organisation. According to Maduko, ICPC was carefully selected to be part of the launching because it had been observed that the Commission was in the forefront of progress for farmers in Nigeria. He said “Over the years, we have seen the pivotal role being played by ICPC towards the development and encouragement of innovations, indigenously and through the exploiting of agricultural business opportunities that have gone a long way to increase the productivity of farmers.” He added that such encouragement has also ensured that farmers in Nigeria were connected to global partners. He assured that his organisation is committed to promoting credible and transparent online marketing platform for farmers and according to him, “We want to assure you of our dedicated commitment to credible and transparent online marketing platform”.

Ekpo Nta Elected Member, IACA Board of Governors In Vienna

okon — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:00:54 +0000

The Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has been elected as one of the seven new members of the Board of Governors of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), Austria. The ICPC Chairman from Nigeria was elected into the IACA Board of Governors to represent the African Regional Group during the Assembly of State Parties Conference of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) in Vienna, Austria. He is the first African and Nigerian to be so elected which signals a great honour for him and international acknowledgement of upsurge of Nigeria’s prevention activities in the anti-corruption fight. IACA in a letter dated 17 December, 2015 signed by its Dean and Executive Secretary, Martin Kreitner to Ekpo Nta said: “With the 4th session of the Assembly of parties of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) having come to a successful close, I have the pleasure of once again thanking you for your valuable contributions during this session, and to also of formally notifying you on your election by the Assembly-upon a proposal by Federal Republic of Nigeria – to IACA’s Board of Governors (BoG) He said, “As you know, the IACA is an international organization based in Laxenburg, Austria. It is the first global institution of this kind, dedicated to overcoming current shortcomings in knowledge and practice in the field of anti-corruption, and seeking to empower professionals for challenges of tomorrow. The organization was initiated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the Republic of Austria, and other stakeholders. “It became an intergovernmental organization on 8 March 2011. To date, it comprises a constituency of 66 Parties from all over the world, including three international organizations. IACA has permanent observer status to the UN General Assembly. “In view of IACA’s role as a dynamic and consistently growing global anti corruption stakeholder and service provider, we look forward to working with you in curbing preventing corruption by empowering professionals. The next meeting of the board is scheduled for 7-8 March 2016.” Other members elected were drawn from Iraq & Jordan (Asia Pacific Group), Chile (GRULAC), Azerbeijan (Eastern European Group), Brazil (GRULAC) and Thailand (Pacific Group). For the duration of the Summit, Ambassador Ayoko of Nigeria’s Embassy/Permanent Mission in Vienna presided and was supported by Senator Datuk Low Derg Kuan from Malaysia as Vice-President. A report from the IACA’s newsletter stated that delegates at the forum voiced their strong support for IACA and underlined the importance of its global work in anti-corruption, education, research, networking and co-operation. The assembly reiterated that the anti-corruption capacity-building activities provided by IACA could further contribute to the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, IACA signed three Memoranda of Understanding within the framework of the Assembly with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Law Institute of Lithuania, and the Academy of Justice of the Republic of Armenia. Culled from Newspot Nigeria

Master Programme - IACA - International Anti-Corruption Academy

okon — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 08:26:09 +0000

PROVISIONAL COMMISSION

The Provisional Commission was a transitional organ of IACA, mandated with preparations in view of the Assembly of Parties. It was established on 13 October 2011 by the Resolution of the IACA Provisional Assembly Establishing the Provisional Commission, and dissolved on 29 November 2012 with the convening of the Assembly of Parties. The Commission had brought together representatives of all of IACA’s Signatories and Parties. During its lifespan, it had five sessions and series of informal consultations. The Commission is credited with having prepared some of the most fundamental documents for endorsement by the first session of the Assembly of Parties. The officers of the Provisional Commission were, H.E. Eugenio M. Curia (President, Argentina); Itai Apter (Vice President, Israel); H.E. Helmut Böck (Vice President, Austria); Anca Jurma (Vice President, Romania); Pakdee Pothisiri (Vice President, Thailand); H.E. Ukur Yatani (Vice President, Kenya); and Sofia Zakharova (Vice President, Russian Federation).

INTERNATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE

The International Steering Committee was a transitional organ of IACA, established in October 2008 and dissolved on 8 March 2011 with IACA becoming an international organization. The Committee adopted the Academy’s policies, regulated management and the transitional work programme. In addition, it reviewed the progress of IACA’s activities and gave strategic direction to the International Transition Team in carrying out preparatory work for the Academy to become an international organization. The Committee had brought together senior representatives of IACA’s initiating partners – UNODC, the Republic of Austria, OLAF – and other stakeholders. The Steering Committee’s members were, Martin Kreutner (Chairperson, 2009 - 2011); H.E. Helmut Böck; Hans Brieger; Franz-Hermann Brüner (†), Wolfgang Hetzer; John Sandage; Brigitte Strobel-Shaw; Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger; Muhyieddeen Touq; and Dimitri Vlassis.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSITION TEAM

The International Transition Team carried out the Academy’s daily operations. The team included approximately 20 international professionals and personnel seconded by IACA’s Parties and stakeholders. With their different skills and backgrounds, the members of this International Transition Team negotiated a host of issues, such as the planning and implementation of programmes and events, legal matters and cooperation arrangements, external relations, communications and outreach, administration, finances, and facility management. Moreover, the team served as a secretariat to both the Provisional Commission and Provisional Assembly. During the transition phase, it was also responsible for groundwork in view of IACA becoming an international organization.

The International Academic Advisory Board (IAAB) serves as an advisory organ, providing recommendations on matters related to education, training and research. It currently consists of ten eminent academic personalities and experts in the fields of anti-corruption. All members of the IAAB were unanimously elected by the Board of Governors in June 2013. Six had been unanimously elected by the Steering Committee in spring 2010 during the transition phase, and were subsequently reelected en bloc by the Board of Governors. Members serve in their individual capacity. They are: Hans-Heiner Kühne (Chairperson) Daniel Ming-chak Li (Vice Chairperson) Cornel Calinescu Pil Hwan Oh Muzong Kodi Vladimir I. Lafitsky Laurynas Pakstaitis Friedrich Schneider Slagjana Taseva Jean-François Thony

The International Senior Advisory Board (ISAB) serves as an advisory organ to the Academy, reflecting on its activities and offering observations and advice on how the highest standards can be met and maintained. The Board currently consists of eleven eminent personalities with outstanding credentials from a wide variety of backgrounds. All members of the ISAB were unanimously elected by the Board of Governors in June 2013. Seven had been unanimously elected by the Steering Committee in spring 2010 during the transition phase, and were subsequently reelected en bloc by the Board of Governors. Members serve in their individual capacity. They are: Michael Hershman (Chairperson) H.E. Huguette Labelle (Vice Chairperson) H.E. Eugenio M. Curia Fazli Dogan Vicha Mahakun Roberto de Michele Luiz Augusto Fraga Navarro de Britto Filho Edward Ouko Mark Pieth H.E. Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger FORMER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD H.E. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi (2013 - 2015) (†) Barry O’Keefe (2013 - 2014)

Martin Kreutner Dean of IACA (2012 – present) Curriculum Vitae At its first session on 30 November 2012, the Board of Governors unanimously elected Martin Kreutner as IACA’s first Dean. The Dean is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Academy and its substantive programme. He is supported by the IACA team, and reports and is accountable to the Board of Governors. The Dean’s powers include (Article IX, IACA Agreement):

Representing the Academy externally
Ensuring the proper administration of the Academy, including human resources and financial management
Preparing the work programme and budget of the Academy for consideration by the Board and adoption by the Assembly
Implementing the work programme and budget
Submitting to the Board annual and ad hoc reports on the activities of the Academy, including an annual audited statement of the Academy’s accounts
Proposing the establishment of cooperative relationships in accordance with Article XIII (Cooperative Arrangements) for approval by the Board
Coordinating the work of the Academy with the work of the Parties to this Agreement and other international and national institutions, agencies and networks as relevant taking into account the relevant recommendations and guidelines of the Assembly and the Board as well as advice from the International Senior Advisory Board and the International Academic Advisory Board
Entering into contracts and arrangements on behalf of the Academy and negotiating international agreements for consideration by the Board and approval by the Assembly
Actively seeking appropriate funding for the Academy and accepting voluntary contributions on behalf of the Academy in accordance with the relevant Board strategies and guidelines as well as the financial regulations
Undertaking other assignments or activities as may be determined by the Board

The Board of Governors is the Academy’s main governing organ, and was established on 29 November 2012. Nine members of the Board were elected by the first session of the Assembly of Parties while two were appointed by Austria and UNODC as initiating partners. With six terms expiring in 2015, new members were (re-) elected at the fourth session of the Assembly of Parties. All regional groups are represented in the Board of Governors. Board members serve in their individual capacity. They are: H.E. Margarita Popova (Chairperson, 2012 - present) Abu Kassim bin Mohamed (Vice Chairperson, 2012 - present) Patricia Ximena Arriagada Villouta (2015 - present) Sergey N. Dubik (2012 - present) Hermann Feiner (2012 - present) Vusal Huseynov (2015 - present) Sérgio Nogueira Seabra (2015 - present) Ekpo Nta (2015 - present) Pakdee Pothisiri (2012 - present) Muhyieddeen Shaban Touq (2015 - present) Eduardo Vetere (2012 - present) FORMER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Jorge Juan de Dios Fernández Tapia (2012 - 2015) Young Ran Kim (2012 - 2015) Mordechai Kremnitzer (2012 - 2015) Daniel Marius Morar (2012 - 2015) Cecilia Villanueva Bracho (2012 - 2014)

The Assembly of Parties serves as a forum for Parties to consult on the overall policy of the Academy and on other matters of interest under the IACA Agreement. The Assembly meets once a year. In 2012, the Assembly convened in Vienna, Austria, in 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2014 in Baku, Azerbaijan, and in 2015 in Vienna, Austria again. Rules of Procedure for the Assembly of Parties

ASSEMBLY 2015

The fourth session of the Assembly of Parties took place in Vienna, Austria, from 9 to 11 December 2015. The officers of this session are President: Mr. Ekpo Nta, Nigeria (African Group) Vice President: H.E. Ms. Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, Austria (WEOG) Vice President: H.E. Senator Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan, Malaysia (Asia-Pacific Group) Rapporteur: Ms. Vivian Loss Sanmartin, Brazil (GRULAC) Rapporteur: Mr. Albin Otruba, Slovakia (EEG) Conference documents and other relevant information will be circulated and also made available here.

Invitation

Invitation from the Executive Secretary

General Information

Provisional Agenda and Annotations Programme Information for Participants Registration Form (fourth Assembly session) Registration Form & Explanatory Note (financial pledges) Letter from the Executive Secretary on the Extended Bureau meeting & Explanatory Note Budget Proposal 2016 Letter by the Executive Secretary on alternative ways of funding

Speeches

Address by the Federal President of the Republic of Austria Video message from the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Opening Statement of the Dean and Executive Secretary Report of the Chairperson of the Board of Governors Closing Statement by the Presidency

Resolutions

Resolution on General Matters Resolution on the Budget 2016 Resolution on Elections to the Board of Governors Resolution on the Convening and Agenda of the Fifth Session Resolution on the Report of the Fourth Session Resolutions from the first three sessions of the Assembly of Parties are available in the tabs to your right.

IACA is governed by the Board of Governors. Its other four organs include the Assembly of Parties, Dean, International Senior Advisory Board, and International Academic Advisory Board. Their roles, membership and powers are defined by the Agreement for the Establishment of IACA as an International Organization. The Board of Governors and Dean were elected in late November 2012, following the first session of the Assembly of Parties. All members of the two advisory boards were unanimously elected by the Board of Governors in June 2013. Several members had served on the boards since spring 2010, having been unanimously elected by the Steering Committee during the transition phase. In the lead up to the first Assembly of Parties (29 – 30 November 2012), the Academy was guided by a Provisional Commission. Established in October 2011 by IACA’s Provisional Assembly, the Provisional Commission met five times and had a series of informal consultations before it was dissolved with the convening of the Assembly of Parties. Its role, membership and powers were defined in the Resolution of the IACA Provisional Assembly establishing the Provisional Commission.

ICPC Arraigns Former Rector of IMT at Federal High Court Enugu

icpcuser — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 14:04:52 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Prof. Edwin Onyeneje, a former Rector of Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu and three others before Hon. Justice DugboOghoghorie at the Federal High Court, Enugu on a seven count charge of fraudulently aiding and obtaining money from the coffers of the institution, an offence that contravenes the provisions of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. The accused persons Prof. Edwin Onyeneje, former Rector of IMT, Dr. Leonard Ugwu, Chairman of Governing Council of the institution, Elder OnahFerdinald C., Head of Stores Department of IMT and Mr. Basil Offoh, the Administrative Secretary to the Rector, are standing trial for allegedly defrauding the institution of the sum of N83, 200,500.00 (Eight-Three Million, Two Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred naira only) between 2009-2011. The defendants were alleged to have conspired and obtained money by false pretence by applying for N53,200,500 for the procurement of scientific equipment and N30,000,000 for Laboratory Equipment Consumables respectively, in preparation for reaccreditation of some programmes in the institution which were not procured and thereby committing an offence contrary to sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. Counsel to the 4th defendant, B.C OguineEsq raised a preliminary objection that the matter is before Judicial Panel of Inquiry of Enugu State, waiting for government White paper on the outcome of the investigation. He appealed that the arraignment should not go on because it would amount to abuse of court process. But Counsel to ICPC, Barr.E.C. Otti in his reply on point of law, relied on Section 396, sub-section 1 and 2 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which states that objections on information or a charge may only be raised after the plea of the defendants and so argued that preliminary objection cannot be moved to stall the plea of the defendants. Based on that, the court agreed with the prosecution counsel and ordered that the charge be read to the defendants. The four accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them and their defence counsel filed motion for bail, praying the court to grant them bail based on the already existing administrative bail of ICPC. The court accordingly granted them their prayers by ruling that the defendants should continue to enjoy the administrative bail given by ICPC. The case was adjourned to 14th April 2016 for arguing of the preliminary objection.

Corruption: Ex-Council boss bags two-year jail term

icpcuser — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 08:34:15 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has secured a two-year jail term against a former Chairman of Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia, Mr Goddy N. Kanu. The Commission also secured a one-year jail term against Mr. Ephraim M. Iroakazi, a political associate of Mr. Kanu. Both were charged to court on a 10-count charge bordering on abuse of office and criminal conspiracy. The judgment was handed down to the duo by Justice Onuoha. A. Ogwe of the Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia. ICPC had in 2010, taken the ex-council boss to court for conferring an unfair advantage upon an associate, engagement in a criminal conspiracy, failure to report the solicitation of gratification and other sundry offences. During the trial, ICPC counsel led by Gogodaye P. West revealed that in 2008, the Umuahia Local Government through its executive arm approved the purchase of three (3) assorted vehicles for the use of the Council at the cost of eight million, five hundred thousand naira (N8, 500,000. 00) with a stipulation that the cars be purchased by the Motor Transport Officer of the Council by direct labour. Consequently, rather than follow the stipulation, Mr Goddy Kanu, who was the Chairman of the Council circumvented the process by giving the contract for the supply of the vehicles to his “political godfather”, Mr Iroakazi who was neither an employee of the Council nor a registered contractor. Less than three months after the first purchase of the vehicles was approved, the Local Government granted another approval for the purchase of 20 vehicles for the Council to the tune of sixty million naira (N60, 000, 000. 00). In this instance, Mr. Kanu also circumvented the conditions for the purchase of the vehicles by giving the contract for the supply to his associate, Mr Iroakazi. Instead of purchasing the vehicles according to specifications, the political “godfather” of the erstwhile Chairman allegedly used thirty million naira (N30, 000, 000. 00) out of the 60 million naira (N60, 000, 000. 00) released to him to supply 18 fairly used vehicles that fell short of the specifications of the Council. Also, in the course of investigations, ICPC operatives discovered that, out of the balance of 30 million naira (N30, 000, 000. 00) for the purchase of the second set of vehicles, Mr Kanu received twenty million naira (N20, 000, 000. 00) from his friend for the purported maintenance of his political party while ten million naira was offered to Councillors as gratification. In his final judgement, Justice Ogwe sentenced Kanu to two years imprisonment on each of the counts preferred against him and the jail terms would run concurrently with the option of a fine of three million naira only. While Iroakazi was sentenced to one year imprisonment on each of the counts preferred against him, which would run concurrently or option of a fine of two million naira only.

ICPC Prevails On Pensions Board To Pay Widow Stolen Entitlement

okon — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 12:57:17 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has prevailed on the Abia State Local Government Pensions Board to pay a widow, Mrs. Beatrice Ironkwe, the sum of N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira ), which was part of her husband’s pension entitlements that was fraudulently claimed from a bank by some unknown persons. This was made known to the public in a press briefing at the ICPC Enugu Zonal Office by the Zonal Commissioner, Prince Hassan Mohammed. He explained that the widow, Mrs. Ironkwe, had petitioned the Commission through her lawyer, Mr. Ulonnam Ochulo on the fraudulent claim of part of her late husband’s gratuity, Mr Ironkwe G. Okemakolam, who was a staff of the Civil Service of Abia State Government under the Ikwuano Local Government Education Authority. She alleged that she was defrauded after her signature was used to withdraw the amount through a cheque that was issued by the Abia State Pensions Board. Prince Mohammed added that the woman narrated to the Commission how on 11^th February 2014, her attention was drawn by the cashier of the Board, Mr. Iruke Chukwu to a fraudulent payment of N400, 000 purported to have been made to her which she had not signed for nor received as the signature showed to her was not hers and the payment was not endorsed on the authorization paper as was the routine. The Zonal Commissioner, while presenting the cheque to the widow in the presence of her lawyer; the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Abia State, Dr. O. C. Arungwa; the press; and some ICPC investigators, said ICPC immediately swung into action upon receiving the petition and discovered after investigation that the bank involved could not produce strong evidence of the identity of the person that had collected the money, a development that made the Commission to convince the Abia State Pensions Board to issue another N400,000 cheque to Mrs. Ironkwe. Prince Mohammed declared that ICPC was ever ready and determined to wage a successful war against corruption. He encouraged Nigerians to always report incidents of corruption to ICPC, assuring them of speedy and prompt action. He then commended the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta for his support and guidance during the investigation of the petition, stating that the Chairman was behind the success of the case. In an interview after receiving the cheque, Mrs. Ironkwe expressed her deep sense of gratitude to ICPC for their prompt action in helping her recover her late husband’s death benefits which would help her to train her children. She called on other Nigerians who have such issues to report to ICPC, stressing that the Commission would take up their case and solve their problems. Similarly, Mr. Ulonnam Ochulo, counsel to the petitioner, extolled ICPC for swiftly investigating and resolving the case in favour of the widow and appealed to the Commission to keep up with the good work. In his own contribution, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Abia State, also praised ICPC for coming to the help of the poor widow. He described ICPC as ‘the hope of oppressed Nigerians’.

FBI ‘liberates’ town from corruption

icpcuser — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 21:41:46 +0000

Crystal City, Texas, Councilman Joel Barajas is the odd man out. He’s the only member of the city council not facing federal corruption charges. Authorities have arrested five current and former city officials and a businessman in a bribery scheme involving city contracts and buying votes on the council. A grand jury indictment alleges City Manager and City Attorney William James Jonas III; Mayor Ricardo Lopez; Mayor Pro-Tem Rogelio Mata; Councilman Roel Mata and former Councilman Gilbert Urrabazo accepted more than $12,000 in bribes from a contractor wanting to do business with the city. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the scheme began in February 2015. Ngoc Tri Nguyen of Keller, a contractor who wanted to do business with the city, paid the thousands in exchange for favorable votes on a city contract, a statement says. Jonas is said to have managed the bribery scheme. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. “Officials who abuse their authority will be held accountable,” said FBI agent Christopher Combs. “Public corruption erodes the trust that citizens place in government officials.” Agents swarmed city offices on Thursday and Jonas’ law office in San Antonio, toting out boxes of files, CNN affiliate KSAT reported. Crystal, nicknamed the “Spinach Capital of the World, is about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio. The new guy Barajas has only been on the city council nine months, but told the affiliate it was his suspicion of corruption that made him run for office. “I wanted to see if I could do any difference by going in, by helping, by putting my little two cents there,” he said. Barajas said once he was elected to the council, things just didn’t add. “I knew some things were not being correctly taken care of,” he said. Being the only councilmember not under indictment, leadership may be in short supply for a while. Barajas said he’ll have to take a look at the city charter to see how to move forward. “We will succeed,” he said. “We will go forward. It’ll probably take small steps, but we’ll be okay.”

Anti-Graft Crusade Battle For Nigeria’s Survival – FG

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 08:42:07 +0000

The Federal Government has vowed not to relent in its battle against corruption, saying the anti-graft campaign is crucial to the survival of the nation. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the remark yesterday in Lagos when he paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation newspaper. Debunking allegations that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari does not have respect for the rule of law, the minister said: “In this Administration’s battle against corruption, we have also been accused of not respecting the rule of law. I make bold to say that this is not true. The mere fact that those who have been accused of corruption are having their day in court is a reflection of our respect for the rule of law. We will continue to ensure a strict adherence to the rule of law in our anti-corruption effort and, indeed in all aspects of governance. “But make no mistake about it, this government will not relent in its battle against corruption, and within the confines of the law, irrespective of what anyone may say. This is because for our nation, it is a war of survival. Today, in our country, corruption is on first line charge. That’s how serious it is. The good news is that Nigeria is so fortunate to have at the helm of affairs, at this time, a leader of impeccable character, proven integrity, courage, dedication and love of country. We intend to leverage this in our fight against corruption. “We need the support of the media to ensure the success of this fight. As I have said at different fora, we consider the media as our partners. When we launched the National Security Awareness Campaign Against Terrorism, the media were at the vanguard and, thanks to them, we are achieving our objectives of rallying the support of the citizenry for the war. In fact, I can say that Nigerians are now taking ownership of the war, and I must commend the media for partnering with us in this campaign. “Some have said that we are dwelling only on corruption to the detriment of other sectors. Our response is that if corruption is not tamed, nothing else we do will work. Imagine fetching buckets and buckets of water and pouring them into a basket. Not a drop of the water will be retained. But the moment the basket is replaced with, say a basin, even one bucket of water will amount to something. Seeking to uplift the economy without fighting corruption is akin to pouring water into a basket. That is why we will not stop talking about corruption”. Calling on the media to partner with the Federal Government in executing the National Sensitization Campaign Against Corruption programme, Mr. Mohammed said: “Those who have looted our common wealth are powerful. They own newspapers, whether online or offline, they own radio and television stations. They are awash with cash and they have a huge army of supporters. But they are not more than the 170 million Nigerians who have been bearing the brunt of the looting of the treasury in terms of the absence of the dividends of democracy, especially upgraded infrastructure, good education, as well as good and affordable health care. “Our strategy in sensitising our people is to dwell on the cost of corruption, rather than talking about it in the abstract. When we release figures of the huge sums of money that have been looted, we did not do that to vilify anyone. Rather, our intention is to give Nigerians a different perspective to the anti-graft battle. That’s why we did not mention names, even though we have all the names”.He added: “Recall that at the launch of the National Sensitization Campaign against Corruption, I did disclose that 55 Nigerians allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira between 2006 and 2013. I also said if only we could recover just one third of the looted funds, we will be able to construct 635 kilometres of dual-carriage way; build 183 schools; educate 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at the cost of 25.24 million per child, build 20,062 units of 2-bedroom housing units and build one ultra-modern hospital in each of the 36 states of the Federation. Now, because that money was looted and had not been returned to the government coffers, we could not do any of those things enumerated above. That is the cost of corruption”.‎

NYA, NACC Told to Uphold Integrity

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 10:41:45 +0000

The Grand Patron of Nigeria Youth Assembly, Prof. Pat Utomi has said that Nigerians do not have to be rich to fight corruption but should be in the right state of mind in recognizing the dangers of corruption. Prof. Utomi stated this at a programme organized by the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) and Nigeria Youth Assembly (NYA) recently in Lagos. He stressed that the need for personal commitment to fight corruption is what Nigeria needs to succeed in the fight rather than only looking at governmental efforts to curb the menace. He therefore urged all the participants at the event to take up the responsibility of fighting corruption in their own personal lives. In his remarks, the Head of Education Unit of Lagos Zonal Office, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Olufemi Nofiu, said transparency, honesty and accountability, willingness to detect and report corruption cases and leading by example were the principal ingredients to move the country forward. Mr. Nofiu stressed that whether great or small, corruption damages the system in terms of infrastructure decay, insecurity of life and property, violence, ethno-religious uprisings, poverty and lack of basic needs of life. The Chairman of the occasion and the National President of Nigerian Youth Assembly, Comrade Ike Johnson, noted that corruption was a global issue and stressed the need to fight the monster no matter what it takes. .

ICPC tasks students on corruption, examination malpractice

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 10:56:39 +0000

Students of primary and junior secondary schools in Lagos have been advised to shun all forms of corruption and examination malpractice. Mrs. Mary Omonoyan, an officer of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Lagos Zonal Office gave the advice at a workshop organized by the Association for Eradication of Corruption (ASSERCORN) and National Anti-corruption Coalition recently for students and teachers from selected schools in the State. Mrs. Omonoyan, while speaking at the occasion, explained that eradicating corruption was everybody’s responsibility. She listed some ways in which students could contribute to the fight against the scourge. Some of the ways according to her were: reporting acts of corruption; challenging displays of overt corrupt acts; educating peers about the ills of corruption; and being contented with what is provided by one’s parents. In her own speech, the President of ASSERCORN, Mrs. S.T. Agbalajobi, revealed that the NGO was for attitudinal re-orientation of children between the ages of 7 and 14 years in primary and junior secondary schools, respectively adding that the organization had its presence in 35 private and public schools in the state. In his remark, the Chairman of the event, Mr. Chris Ibe of the African Youth Initiative on Crime prevention, said the development of the minds of young people was important for building a greater nation. He urged the students to have a positive mindset believing that Nigeria will be free from corruption.

Four Great Corruption-Killing Apps

icpcuser — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 11:02:55 +0000

CandiDatos

CandiDatos.gt is a Guatemalan platform that profiles political candidates, helps register voters, and fights corruption by enforcing transparency. When citizens contact candidates through the website, the responses are tracked and ranked.

A 10-question survey enables voters to identify the candidate who most coincides with their ideas, helping them to make informed choices. To date, CandiDatos has helped register some 10,000 young, first-time Guatemalan voters, and organized public forums to discuss corruption, as well as topics such as youth, technology and democracy; public financing of political parties; and reform of electoral law and the political party system.

The platform was created by a grassroots citizens’ network that included the Guatemala Chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, and Red Ciudadana, a group dedicated to strengthening anticorruption initiatives and broadening transparency. During Guatemala’s 2015 general elections, it provided information on candidates competing in the second round of the presidential contest held on October 25.

Developers plan to track the campaign promises of President Jimmy Morales’ administration to reinforce a goal of empowering citizens as watchdogs over their political leaders.

Cityflag

Cityflag, a mobile app currently in development, will give citizens the ability to report infrastructure problems and crime in their neighborhoods. App users can “flag” problems, ranging from potholes in the street to delinquency, and post photos and videos along with their reports. Using GPS, the app collects the reported information, aggregates it, and displays it on an interactive map. Cityflag users and public officials are then able to track and monitor the government’s response to claims made through the app.

To encourage participation, Cityflag users will earn points for their reports, culminating in badges and rewards that can be cashed in for products from local businesses – a process that Cityflag co-founder and CFO Eduardo Bravo describes as “game dynamics.” The app is scheduled to be released in both Mexico and Texas in early 2016 and will be available in Spanish and English.

Ojo Con Mi Pisto

Ojo con mi pisto, or “Be careful with my money,” is a journalist-run platform that tracks public spending in Guatemala, aiming to uncover government corruption and inefficiencies. Using reports and citizen complaints from the national procurement portal, Guatecompras, Ojo con mi pisto generates digital maps pinpointing state awarded contracts, project status, personnel and costs, to reveal inconsistencies between government reports and how taxpayer money is actually being spent. This year alone, the site has published more than 200 articles on the misuse of public funds; 160 on political, economic and social issues; and 60 associated with the 2015 general elections.

A reference point as well for citizen activists, Ojo con mi pisto was awarded the 2014 National Award for Journalism in the investigative reporting category from the National Social Security Institute for Journalists for uncovering a pay-to-play scheme among elected officials in the community of Barberena, southeast of Guatemala City.

The concept was developed in 2013 by Laboratorios de Medios, a media firm, through a grant from the United States Agency for International Development. The firm’s future plans include a mobile, geo-referencing application to monitor local construction ventures, with the ability to report in real time.

Yo Di Un Moche

Yo Di Un Moche, or “I paid a bribe,” is a mobile platform that lets citizens in Monterrey, Mexico, anonymously report bribes they have paid, or were asked to pay, at any level of government. Users list the date, amount, and specific person who asked for the bribe. Yo Di Un Moche feeds the collected information into a map displaying where in Monterrey the bribes where paid.

The website was created by a concerned family, which has chosen to remain anonymous, as a tool for social change in their home city, where corruption is considered a major problem. They pulled inspiration for the website directly from the Indian app called I Paid a Bribe, which was developed in 2010 by Janaagraha, a nonprofit organization based in Bangalore, India.

Since its launch in 2014, Yo Di Un Moche has received over 150 bribe reports. Ultimately, the app’s architects hope that Yo Di Un Moche will unveil the extent of corruption in Monterrey, exposing its negative economic impact, and serve as a helpful tool for organizations and institutions dedicated to fighting corruption.

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Antonio Garrastazu wrote entries on CandiDatos and Ojo Con Mi Pisto. Garrastazu is the resident director for Central America at the International Republican Institute.

Michelle Toussaint wrote entries on Cityflag and Yo Di Un Moche. Toussaint is a University of Texas at Austin graduate from Monterrey, Mexico.

ICPC Bags “Corporate Agency of Excellence”Award

icpcuser — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:21:43 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been honoured with the award of “Corporate Agency of Excellence” by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). Speaking on Thursday at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja during the Presidential Dinner and Award Ceremony, Dr Rotimi Oladele; President of NIPR stated that ICPC was chosen after a very careful consideration of how the anti-graft agency conducts its operations with zero tolerance for corruption, yet with respect for the rule of law. He urged all Nigerians and foreigners alike to support ICPC as it is a responsible agency deserving of encouragement. He further stated that ICPC and other award-recipients were being honoured in recognition of their contributions to the development of the nation, and that it was time Nigerians honoured those who were deserving of acknowledgement. The Chairman of ICPC, Mr Ekpo Nta in a goodwill message after receiving the award expressed surprise that ICPC and indeed any anti-corruption agency could be picked out for awards considering the nature of its operations, especially at times like this. Ekpo Nta thanked NIPR for the gesture and posited that Public Relations practice and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations play a key role in the development of Nigeria and the repositioning of her image as a responsible country with very good citizens. He pledged that ICPC would continue to discharge its duty credibly while nurturing strategic partnerships with institutions such as the NIPR.

No computer skill, no promotion, FG tells workers

icpcuser — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 06:44:13 +0000

The Federal Government has ordered civil servants in the country to develop computer skills or forfeit their promotions. The government said the order became necessary because it would soon switch from biro-to-paper examinations to computer-based exams for onward promotions and advancement in the civil service. The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, HoS, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, gave the order in an interview with journalists in Abuja shortly after she rewarded 12 civil servants for their punctuality and commitment to work. Oyo-Ita, who gave commendation letter and a computer each to the 12 workers, explained that the computer reward was deliberate to drive home the call for a digitalised civil servant. She added that any federal civil servant who failed to sharpen his or her skill in computer would not partake in computer-based promotion examinations. She charged civil servants to be abreast of latest developments in Information, Technology and Communication, ICT, for office holders. The HoS stated that the use of computers had been the major vehicle of change in the transition from industrial to information age, adding that computer had made sending of information from one source to the other easier and simpler. “Computer has become an indispensable tool for individual and national empowerment, improvement, development and actualization of service,’’ she noted. She also noted that automation of information activities in office had changed the nature of office work and had highly affected the activities of knowledge on workers. Mrs. Eyo-Ita said she only fulfilled the promise made to reward civil servants for punctuality and attitude to work. “I decide to shift from the impunity of lateness to work to punctuality and commitment to work in order to serve as encouragement to others and also spur some others to improve on their attitude to work,” she added. The beneficiaries incclude Mr Oluwasegun Ademisoro, Engr. Evans Osaghaede, Mr Shehu Aminu, Engr. Abel Phillip, Engr. Nuhu Garba, Mr Ikam Atah, Mrs Temitope Amasika, Mr Biboye Egberipov, Mrs Christiana Mordi, Mrs Maria Okonkwo, Mrs Joyce Petu and Mr Affiong Dominic from the Ministries of Communication Technology, Power, National Sports Commission, Presidential Advisory Committee and Aviation Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Mr Abel Phillips, in the Ministry of Power, said the award would spur other civil servants to improve their attitude to work, while having it at the back of their minds that their efforts would be rewarded someday. Culled from Vanguard News

N500m fraud: ICPC arrests four NTDC officials

icpcuser — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 05:25:02 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has arrested four more officials of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation over alleged abuse of office and mismanagement of over N500m. The suspects were said to have been arrested two weeks ago following a complaint by workers under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress, over alleged illegal employment, abuse of office, diversion of funds and recruitment without due process at the NTDC. The Director-General of the NTDC, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, was alleged to have, among others, misused N52,014,821 released to the corporation as capital budget from March to July 2014. THE PUNCH was however informed that the arrested NTDC officials were granted an administrative bail and “are cooperating with the ICPC operatives.” An ICPC source said, “Some NTDC officials were arrested and interrogated for several hours by the commission’s operatives. They were arrested and later granted an administrative bail. But investigation continues and we will get back to you when investigation is concluded.” The ICPC Head of Enlightenment, Rasheedat Okoduwa, said, “We don’t discuss our enforcement issues in the media. I have confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that is the best I can tell you. When we conclude investigations, we will take our findings to the Legal Department and if there is a case, we will proceed to court to file the charges. When the charges are filed, they become public property.” Mbanefo neither returned our correspondent’s telephone calls nor replied to text messages to his phone for her response. Although she had denied all the allegations, saying, “they are putting lies together to tarnish my image, but God won’t allow it,” documents obtained by our correspondent indicated that some officials of NTDC were invited for questioning. An invitation letter by the acting Head of Special Investigations in ICPC, H.M. Hassan, to Mbanefo directed her to release the Head of Administration and Personnel and the Director of Finance to assist the commission in the investigation of a petition relating to the violation of the ICPC Act 2000. The two officials were told to produce the list of the NTDC’s employees as of December 2014 as well as the “personnel files of all members of staff employed under the leadership of Mrs. Sally Mbanefo as Director-General” and money received from the government. The anti-graft body also demanded the budget and file containing major contracts awarded and executed in 2013 and 2014. Culled from Punch Newspapers

ICPC Reinvigorates Anti-Corruption Coalition

okon — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 10:28:14 +0000

The Lagos Zonal Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), recently organized a one-day stakeholders meeting with some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on the platform of the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC), with the view to strengthening the coalition in the fight against corruption. Addressing participants at the meeting, the Zonal Commissioner, Mr. Shintema Binga, stated that the meeting was necessary because the Commission had observed the dwindling zeal of some members of the NACC towards the fight against corruption. Also, Mr. Olufemi Nofiu, in a paper titled: “Towards Effective Anti-Corruption Partnership” told the attendees that partnership and collaboration was very vital because it fosters learning across organisations, sectors and countries and could help influence the political will of government towards the fight against corruption. Nofiu charged the groups saying “Where the government shows lack of capacity to launch and prosecute a legitimate war against corruption, the NGOs should awaken the consciousness of the people to demand as a matter of right, transparency, accountability and good governance.” A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting reads as follows:

NACC members agree that meetings should be held quarterly for review of their activities and chart the way forward in the fight against corruption.
NGOs should be closely monitored by ICPC to ensure strict adherence and compliance to the objectives of NACC which will also serve as a motivation to them.
There should be training and re-training of members of NACC on how best to fight corruption.
Poor people should be enlightened on the fact that the war against corruption is not targeted at them but the war is for everyone.
NGOs require financial support, timely information and support to carry out anti-corruption programmes.
It was resolved that NGOs should lend their voices against the merger of the anti-corruption agencies because they fight corruption in different ways; it is only ICPC that partners with NGOs and takes anti-corruption crusade to the grassroots level.
ICPC should have a desk officer for NACC to enhance good communication and exchange of information within members and with the Commission.
There should be an NACC website to enable members to access adequate information about NACC.

Mr. Binga who coordinated and chaired the proceedings signed the Communiqué as the official position of the stakeholders.

N10m Fraud: Suspect’s Absence Stalls Arraignment Again

okon — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 10:56:28 +0000

Plans by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to arraign a barrister, Mr. Kingsley Odabi, allegedly involved in a N10 million fraud case, before Hon. Justice A. Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court 10, Gudu, Abuja, have failed because of the suspect’s absence in court. However, the Commission, through a motion exparte filed by its counsel, Paul Bassi, got the leave of Court to serve the defendant with the three-count charge by substituted means i.e. at his place of work. It would be recalled that the Commission had filed a 3-count charge against Odabi at High Court 10, Gudu District Abuja, bordering on forgery and falsification of land documents to defraud one Dr. A. Babade. ICPC in the charge sheet preferred against Odabi, accused him of “Forging a document to wit: Offer of Terms of Grant of Conveyance of Approval with the intent to cause Dr. Babade, B. A. to part with Ten Million Naira for the sale of Plot 780 within Kaura Distrct, Abuja contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 304 of the Penal Code Act 2004”. Odabi was first billed to be arraigned on 21^st January, 2016 but failed to appear in court leading the judge, Hon. Justice A. Banjoko to adjourn the case to 16^th February, 2016 for his arraignment. ICPC counsel, Paul Bassi, had described his absence as a breach of the condition of administrative bail granted the accused and urged the court to revoke the bail while asking his surety to produce him in court. The application was granted by the trial judge for the defendant to be served by substituted means. The matter has been adjourned to 7^th March, 2016 for arraignment of the defendant.

ICPC boss, Nta, elected IACA board member - Punch

okon — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 21:46:39 +0000

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, is one of the newly-elected seven members of the Board of Governors of the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna, Austria. The organisation was jointly established by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the European Anti-Fraud Office, the Republic of Austria and other stakeholders. Nta is to represent the African Regional Group during the Assembly of State Parties Conference of the IACA. ICPC, in a statement on Friday said Nta’s election was an international acknowledgement of the achievements of the body in Nigeria’s anti-corruption war. A letter to Nta by IACA’s Dean and Executive Secretary, Martin Kreitner, said, “With the 4th session of the assembly of parties of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, having come to a successful close, I have the pleasure to once again thank you for your valuable contributions during this session and to also formally notify you on your election by the Assembly, upon a proposal by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to IACA’s Board of Governors.” Culled from The Punch

Is Delaware home to a "grand corruption"?

okon — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 07:02:28 +0000

Transparency International, a Berlin-based nonprofit with chapters in 100 countries, recently called for social sanctions against Delaware. At issue: the state's very successful corporation registry, which over the years has enticed 60 percent of the Fortune 500 and over half of America's publicly traded companies to make the state their official home. According to the nonprofit, best known for its annual global ranking of countries based on perceptions about their levels of corruption, Delaware is "a place where extreme corporate secrecy enables corrupt people, shady companies, drug traffickers, and fraudsters to cover their tracks" because the state doesn't collect data on the identity of who actually owns the companies registered there. The legal definition of this kind of arrangement is called beneficial ownership. In a statement, Transparency International included Delaware's easy-access incorporation, which includes user-friendly LLC (limited liability corporation) processing, as one of the world's top nine examples of a "grand corruption" that benefits "the few at the expense of the many" and "often goes unpunished." The other inductees are Petrobras, the Brazilian state oil company that's caught up in a high-profile corruption scandal; FIFA, soccer's beleaguered world governing body; a handful of former leaders from Panama, Ukraine and Tunisia; and the entire political system of Lebanon. The list was selected by online voting by 170,000 participants and internal deliberations at Transparency International. "While no U.S. state collects beneficial owner information, the federal government already does," according to a statement issued by Delaware's Department of State, which like its counterparts throughout the nation, oversees corporate registrations. "Delaware and other states have already taken important steps to deter fraudulent activity -- prohibiting anonymous bearer shares, giving law enforcement access to the name of a natural person for every company, and requiring limited liability companies to retain ownership information available to law enforcement with a subpoena. "Along with Nevada and Wyoming, we have enacted laws to regulate the activities of commercial registered agents and deter the promotion of shell companies, with penalties for agents and businesses that violate these laws," the Delaware Department of State said. "And we fully cooperate with investigations of U.S. law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and Office of Foreign Asset Control." A spokesman for Delaware Governor Jack Markell confirmed that, all totaled, Delaware gets $1.1 billion of its close to $4 billion state budget from revenue generated by the business registry, which includes well over 1 million entities. But Delaware is hardly alone. Back in 2006 a General Accountability Officenational survey flagged as a problem the scant information all states collect on basics like the record of beneficial ownership, the identity of the people who actually own the businesses registered by the states. GAO found that both "government and international reports indicate that shell companies have become popular tools for facilitating criminal activity in the United States and internationally and can be involved in fraud and corruption or used for illicit purposes such as laundering money, financing terrorism, hiding and shielding assets from creditors, and engaging in questionable tax practices. Such schemes can conceal money movements that range from a few thousand to many millions of dollars." Yet, despite the risks, all 50 states appear equally eager to attract and retain business, and try to outdo each other in their efforts to cut any red tape that could impede new investments. Online, well over 1,000 corporation formation and corporate service firms vie for prospective customers touting the competitive advantages for their respective states. Wyoming promoters pitch the ability of the state's laws to protect investors' assets. In New Hampshire, state boosters pitch a "one stop" experience. Looking for a fictitious corporate name to use, instead of your official business name? Florida'sDepartment of State's Division of Corporations offers the convenience of online registration to get a business alias for just $50. And sites promoting dozens offoreign tax havens have proliferated. For several years, proposed federal legislation to require the collection of basic information about corporate ownership has garnered bipartisan support, but the political forces in support of the patchwork status quo continue to prevail. Advocates for a measure that would have the federal government collect the data are hoping an additional round of congressional hearings will carry the day. Clark Gascoigne is interim director at the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition, one of the advocacy groups pushing for greater public disclosure on the details of corporate ownership. Gascoigne says when it comes to Delaware entities, federal law enforcement has to resort to obtaining a court order to get access to the supporting documents for state incorporations. "But that usually hits a dead end because the names on these documents are people who make their living executing corporate registrations" and have no actual ownership interest in the business, Gascoigne told CBS MoneyWatch. In 2008, former Senator Carl Levin warned that without a robust uniform corporate ownership disclosure requirement, the states would be caught in " a classic case of competition causing a race to the bottom, making it difficult for any one state to do the right thing and request names of beneficial owners." Said William Black, professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City: "This race to the bottom is occurring eight years after a very similar race to the bottom in the financial services sector that was encouraged by economists who promoted deregulation and decriminalization of behavior that produced the financial crisis and Great Recession." Culled from CBS News

Denmark’s 356-year long journey towards curbing corruption

okon — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 08:40:47 +0000

After having concluded in their 2012 study that Denmark, along with New Zealand and Finland, was the least corrupt country on the globe, Transparency International’s International Corruption Perceptions Index 2015 has again adjudged the 8th century Scandinavian nation as a place with lowest incidence of corruption for the second consecutive year---hence negating Shakespeare's famous quote "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." This line was spoken by a character "Marcellus" in Act I of "Hamlet," one of the most powerful tragedies in English literature by legendary dramatist and playwright, William Shakespeare, who had lived between 1564 and 1616. The story of "Hamlet" revolves around cold-blooded murder of Prince Hamlet's father (King Hamlet) at the hands of his real brother and the subsequent King of Denmark, Claudius, who had not only seized the throne, but had also gone on to marry his deceased sibling's widow, Queen Gertrude (Prince Hamlet's mother). The slain King's ghost had then appeared before his son Prince Hamlet, whereby revealing that he was murdered by Claudius and had asked the throne's real heir to avenge the murder. Although Prince Hamlet had managed to kill his uncle-the ruling King, Claudius, he too had perished later after succumbing to injuries caused by a poisonous sword ealier. Queen Gertrude had also died after she had mistakenly drunk a glass of poisonous wine, which King Claudius had actually prepared for the young Hamlet. The story plot of the "Hamlet" thus paints a sorry picture of the state of Denmark a few centuries ago---where blood relatives used to kill each other for the lust of power and in the greed of material gains. And look, how Denmark has changed today. It is astonishing to note that there is very little legislation concerning corruption in this country today. Danish criminal law only states that it is illegal to give and accept bribes of any kind or any size, both inside and outside of Denmark. Research conducted by the "Jang Group and Geo Television Network" reveals that fighting corruption and establishing rule of law has been on the agenda of the Danish rule for more than 350 years when efforts to consolidate the rule of law had formed an integral part of the process of state building since the establishment of the absolute monarchy in 1660. Basically, the historical path to curb corruption in the Danish administration has evolved over several centuries as part of the establishment of an absolute state based on law and order. Continuous, concerted and honest efforts had helped the level of corruption in the administration of state drop to limited levels by the middle of the 19th century. (References: "A history of Denmark by Knud Jespersen, Patrick Lingsley's book "How to be Danish: A journey to the Culural Heart of Denmark" and T. K. Derry's book "A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland") A glance through a study undertaken by Sweden's University of Gothenburg, with support from the Danish Research Council for Culture and Communication, and by the European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, had noted that reforms to improve the administration in the period of absolutism between 1660 and 1849 had come to form an important basis for an administrative culture based on the rule of law which came to minimise corruption. Saw, as history tells, Denmark wasn't purged of the menace of corruption overnight and it wasn't an easy journey to transform it into a mythical place that is known to have good political and economic institutions. Having a population of 5.7 million, Denmark is frequently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world in cross-national studies of happiness. It enjoys a high level of income equality and has one of the world's highest per capita incomes. Denmark ranks as having the world's highest social mobility. It also has one of the best/highest personal income tax rates on planet Earth. The Tax-to-GDP ratio is Denamark is 49 per cent, about five times that of Pakistan! Its GDP (purchasing Power parity method) had rested at $257.148 billion, while the per capita income had stood at $45,435. Similarly, its GDP (Nominal) had stood at $291.043 billion, while the Nominal Per capita income had rested at a very impressive $51,424. The country's total exports in 2015 were $94.1 billion. With reference to the highly commendable level of governance in Denmark, here follow the salient features of the study undertaken by Sweden's University of Gothenburg: Within the latest research on corruption and anti-corruption ‘getting to Denmark’ has also been used as the synonym for the ultimate goal of the ongoing focus on how the persistent problem of corruption can be fought effectively. This historical empirical study sets out to trace and analyse the development of anticorruption mechanisms and practices in the state of Denmark between 1660 and 1900. In Denmark, alongside the expanding role in ensuring the very early welfare of its people, the Danish monarchy had also started expanding its military ambitions, and together these two elements had played a major role in the Danish process of state-building since 1660. This was the time when the population of early modern Denmark had consisted of a fairly small core of nobility with extensive land holdings, an urban middle class and a large peasantry. The nobles had privileges from the Crown, including exemption from taxation and the right to own land, fish and hunt, which had enabled them to accumulate massive wealth. Up until the introduction of absolutism in 1660 the nobility of Denmark held the majority of the offices in the central and local administration, which gave them substantial influence on the dealings of the Danish throne. There was a constant rivalry between Denmark and Sweden between the 16th and the 18th centuries. Denmark had suffered a military defeat at the hands of Sweden in 1658 and was hence confronted with a crippling economic breakdown that had led to a political crisis in 1660. This military defeat had intensified the need for an efficient administration for collecting taxes to finance wars. In 1665, the Danish King used to enjoy unrestricted and absolute power and had the authority to make laws and ordinances for his own good will and pleasure. However, in the years after 1660, the distinctions of rank were minimised and all citizens were considered to be on a level under the absolute king. At the same time the monopoly of the aristocracy on land-owning and the higher offices in the king’s civil administration and in the military service was abolished. Even though the noble owners of the private estates in the countryside of Denmark did maintain a large responsibility in relation to public administration in the collection of taxes from their tenants, their overall influence on state affairs was to a large extent reduced. Gradually the aristocracy had lost its prominence in the civil service and was replaced by a new group of bourgeois bureaucrats. By the beginning of the 19th century only 10 per cent of the royal servants had an aristocratic background, and these mainly occupied the offices in the Foreign Service. An office of the king’s Chief Prosecutor was established to investigate and file appeals against the royal officials who had abused their positions. Recovery of tax arrears was also part of the agenda. In 1706, a summary system was introduced in the central administration, so vacant posts were presented separately with information about the office and a record of all the candidates. These summary reports were presented to the king who made the final decision. This had established a procedure in which the capability of the applicants was central for the King's management of appointments. An application needed to indicate the objective qualifications and had to be accompanied by certificates. This replaced the former procedures where the assurance of good intentions or personal relations had in many cases been sufficient to gain an office. Even in the short period from 1700 – 1701 and again in 1715 – 1716 when King Frederick IV chose to exploit his right of appointment financially by selling offices, it was documented how capability by the buyers was still a priority. The sale of offices was used as a way of financing the Danish participation in the 1700 to 1720 war and the construction of a building for the central administration close to the King's palace in Copenhagen. Under the Exchequer, some 47 offices were sold and under the Chancellery and 56 went for sale which equaled 6 per cent of the appointments in each department. This way of raising money for the administration has not been used since 1716 though. Besides, even during the period when the offices were sold, the King did not compromise on the necessity for the officers to demonstrate that they were qualified to be a royal servant in this role. In practice, the sales of offices did not really affect the recruitment procedure, and the process was far from the French approach, where offices were put up for auction and automatically went to the highest bidder. It was made clear from the start that the offices that were established were to be managed by the absolute king. The power those in office exercised was only a loan from the crown and they never came to own the office in person. An office could be lost at any time if the civil servant did not act according to the laws of the country and instructions of the administration. A number of laws, which regulated the duties of civil servants and imposed harsh punishments such as life imprisonment and loss of office for crimes of corruption, were introduced to minimise exploitation in the state’s administration. The first explicit ban on bribery and the acceptance of gifts by the royal servants was introduced in 1676 and this piece of legislation was renewed and extended in 1700. Under the law, it was forbidden to both give and receive bribes, and a reward to the person who reported the crime was granted. Clerical, civil and military officials were covered by this law. Forgery by civil servants was included in the Danish law and a clear ban was imposed. Embezzlements were to be judged as theft from the crown. The king issued a law specifying and regulating the penalty for fraud and embezzlements in office in 1690. The sentence was hard labour for life unless the money was repaid to the king’s Treasury. In an attempt to solve the persistent problem of financing the pensions, a public pension system for deserving elderly officials was established in 1712. From the late 1700s, it became fairly standard practice to give an official at their resignation a pension that amounted to around 2/3 of the amount of their previous salary. One of the most prominent cases in Danish history became known in 1676 shortly before the first law specifically banning bribery was adopted. Here the chamber secretary and chancellor of King Frederick III, Peter Griffenfeld, who had played a crucial role in the writing of the Kings law of 1665, was charged. He was convicted and imprisoned for life for his involvement in the systematic sale of clergy and secular offices, embezzlement, abuse of office, acceptance of bribery and insult of the majesty. Another prominent case at the top level of the central administration in Copenhagen was discovered in 1725 when Frederik Rostgaard, the chief secretary of the Danish Chancellery, who dealt with the affairs of the state, justice and the church, was convicted. He had admitted to having received what he called "Diskretion" or gratuity from the people he had helped while doing his job. As defence in his plea to King Frederick IV, he had declared and assured the king that he had never acted against the will of the king after receiving the bribes or hereby against his oath to the monarch. Despite his plea he was convicted, lost his office and was banished permanently from the capital Throughout the 18th century, the ban on bribery was reinforced and targeted at specific groups of officials such as for example the custom officers. In 1813, due to its involvement in the Napoleonic wars, the Danish state had gone bankrupt and the country was hit by a severe economic crisis lasting until about 1830. It was during this period that there were a larger number of prosecutions of civil servants in regional and local administration in particular, but also in the central administration, for crimes relating to corruption. Royal officials were allowed to borrow from the public funds. They just had to repay the money when the audit took place. If they could not repay the loan, it was to be considered as a crime of corruption. Sweden's University of Gothenburg's investigation had identified 203 cases from 1740 to 1936, whereby public officials in the civil secular part of the administration were discharged on grounds of misconducts of malfeasance. In 1803, an initiative was taken to strengthen control over the local and regional administration and to ensure practice was conducted according to the law and the instructions of the civil servants. One of the deputies in the Danish Chancellery was to travel to the provinces of the country to inspect the administration every year. It was the deputy’s job to review the organisation of the administration, how books were kept etc. and guide the local or regional official if errors or omissions were found. This system had continued until 1807 when it was suspended because of the war. During the years 1811 to 1830, the number of officials convicted of and sentenced for corrupt crimes escalated to a level of about two or three cases a year. Many civil servants were put on trial for their corruption in the years after 1811. During several of the trials at which civil servants were convicted of corruption after 1810, the salary system and insufficient wages were mentioned in their defence. In 1814, Denmark had also experienced the greatest loss of territory in its history with the transfer of Norway to Sweden. In 1819, regular inspections of public offices and civil servants were reinstated after the Danish Chancellery had received a large number of complaints about civil servants’ administration, made by the ordinary citizens to the king. In the years between 1819 and 1830, several top officials from the central administration and judges from the Supreme Court were sent to the different regions of the country to audit the administration and especially the account books of the officials. In the reports made by the delegates who travelled through the regions of the country to monitor the administration, one of the clear conclusions was that the standard procedures for check, audits and accounting in general were out of date, badly organised and inefficient. In 1824, this situation had led the king to appoint a committee of top officials to prepare a new set of laws to regulate the state’s accountancy. The situation was directly characterised as an "Epidemic of embezzlements" in the Danish administration indicating the increase in the number of cases of malfeasance was real and perceived as very serious at the time. The commission had worked on this complicated and difficult task until 1835 and came up with a recommendation that led to the adoption of a new law for the administration of public accounts in 1841. In the year 1835, the state budget was published for the first time. Publicity and transparency in the administration was definitely not a characteristic feature of the absolute rule, and the news of the size of government debt caused great concern or almost consternation in the country. It is worth mentioning that during the reign of King Frederick VI, who had ruled between 1808 and 1839, his closest advisors had feared a revolution, and the corruption of the king’s civil servants was most likely perceived as a threat to the rule. The increase in administrative and economic misconduct among the civil servants presumably drew the crown’s focus as something that needed to be handled and punished if the king was to maintain absolute power. By 1840, a new general penal code was introduced which included a new law on misconduct in office. The crimes of malfeasance as embezzlement, fraud and forgery were described in far greater detail than in the former laws. When corruption was discovered, the civil servant was usually suspended while his case was investigated thoroughly before he was put on trial. The Danish constitution of 1849 had stated the right of civil servants to receive a retirement pension at the age of 70 or in case of illness. The detailed rules of the retirement reform were furthermore specified in an act in 1851, which also stated that the right to a pension could be lost in case of misconduct in office. By the late 1850s, salaries had been raised and civil servants in general had become a part of the well-to-do middle class. By 1860, courtesy rule of law, Denmark had reached a very low level of corruption. In 1861, a new law on the salary system for the state’s civil service was passed which abolished the fee system and granted fixed salaries to all categories of officials. The 1840 penal code was changed again in 1866 to include a separate chapter specifying the forms of misconduct of public servants in even greater detail and it also introduced the general principle of no punishment without law. Research further tells that when Tom Norring, the Ambassador of Denmark to Hungary, was asked in Budapest during March 2013 as to why Denmark continuously topped the statistics of being one of the least corrupt countries in the world, he had replied: "No, Danes are not immune to corruption-like behaviour as such. But we have over the years developed a tradition, a culture which makes it more natural to take a certain high moral or ethical stance." The March 19, 2013 edition of "The Budapest Times" had further quoted Danish Ambassador Norring as saying: "The main reason for this stance is, in my view, that we in Denmark have a very high degree of trust in other people and in the system. This trust is strengthening and supporting our entire integrity system. Over the years we have developed a welfare system – the so-called ‘Danish Model’ – which is an important part of the Danish integrity system. Fair working conditions, social security, health arrangements, decent salaries and pension schemes are among the things that contribute to giving the Danes reasonable living conditions. The fact that it is possible to live on one’s salary, that people are protected if they get sick and likewise if they are fired makes it easier to refrain from corruption." He had viewed: "In Denmark, we have a high tax burden that contributes to maintaining our welfare state. This means that Danes do not have to pay for their children to go to primary school or high school and they do not save for years to put their children through university. They do not need insurance to go to the hospital, get medication or see a doctor, and if they lose their job, relatively generous unemployment benefits are supplied by a combination of insurance and public funds. The elderly do not need insurance and do not have to pay out of their pocket to get necessary help with cleaning or personal assistance, and most of the costs associated with day care for children are also tax-financed. In other words one does not have to put money aside for bad times, as you will be provided for." Ambassador Norring had opined: "The high pressure of taxation in Denmark also contributes to the unwillingness to pay even more for, for instance, social benefits than has already been paid. Danes expect a fair treatment without paying extra. In Denmark we have a very inclusive political culture as well, and both public and private institutions are highly transparent, which makes it easier to hold for instance politicians or companies responsible for irregularities. The media has a very defining role in the Danish integrity system and is sometimes referred to as the fourth power of the state, which has the role of watching over the other three, making sure they behave." Meanwhile, a December 2012 report of the University of Copenhagen had noted: "Denmark is the world leader in two dimensions "government accountability and criminal justice" and places in the top 10 in all dimensions of the Rule of Law Index published by the World Justice Project assisted by scholars and practitioners, including Professors Morten Broberg and Jorn Vestergaard from the Faculty of Law. Denmark's public institutions are transparent, efficient, and free of corruption. The country is relatively safe from crime and the criminal justice system is effective in bringing offenders to justice." Culled from The News International

ICPC receives 942 petitions, recovers N10bn

icpcuser — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 08:12:20 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said on Tuesday that the ICPC had received 942 corruption-related petitions from members of the public.

Out of the figure, he said investigations into 384 were concluded, while 59 of the cases were charged to court.

Nta added that, so far, the commission secured convictions on five of the cases.

The Chairman spoke in Abuja as he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption to defend the 2016 budget of the agency.

Nta also disclosed that in 2015, the commission recovered assets and cash worth N10bn from corruption-related cases.

He revealed that in collaboration with the National Universities Commission, the ICPC also identified 26 universities he said portrayed the country in a bad light through their operation.

He did not name the institutions.

On challenges facing the commission, he stated that the agency had no forensic laboratory for use in conducting investigations.

To perform its duties, Nta said the ICPC relied on the forensic laboratory of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Culled from the Punch

ICPC Helps Pensioner Recover N102,000

okon — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:38:56 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has helped a pensioner, Mr. Okereke Godswill, recover N102,000 being owed him by his Pension Fund Administrator (PFA), Trustfund Pensions, Plc. Trouble for Mr. Godswill, an indigene of Akwakuma, Owerri, Imo State, started when he requested his PFA to transfer his Retirement Savings Account (RSA) to another insurance company, American International Insurance Company (AIICO) to enable him buy life annuity. His PFA, rather than honour his transfer request, stopped paying his monthly pension of N34,224.80 since May 2015, prompting him to petition ICPC. The Commission’s intervention has now led Trustfund Pensions to pay him N102,000 being pension arrears of three months while the transfer request crisis persisted. The PFA explained that the arrears were accumulated as a result of his request to get his benefits transferred to AIICO; and that the delay in the purchase of life annuity was due to a reshuffling that was taking place in the company as at then. This assistance to Mr. Godswill by ICPC continues in the tradition of the Commission to provide help for the weak and the voiceless in the society who are oppressed oftentimes by the sheer complexities of government or corporate bureaucracy and deliberate mischief by functionaries. The Commission has intervened on numerous occasions to provide succor for many pensioners, patients, students, etc. requiring help to collect their entitlements or secure their graduation as the case may be.

ICPC Inaugurates Customary Court of Appeal ACTU

okon — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:47:36 +0000

Pursuant to Section 6(b-d) of its mandate, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has inaugurated the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the Customary Court of Appeal in Abuja. During the inauguration and induction exercise, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), stated that ACTU was initiated by ICPC to carry out the Commission’s preventive mandate in order to restore the values of integrity, transparency and accountability to the nation’s public service. The inductees were urged to practise integrity; embrace honesty and transparency; and educate others on and against the ills of corruption because ‘ACTU’s were the eyes and ears of ICPC.’ Furthermore, the management of the court was called upon to cooperate with the newly-inaugurated ACTU in the discharge of their duties. Earlier, in his remarks, the Chief Registrar of the court, Mr. Usman Abbas, had noted that the establishment of ACTU was in the interest of all, including the management, and that it would serve as a watchdog for the establishment. He therefore promised to support the unit for it to succeed. ACTU was initiated following directives of the Head of Service of the Federation via circular, Ref No: OHCSF/MSO/192/94 dated 2^nd October 2001. ACTU serves as one of the implementation mechanisms for the corruption prohibition and prevention functions of ICPC; and derives its powers from Sections 7(1) and 70 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Visa Scam: ICPC Secures Conviction Against 2

okon — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:50:43 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a four-year prison sentence each against Mr. Okwara Chidera Oscar and Mr. Kennedy Nwosu for criminal conspiracy and submission of false documents to the Visa Consular Officer at the Indian High Commission in Lagos. The duo, who apparently were desperate to travel out of the country and did not care about the bad name they would give Nigeria at the High Commission were sentenced to jail by Justice S. S. Ogunsanya of the Ikeja High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State. At the trial, it was disclosed that Okwara and Kennedy had approached and submitted falsified documents to the Indian High Commission to obtain visas to travel to India, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 13, 17(1)(c) and 26(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. ICPC prosecution team made up of Mr. Golden Iwuagwu, Mrs. Yvonne William-Mbata and Mrs. Oludiya Atanda told the court that, in the course of investigation, it was discovered that some of the documents falsified and submitted by Okwara to the Visa Consular Officer included: Certificates of Incorporation; a Higher National Diploma certificate from Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State; a false statement of account from First Bank of Nigeria; and a letter of introduction from Trade Investment Limited. On the part of Kennedy, his desperation to play professional football in India made him to part with N400,000 as a fee for a visa. He had already paid N185,000 into the Sterling Bank account of Okwara to secure the visa, thereby committing the same offence with his friend. Justice Ogunsanya found the defendants guilty of all the charges preferred against them and thereafter sentenced them to four (4) year imprisonment each without the option of fine.

Celebrating International Women’s Day: The Impact of Corruption on Women

icpcuser — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 20:21:39 +0000

International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on the 8^th of March due to the recognition given to the rights of women through several recorded struggles by women rights groups. According to United Nations (UN) Women Watch, the celebration of a day specifically set aside globally for women arose from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. Gradually, it assumed a global dimension and it is now being celebrated in both developed and developing nations. Prior to its globalisation, the United States of America was documented as the first country to set aside a day for women on 28^th February 1909. In 1911, the first International Women’s Day (IWD) was marked on 19^th March in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies with themes addressing the right of women. The United Nations began to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8^th of March starting from 1975 and in 1977, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. Each year, the day is marked with a different theme and for this year, 2016, the theme is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equality”. The theme for the year speaks to having an environment that is equally conducive for all genders with equal access to resources, socio-economic infrastructure and amenities. However, corruption erodes the ability of nations and governments to achieve this goal and the effect of corruption impacts women disproportionately. To substantiate this perception, in an article authored by Farzana Newaz and published in Transparency International Anti-Corruption Network, it was highlighted that while traditionally, women perform the greater responsibility as caregivers and home makers for husbands and children, they lack the resources to assist their work. Women lack easy access to essential services such as health, education, water and sanitation. As a vulnerable group, they are less likely to be aware of their entitlements. Additionally, women’s income level is also lower compared with men and they lack influence to seek alternatives to bribes. Farzana noted that in Bangalore, India, one of every two women in maternity hospitals had to pay extra money in order to have a physician present during child delivery. In another case that occurred in Bangladesh, 22% of female secondary students had to pay a fee to register for a stipend programme for which they were entitled to enrol free. Another impact of corruption on women is cases where they are compelled or forced to consent to sexual favour as a form of bribe when they are in need of employment, admission into higher institutions or access to public service. Importantly, women are forced to bear the consequences that might arise from consenting to sexual favour as a form of bribe in exchange for their needs. Some of the consequences faced by such women include contracting deadly sexually transmitted diseases that could lead to stigmatisation and in some cases, unwanted pregnancy. As a solution to the problems expressed above, the researcher recommended policy interventions to combat systemic corruption and pay closer attention to the socio-economic and cultural norms that shape how women live their lives as well as the institutional barriers they face. As women in Nigeria join the world to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, more laws protecting the well-being and rights of women should be enacted by law makers. In addition, more opportunities should be given to women in decision-making platforms across places of governance. Let us join the gender parity team and encourage the liberation of women from all forms of gender bondage. Women in government, should arise to help pull up those that are at the grassroots through education, mentoring and coaching. They should fight corruption at every level knowing that the consequences will affect their gender more harshly. Working together, we will achieve a world where there is equality for all.

Land Fraud: ICPC Docks AGIS Staff and 2 Others

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 08:28:18 +0000

A staff of Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS), Mr. Mark Egwuma; two estate agents, Emmanuel Madubueze , Sambo Zabwami Auta; and one Mohammed Sanni Abdul have been arraigned before Justice Angela Otaluka of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Lugbe, Abuja, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over N10 million land fraud. The accused persons were arraigned by ICPC for allegedly defrauding one Tobias Tobechukwu of N10 million over a piece of land. The suspects were accused of forging title documents of Plot 1693, Guzape District,Cadastral Zone A09 Abuja, in the name of Mohammed Sanni Abdul with the intention to sell same to Tobechukwu, thereby contravening Section 26 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.. ICPC prosecutors further told the court that the accused persons allegedly succeeded in conspiring and defrauding Tobechukwu of N7 million, being part payment for the land. The court was also informed by the prosecution that Mohammed Sanni Abdul fled during investigation while the three other accused persons were able to return N850, 000, being part of the N7 million they had collected from Tobechukwu . The Commission is making efforts to arrest Mohammed Sanni Abdul. The trial judge, Justice Otulaka, in her ruling, granted them bail in the sum of N2 million each with two sureties in like sum on the condition that the sureties must be public servants on salary Grade Level 10 who reside in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the court. The accused have been remanded in prison custody until the fulfillment of their bail conditions.

Police Prosecutor Docked for Collecting Bribe

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 14:55:02 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arraigned a 51-year old Police Prosecutor, Ambrose Okonkwo, before Justice A.O. Onovo of Enugu State High Court for demanding and collecting a bribe of N30,000. The accused person, a Senior Inspector of Police attached to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Awgu in Enugu State had allegedly been soliciting for bribe in order to “facilitate” his victim’s cases in court. However, luck ran out on him when one of the victims reported the matter to ICPC and was given marked money to give him. He was arrested in a sting operation and taken into ICPC custody on 1^st August, 2014 immediately after he had collected the marked money. Following the conclusion of investigation, the accused who has put in over 32 years of service as a police prosecutor was charged to court on three counts bordering on bribery and gratification. His action contravenes Sections 17 and 18 and is punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. After the charges preferred against him were read out to him, Inspector Okonkwo, pleaded not guilty to all them, and the defense counsel, Mr. Anya Ibekwe, sought the relief of the court to grant his client bail. He was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with a surety and two passport photographs each of both the surety and him. The case has been adjourned to 6^th May 2016 for hearing. Since its inception in the year 2000, ICPC has arraigned many public servants including judges, magistrates, directors, security operatives, law enforcement agents, etc who were caught in sting operations after demanding and collecting bribes. A sizeable number of such accused persons have been convicted and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.

Barrister Arraigned for Land Fraud

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 09:43:03 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has finally arraigned Mr. Kingsley Odabi, a lawyer, who was allegedly involved in a N10 million fraud before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court 10, Gudu, Abuja.

The Commission had filed a 3-count charge against Odabi bordering on forgery and falsification of land documents to defraud one Dr. A. Babade. Two previous attempts to arraign the accused by ICPC had failed because of the suspect’s absence in court on those occasions.

ICPC in the charge sheet preferred against Odabi, accused him of “Forging a document to wit: Offer of Terms of Grant of Conveyance of Approval with the intent to cause Dr. Babade, B. A. to part with Ten Million Naira (N10m) for the sale of Plot 780 within Kaura District Abuja, contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 304 of the Penal Code Act 2004”.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all the counts of the charge. His lawyer applied for bail which was granted on the following conditions: two sureties in the sum of Five Million Naira (N5m), sureties to provide tax clearance for the past three years (3 years) and a passport photograph.

The case was then adjourned to 19^th April for commencement of hearing.

Jamb CBT: A Look at Then and Now

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 08:31:07 +0000

ICPC and QSRBN synergize to stem fraud in construction industry in Nigeria

okon — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:35:49 +0000

The President of the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), Mr. Hussaini A. Dikko, Board Members and the Management paid a courtesy visit to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The visit according to the President during his address, is to seek the collaboration of ICPC as an anti-corruption agency to forge a common front against corrupt practices in the construction sub-sector of the economy. The President who commended the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, for achievements recorded by the Commission since its inception, particularly during the tenure of the present Board, expressed happiness for the reception accorded by him and his team. Mr. Dikko who reeled out the mandate of QSRBN as enshrined in the enabling Act of Quantity Surveyors Registration Act No. 31 of 1986 stated that their work makes it mandatory for them to work closely with an anti-corruption body like ICPC if the war against corruption must be won in Nigeria. (His full address and pictures of the visit displayed on this website). In response to Mr. Dikko’s presentation, ICPC Chairman, on behalf of the Commission welcomed the President of QSRBN. He commended the activities and efforts of the Board in recent times, at ensuring financial probity and value for money in construction and infrastructural development in Nigeria. He said that the Commission had always involved the services of registered Quantity Surveyors in all construction projects of the Commission including those that are staff of the Commission from the design/conception stage to completion. He added that the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) projects were standard examples of effective service delivery by Quantity Surveyors. He stated that the Commission was also collaborating with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and this had given a boost to the mandate of the Commission, as some quack engineers were being prosecuted by the Commission. He added that the Commission was ready to partner/collaborate with QSRBN, and the Commission would assist to train Quantity Surveyors on corruption risk assessment, as it had been doing with several stakeholders. At the end of the remarks, the Chairman presented an ICPC plaque and some IEC materials to the President of QRSBN. The President also, presented some publications of QSRBN to the Hon. Chairman, ICPC.

ICPC Boss Charges Civil Servants Against Corruption

okon — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 14:08:58 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has tasked civil servants to join anti-graft agencies in the fight against corruption. Mr. Nta who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of ICPC gave the charge to staff of the Ministry of Water Resources during the inauguration ceremony of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the ministry. He told the ACTU members to embrace the fight against corruption being a select few chosen by the Commission to ensure that corruption is reduced to the barest minimum in the ministry. His words: “To the newly constituted members of the ACTU of this ministry, may I congratulate you all for being found worthy to serve your country in this capacity. You constitute a microcosm of ICPC, and you should note that the job before you is quite enormous and tasking, and it is one that requires the attributes of sincerity, sacrifice and dedication to duty.” The ICPC Chairman called on them not to use the ACTU as a witch-hunting or victimization tool against other staff, while also charging the management of the ministry to support the unit to help it actualize its mandate. “I urge you to work closely with the management in entrenching a culture of discipline and accountability within the office and not to use your position to witch-hunt or victimize anybody. The Commission also strongly enjoins respective heads of department of the ministry to give unwavering support and cooperation to the unit for them to be effective and succeed in their assigned duties,” he added. Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta said that the ministry was ready to partner with the Commission to curb corruption in Nigeria. She assured that the management would provide all the necessary support to the ACTU to make it function properly without any inhibition. Speaking on behalf of the members, the Chairman of the ACTU, Mr. Elijah Aderibigbe assured that the unit was totally committed to the fight against corruption in the ministry.

ICPC Has Reduced Corruption In Alvan Ikoku - Provost

okon — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 14:16:16 +0000

The Provost of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Dr. Blessing Ijioma has stated that the interventions of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the school have helped to reduce the incidence of corruption in the college. Dr. Ijioma who made the claim recently during a workshop on System Study and Review organized by ICPC for members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the college, lamented that corruption was thriving in the institution before ICPC introduced the unit. However, the Provost who was represented at the occasion by the Deputy Provost, Dr. Godwin Nneji Okere, said that the anti-corruption activities of ICPC had impacted positively on both lecturers and students of the institution. She said, “Before the coming of ACTU, corruption was on a free-for-all basis, however since the inauguration of ACTU, things are beginning to change for the better right from the attitudes of the students to the lecturers and management.” Earlier in his remark, the Head of Imo State office of the Commission, Mr. Zayyana Dan Musa, stated that it was the duty of the Commission to reduce the incidence of corruption in all public institutions in Nigeria. He added that the ICPC enabling law empowers the Commission to carry out System Study and Review of government ministries, departments and agencies with a view to blocking all avenues that would allow corruption to occur.

Nigerians In Diaspora Remit $21 Billion Home *As ICPC Signs Anti-Corruption MOU With NIDO Germany

icpcuser — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 08:18:48 +0000

Nigerians in Diaspora had remitted to their country the sum of $21 billion in 2015 according to a report by the Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD). Excited by the development, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mr. Ekpo Nta congratulated Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO) by calling on them to collaborate with ICPC in the fight against corruption. Given the Government’s zero-tolerance for corruption this was the best time to complement the Federal Government’s job creation effort by investing in cottage industries, especially in their home communities. Such industries, he opined should be targeted at manufacturing hitherto imported items for the huge local market and refining local products for export. He said ICPC would continue to treat all petitions from NIDO members expeditiously through continuous investigation, prosecution and conduct of Corruption Risk Assessments in relation to any person or public institution that creates corruption bottlenecks for their investments, especially in the areas of property acquisition and business partnerships. The ICPC Chairman who attended a Board Meeting of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) in Austria had stopped over in nearby Munich to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NIDO Germany in areas of mutual interest including whistle-blowing on money laundering activities, recovery of proceeds of corruption, assets tracing and monitoring, technical assistance, anti-corruption ICT solutions, Communication and Research. Nta who was a Special Guest of Honour during their Extraordinary Annual General Meeting which took place on the 12th of March 2016 gave a Keynote Address at the official flagging off of NIDO Germany Anti-corruption Campaign for Nigerians in Germany. He reiterated that ICPC’s mandate was to promote strong public institutions and anchored his short address on excerpts from a public speech credited to Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Hon. Minister of Finance titled FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE… MAKING EVERY NAIRA COUNT “……..While we are regaled with and shocked by details of amounts stolen, diverted or wasted, we must face the cold reality that such acts are facilitated by weaknesses in our systems. Even if we successfully prosecute and jail every looter, ghost worker and other economic saboteur, there is every risk that those caught will only be replaced by persons who are just as bad, or worse – unless we radically strengthen our systems and institutions”. The MOU was signed on behalf of NIDO Germany by her President Hon. Kenneth Gbandi, who had also served as the African Representative on the Hamburg Senate Integration Advisory Council from 2011 to 2015. Other invited dignitaries were Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora who spoke through skype; Amb. John C. Ejinaka, Consular-General, Nigerian Consulate, Federal Republic of Nigeria in Frankfurt, Germany; Minister Kenneth Okeh, Charge d’Affairs, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Berlin, Germany. NIDO Chapter Presidents from other European countries who were in attendance called on ICPC to enter into similar partnership with them. Thereafter the ICPC Chairman inducted all participants as members of the National Anti-corruption Volunteers Corps (NAVC) of ICPC and decorated them with special arm bands.

Prevention is better than Cure – ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 14:32:18 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has stated that the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) prescribed more of preventive measures in the fight against corruption. Mr. Nta made the statement recently while hosting a team of the Anti-corruption Commission of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) who came to ICPC on a courtesy call. He said that if the institutions were working the way they should, “the huge sums we hear that have been stolen from government coffers would not have happened.” He explained that instead of expending energy, time and other resources on investigative activities and the prosecution of corrupt individuals, it was better to design systems that would prevent corruption. He also noted that most of the issues tagged as corruption were actually system defects. To this end he said that ICPC has been involved in systems study and review in order to correct anomalies in government institutions. Speaking about some of the challenges faced by ICPC, Mr. Nta, lamented that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 restricted the Commission to charging its cases in state high courts. This, he described as a setback to the anti-corruption fight because it often leads to political interference by sympathizers of the accused persons in their home state. He also identified inadequate funding as another hindrance to effective anti-corruption fight. The Commission’s Chairman further expressed ICPC’s readiness to partner with the anti-corruption commission of NBA, revealing that ICPC was ready to give them access to the anti-corruption academy in Keffi for further training and retraining of their staff. Earlier in his remarks, the NBA Anti-corruption Commission Chairman, Augustine Oyarekhua (SAN), who was represented by John Olusola Baiyeshea (SAN) stated that the purpose of the visit was to seek collaboration with ICPC in the fight against corruption which he said had deprived Nigeria the opportunity of an all-round development. Mr. Olusola also revealed that the NBA was passionate and committed to the anti-corruption stance of the present administration and was ready to collaborate with ICPC in all relevant areas to ensure success.

Nigeria Not The Most Corrupt Country - Ag ES, PPPRA

okon — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 13:48:41 +0000

The acting Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mrs. Stephanie Iyoyo, has refuted the rating of Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries of the world as claimed by the United States News Best Ranking Index. The US News ranking index had placed Nigeria as the most corrupt country in world by perception, in its 2016 survey conducted on 60 developing nations. However, Mrs. Iyoyo who spoke during a sensitization workshop for members of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of PPPRA, in Abuja argued that government efforts in tackling corruption over the years had put paid to the claim that Nigeria was a very corrupt country. She maintained that even though there were tell-tale signs of corruption in the not- too-distant past, the setting up of anti-corruption agencies like Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) by the government had yielded positive results in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. Her words; “I do not believe we are the most corrupt. One has to praise the efforts of the Federal Government, through the activities of the anti-graft bodies, to fight the menace of corruption.” The acting Executive Secretary, while noting that PPPRA had come under scrutiny in recent times, also pointed out that the agency was in the forefront of the fight against corruption, being an institution that was responsible for ensuring sanity in a critical sector of the economy. According to her, “We are aware that the price of corruption is very high; both on our image and the economy of our nation. In the recent past, we have been pummeled and battered, as our moral basis as a responsible institution of government has been questioned. ‘Thank God, we were able to able to rise up to the occasion and redeem our image as an agency with a purpose. We are committed to this new image, to continually run with our mandate of providing a profitable downstream oil sub-sector for Nigerians, in a more edifying and sustainable way, consistent with government policy.” Earlier in his remark, PPPRA ACTU Chairman, Mr. Lanre Oladele, charged the members to embrace the fight against corruption by keeping to the stipulated guidelines of the agency in the execution of their duties. He said, “As an agency of government, we need to do our best by following due process. Our activities are being scrutinized, that is why we cannot let down our guard. We need to put in our best so that our corruption index will be drastically reduced.” Mr. Ebenezer Shogunle of ICPC who presented a paper titled ‘FoI Act; Potent Weapon in the Fight against Corruption in Nigeria’ called on all the staff of PPPRA to join the anti-corruption crusade, noting that every Nigerian suffers the bad effects of corruption. “If we sit in our offices thinking that fighting corruption is for the Federal Government, ICPC and EFCC, we will end up being defeated by corruption,” he stated.

ICPC Helps Retiree Recover N4.1m Delayed Terminal Benefits

okon — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 16:05:12 +0000

A retired staff of Notore Chemical Industries, Mr. Abdulrahman Danbaba has been paid N4.1 million being terminal benefits owed him by the company following the intervention of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Mr. Danbaba, who retired as Regional Manager, North-West, had petitioned ICPC claiming that the company owed him N4, 062, 048.07 being the balance of his terminal benefits after working for them for six years in Kaduna State. He also alleged that his Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax was not remitted to the appropriate authorities by the company. Consequently, the Commission investigated the petition and found that the company had defaulted in the payment of PAYE tax for its staff to the Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue, as well as the payment of the terminal benefits of the former Regional Manager, North-West. ICPC, upon conclusion of investigation, prevailed on Notore Chemical Industries to pay all the outstanding benefits of Mr. Danbaba and to remit the PAYE tax for six of its staff in Kaduna State to the Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue. Both the Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue and Mr. Danbaba have written to the Commission to confirm the receipt of the payments from Notore Chemical Industries. It is worthy to note that ICPC continues to impact on institutions and citizens across the board. In the recent past, the Commission has recovered unpaid taxes and helped a number of oppressed Nigerians to get their legitimate entitlements which they were deprived of due to either bureaucratic bottlenecks or outright victimization by unscrupulous public officers.

Strong, Efficient Institutions Needed to Tackle Corruption, Says Oloapa

icpcuser — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 15:18:39 +0000

State of public service As a political scientist, one of the first things I noticed is that a lot of what we practiced in government lacked theoretical basis; they are more like common sense. A whole lot of these were conceived properly in the First Republic because the colonial administrative system taught the first generation, brought them up in the knowledge of people; what the parameters are and what you can call the theoretical and value foundation for these institutions. But even the institutions are mutated; they have changed over time. But what you have is that we still carry on, based largely on experience, what we pass on rarely rigorously deconstructing some of these institutions to reflect changes. And these are factors that are rarely constraining the effectiveness of some of these institutions. It is only in Nigeria that you can smuggle yourself into the civil service because you think the job is routine whereas if you confront a Prime Minister in England, he will ask you a few questions like which school did you attend. There are values. There are strong issues that define institutions. Look at our institutions; University of Ghana in Legon is like the UI (University of Ibadan) of the old. But what made our institutions to derail and become prodigal is because there was so much money. We had money because oil was the first to be discovered because it was defining global trend. All the multinationals came and quickly exploited it. But immediately the money was coming, we forgot gold, columbite and other mineral resources. Even bitumen is more than oil but we ignored it. So what we want to do in the Ibadan School for Government and Public Policy is to offer policy research and advise to services while at the same time creating sustained platforms for innovative problems solving to executive education. What do we mean by these? We would not be doing the regular courses like strategic planning, project management that is not our own focus. What we want to do is look at critical challenges. Why can’t the Lagos/Ibadan expressway be constructed? Infrastructure finances, because we are still thinking financing, through budget and because we are thinking of PPP in a contrite manner. We want to look at very challenging issues. We want to bring together practitioners who have experience of good practice like those in the diaspora and that is why we are having an international advisory board.

www.famzn.com

The second thing we want to do is that for every year, the conference will help us to shape the kind of issues that we are going to be concerned with in that year. So, we would have been able to assemble the core of experts. For example, maybe next year we are looking at human capital development, the whole issue will look at education, skills and all these artisan issues. We would shape it but we will make it such that it is multi-disciplinary. So any issue that we have taken would be an entry point to interpreting the entire system. This year we are looking broadly at the working of government; the factors of the institutional parameters. We recognise that government is pursuing the agenda of change and we want to help them understand that beyond the economics, there are some super structural issues; critical institutional issue that must be looked at otherwise there will be no change. And we want to use that as our take-off point to engage and the economy would have to be tackled first. Then we will focus on assets management ways and productivity in addressing infrastructure. Nigeria is legendary for lacking maintenance culture, for spending without accounting for it. We want to address the whole issues of productivity; the whole issue of waste management. After looking at infrastructure, we will now look at education, health and human capital. We are looking at taxation and all others. The last thing I want to mention as concerned what the school will be doing is to raise the bar of discourse towards advancing the Nigeria’s course. Government’s approach to corruption You see my own concept of corruption is that all these arrests are a way of making yourself popular. It should be done but the question is have you defined the goal? Corruption is a systemic issue arising from weakness of institution. When you manipulate the leakages in an institution for self-advantage, the result is what we have now. For example, for 15 years the cabal that were thriving on pension payroll never allowed computerisation for almost two decades because they knew that once some biometrics and introduction of technology were put in place, that illicit business would die. And so they don’t allow the right kind of people to be sent there. So for me, the starting point in fighting corruption is knowledge. And that is why we want to stand out. If we want to make money from this kind of school then we must be ready to simply help government. What most people in government want are who can help them to project a good image. They don’t want somebody that will help them to interpret their reality for the public to appreciate. We need to fully mobilse the people with a lot of information and knowledge, and this will help the public, to shape the way the people compromise themselves in the name of election. There is poverty but how many leaders have done sufficient scientific analysis of where we are, the steps we have to take before we can get out of poverty. But people must know that you cannot overcome corruption without first of all addressing the basics. So for me, the way to tackle corruption is while you are doing all these razzmatazz, you must be tackling the roots of corruption. You must begin to get institutions to work.

End UK's role as safe haven for the corrupt, Transparency urges

icpcuser — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 08:06:33 +0000

WAEC Set To Introduce New Technology That Can Check Collusion To Curb Malpractices

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 08:17:41 +0000

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it is set to introduce a device that will henceforth check collusion during its examinations across the country. The council’s Head, Media and Information, Mr Damianus Ojijeogu said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos. He said that during the 2014/2015 examination, it was discovered that collusion was gradually replacing other previous forms of malpractices recorded by the council including impersonation. “We are planning to introduce software called Item Differential Programme. This device is one that would assist in detecting collusion in any given examination. “The introduction of the device is based on the high level of collusion that we discovered during the 2014/2015 examination. “The device will be able to detect if candidates have jointly answered a particular multiple choice question, which we refer to as “item’’. “For instance, if out of 100 candidates, 80 per cent of them go for a particular item which might be wrong as their answer, the device will immediately flag such item and aggregate the candidates,” he explained. Ojijeogu noted that the device, if approved by council, might be introduced at its 2016 November/December diet of the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates. He, however, said if it was unable to introduce it during the examination in November, it would do that during the 2017 May/June diet of the WASSCE. According to him, the council is already doing trial run and fine tuning the device. He said that the device was first used by the Kenyan Examinations Council, followed by that of Ghana.

Firm lauds ICPC over recovery of N39m paid for fake land

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 08:21:12 +0000

An Abuja-based firm, Tobel Technologies Limited has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for helping it recover N39 million it paid for a fake land. Tobel’s commendation was conveyed in a letter signed by its Managing Director, Mr Tobias Obiechina, addressed to the chairman of ICPC and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday. Obiechina, in the letter, said ICPC officials that investigated the case exhibited a high level of diligence and honesty. “I wish to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to your noble commission on the professional manner you handled my petition over a fraudulent sale of Plot 2823 in Asokoro District, Abuja. “It is my pleasure to inform you that the total sum of N39 million which I paid for the purchase of the fake land has been fully recovered and returned to me. “This result was achieved because of the professionalism, dexterity, incorruptibility and timeliness exhibited by your officers that investigated the case,’’ he said. He prayed God to grant ICPC more wisdom to continue to discharge its duties with honesty as it would help in laundering the image of the nation.

Attitudinal Change, Solution To Corruption In Nigeria - ICPC Chairman

okon — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 15:42:29 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has called on Nigerians to embrace attitudinal change in order to minimize corruption in the country. Mr. Nta, represented by Mr. Elvis Oglafa, the Secretary to ICPC, was speaking during a courtesy visit by executive committee members of the Rotary Club District 9125 led by its Governor, Dr. Mike Omotosho. The ICPC Chairman explained the importance of change thus: “Change is critical, not just political but attitudinal change”, and added that there was need for change from greed which was a major cause of corruption in the country. He also urged the visiting Rotary Club delegation to work towards identifying people of integrity and developing them as community leaders because the country had people with such qualities in abundance. In his own remarks, Dr. Omotosho stated that the Rotary Club was about humanitarian service, adding that it had been in the forefront of the fight against polio which he said was a success story in Nigeria. Dr. Omotosho also explained that the Four-Way Test of the Rotary Club could be used in any sphere of life, and that ICPC could also apply it in its day to day activities. His words: “The test is; 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? If there is a no at any point then one must make a stop.” Dr. Omotosho stated that the club’s yearly cycle of activities began from 1^st July to the 30^thof June and that this year, Rotary had a Legacy Project through which it intended to get twelve thousand Nigerians to write short essays about the Nigeria of their dreams, and which the club hoped to put into one publication to make an entry into the Guinness Book of Records as the largest publication in the world. The event presented an opportunity for the Head of ICPC’s Research and Documentation Unit, Mr. Mike Sowe, to speak about the Commission’s re- engineered National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC). Mr. Sowe explained that the NAVC, being a citizens’ participatory anti-corruption army was open to all Nigerians who were gainfully employed and especially those who belonged to organized groups like Rotary Club, professional bodies, etc. He therefore invited the members of the club to join the corps.

‘Why anti-corruption drive is imperative for sustainable economic growth’ - Prof. Shola Akinrinade

icpcuser — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 14:14:05 +0000

Professor Shola Akinrinade is the Provost of the Anti Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN)- the training and research arm of the Independent Corrupt practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). In this interview with ABOSEDE MUSARI, he recounts the various studies done in the past one year of the academy’s refocused agenda, pointing at how the issues of financial impropriety has been addressed in about 400 Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs). What has been your experience in the last one year that you have been the Provost of ACAN? In the last one year, specifically in October 2014, when I assumed office, it was just to get our things ready for the real programme. What has happened is that there’s been a transition from ICPC Academy to Anti Corruption Academy of Nigeria. It’s not just a transition in name, but in focus, scope of activities and direction of work of the academy. The Academy was set up in 2004 as the ICPC training school. It functioned like that till 2014, when I was appointed. There was a conscious decision on the part of the board to change the direction of work and to expand the scope of activities of the academy in line with best practices in fighting corruption in other parts of the world. Between 2004 and 2014, all the academy was doing was to train its own staff and hosting them in the academy premises. What we had was a hostel for the training school and there was no luxury. But by 2014, the board approved the change to ACAN with a new remit, which is to engage with the larger society in developing a national response to corruption in terms of building people’s capacity to fight corruption nationally. Not just something left for the agencies, but something you are taking to every part of the country, every segment and building the consciousness of people. So our work remit has expanded to include training people in good governance and all matters relating to anti corruption, trying to build capacity of agencies and individuals to understand corruption within their domain and to fight it. So, everything we’ve done has gone beyond merely training the staff of the commission, but now we are engaging with the larger society on matters of transparency, accountability, good governance, integrity and things that build the environment for a sustainable fight against corruption. Indeed, there is a whole change of direction. We are building alliances with various sectors of the society, trying to develop their capacity to tackle corruption within their own sectors. We’ve worked with Chartered Institute of Bankers, universities, health and aviation sectors and we have other programmes that started last year, which will continue this year. Apart from our internal training, last year we had a workshop for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education on academic and procurement integrity. We realised that our tertiary education system is the gateway to the future of this country because it is the institutions producing the manpower that drives the economy and the technical capacity of this country. So, if you can get it right with them, then we are not looking at the future. We are addressing people that are there now and those that are going to be important in this country in the future. People raise questions about the quality of graduates of the Nigerian university, polytechnics and colleges, the teachings taking place in our schools and the kind of performance of our teachers, and students in external examinations. But look at the result of SSCE recently released, less than 34 per cent could transit to the next level because those are the ones that passed Mathematics and English and other relevant subjects. People are not looking at the structures. The structural response is what we are looking at to do. Look at the basis of failure in corruption within the system. When lecturers are failing to do their work the way they ought to, they are not training teachers they ought to. When people they trained leave and are working in the industry and cannot even perform, what happens? UBEC and basic education are the gateway to our education system. If there are problems there, you know you are creating problems for the future. What have we done? We work with them to create integrity within their system. We worked with the aviation sector, targeting low-level corruption at our airports, trying to build the capacity of operators in the airport to tackle corruption within their own system. We are sensitising them and creating awareness on the need to create the right image for this country. When somebody enters this country for the first time and all the person gets are requests for money, bribes from different people, it sends a wrong signal. What kind of experience do they go with? We had an international conference in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to drive policy making within the system. The United Nations Development Programme commissioned us to train civil society organisations who are engaged in anti-corruption work. This is to build capacity on sustainable basis. Everything we are doing is not just for now, but to raise the bar in the fight against corruption. We had training with the local governments. You know the importance of local governments in governance in the country. The average Nigerian identifies more with the local governments. If there’s no integrity, if there is massive corruption at that level, we would be failing a lot of people. We are taking that training now to the level of local government chairmen, secretaries, director of finance and revenue officers. The essence is to make sure we are able to entrench integrity at the lowest level of governance. The last one we had was with the legislators. We’ve worked with legislators from states Houses of Assembly all over the country. We completed the process recently when we had legislators from Lagos, Kwara and Oyo. states The essence is to build legislative integrity and tackle corruption. It’s a whole range of activities meant to address and build capacity in different segments of the society. Some of the things we started, which we couldn’t complete, but are still on is the proposal to have a workshop for the media on the war against corruption. The media is crucial to defining and driving the agenda. On the fight against corruption, if we can get the media on our side, a lot will be achieved because they move our message to different parts of the country. But if the media is corrupt, then there is a problem. We are talking about how the media can advance the agenda. These are issues we have been trying to address. We are trying to have a discourse in healthcare delivery, to work with the health sector. We call it the National Dialogue on promoting integrity, accountability and transparency in healthcare delivery. We all know the challenges and the impact of lack of transparency, corruption in healthcare delivery. What we are doing is to build an alliance so that people can begin to address the issues. In terms of direct impact, we can’t begin to analyse now, but we know from feedbacks from those who trained with us that people are beginning to get the message, which is very important. The important thing is to create attitudinal change. The message must be internalised. When you want to create change, it shouldn’t be on the surface, it must be something that people must believe in totally. It is that internal belief that will drive the process long after we are not training anybody. People who imbibed it on their own, and see it as their own fight will continue to drive the agenda. That is why we are doing a kind of catch them young. With the national values curriculum, anti corruption modules is being introduced from primary schools, as a way of teaching people about values. With the academic initiative on anti-corruption, we are trying to take it to the university level. Late last year, we developed the curriculum and modules for anti-corruption elements for general studies in our tertiary institutions, which we want to work with regulatory authorities to introduce. It’s like getting people to internalise it from day one. We also work with various MDAs, about 400 of them. In terms of people we’ve reached, people who trained directly under us last year are about 1776. You know what that means when they begin to work in their various agencies. Don’t you think the media is critical to stakeholders in fighting corruption? For any venture to succeed you need communication. People must know what is happening. This is why we are actually looking for support from the media on the corruption workshop that we want to run. We need the support of the larger society to help reach this critical segment of society. At the end of the day, if you can have the media on your side, at least they can help us define the narratives, drive the agenda and tell the story. They help us sell the opinion. Some of us look forward to the writings of some columnists. There are some columnists who are so influential with their columns such that people look out for them, and they cut across newspapers. When we have the media on our side, the agenda is made simpler. People respect their opinions. Indeed, the media is important to us. Beside the usual trainings, is the academy going to be offering degree programmes? When we started, we designed a Masters programme in anti-corruption studies targeted directly at practitioners. There will be modules depending on the kind of work you are doing with your agency. You can’t come to me as a job seeker and say you have a Masters degree in anti corruption studies. Work is experience. Our Masters programme is targeted at building the capacity of people already on the job. But again, we still have issues because we need to work with universities to get this on board. We are already discussing with two universities. Both have programmes and centres dealing with anti-corruption studies, so they are first reference in terms of who we are partnering with. Beyond that, the certification courses in anti-corruption studies, which we are thinking of running for people like journalists who are interested in the crime beat and anti corruption reporting. For people in the public service sector, those dealing with procurement, those in audit and all those who have contact with things that have to do with integrity and corruption, we are trying to do a certificate course for them. There are initiatives that are on that will affect the larger sector of the society for good. There must be a structural response, because its not enough to train. Take for instance the anti-corruption conference that we want to do. Critical to us is how we can engage the policy makers with proposals that are realistic. How can we use research to drive anti-corruption policies? Our country has one of the largest collections of anti-corruption agencies and legislations. We need to ask ourselves how effective they are. And we are saying that many of these things must be informed by research. When we are developing new policies, how does it relate to things we have found practical in terms of research? You studied some sectors such as aviation, universities and the health. What impact were you able to make in these sectors and How were you able to correct certain issues in those areas? The ICPC is a large body. There is a whole unit charged with systems studies and planning research and review section. But nobody works in isolation. When we do corruption risk assessment, it’s not just to study the system and an agency but to help them get it right. For these past years, the training for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education was the consequence of the system study of the university that identified the number of areas of infraction. The study formed the basis of the training we ran for the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. We now work with them directly. We give them a template of integrity plan and that this is how they should draw up their own response. And we go back to discuss with them how they entrench integrity in their system on a sustainable basis. We did it also with UBEC. It’s based on knowledge to work with them and get them to achieve their goals. Our purpose is to strengthen organisations. Any training we do, is to look at the weaknesses in their systems and help them to overcome it. The aviation sector was slightly different. There has been studies and identification of training needs. But we need to go beyond what we are doing now to get to the root of the problem. While we are treating the manifestations at the airport in terms of the operators, we need to go to the root of the problem. That will be the next level of our training in the sector. What are the specific challenges you identified in these sectors? There’s only one problem in this country- integrity issues. It’s a major problem because if you can get it right in terms of transparency, accountability, if people cannot imbibe the right values towards public sector funds, we’ll still have a long way to go. We have integrity deficit in various segments of the society. We can’t deceive ourselves. If I begin to tell you what we found in different agencies, I won’t be helping them and I wont be helping us. Our aim is to strengthen, not to destroy them. And if I go public with the things they are doing, that’s what you’ll see.

Customs incorporates EFCC, ICPC, Shippers’ Council in auction exercise

icpcuser — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 19:44:40 +0000

The Zonal Coordinator for Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Comptroller-General Eporwei Edike, said on Friday that the service had included other government agencies in its auction exercise. Edike stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos as maritime activities closed on Friday. The zonal coordinator said that the service took the measure to reform the auction exercise and make it more transparent. He said the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Colonel Hameed Ali, had established a committee that would oversee the auction processes. He said: “The auction operation will no longer be the affairs of Operation and Enforcement unit of the service alone because the Customs boss had included many regulatory agencies in the exercise. “Those agencies include: the National Assembly, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and the Nigerian Ports Authority. “Also included are the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Importers’ Association and so on.” In the week under review, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello, urged trade partners to work together globally to grow the economies of nations. Bello made the plea during a visit to the Council’s Headquarters in Lagos by the World Bank team on Support Mission to Nigeria on implementation of World Trade Organisation. NAN reports that the team was at the council to facilitate implementation of Trade Agreement. “Facilitation is very important and no country can trade alone without the support of others,” NAN quoted him as saying. He added: “We know that the issue of trade facilitation has taken the front burner at global level. “Nigeria is working seriously to ratify the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement as this is imperative for boosting the nation’s competitiveness and successfully integrating it into the regional and global trading systems. “This is to enhance our economic growth and development.” Bello said the NSC as the ports economic regulator had been streamlining trade through its various activities including the establishment of Inland Container Depots and Container Freight Stations. In his speech, the Ambassador of Nigeria to World Trade Organisation in Geneva, Ademola Adejumo, expressed dismay over the ranking of Nigeria globally in the cost of doing business. Adejumo, however, said the mission would do its best in placing Nigeria in the right position to make the country “an investment haven”. He said the group would appreciate it if maximum support could be given to it in accomplishing its mission. Also speaking, the Head of the delegation, Manuel Henriques, commended the NSC for the support it had been receiving as members of the trade facilitation mission. According to Henriques, the importance of TFA could not be over-emphasised in the trade facilitation. Also during the week, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria agreed to inaugurate a team to harmonise areas of conflict in a current draft Memorandum of Understanding. The Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Wale Adeniyi, stated this in a statement, a copy of which was made available to NAN in Lagos. According to Adeniyi, as part of his continuous engagement with stakeholders, Ali rounded up a week-long working visit to Lagos and other operational areas in the South West on Friday. The statement added: “During the visit, the comptroller-general hosted members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to a forum where issues of mutual concerns were addressed. “On the front burner of the forum was the concern expressed by the participants over the militating impact of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s policy, banning some items from accessing its Forex allocation. “The comptroller-general noted that the policy had created a revenue shortfall to the tune of N230 billion in the last quarter of 2015. “He (Ali) informed the forum that the request for a review had been tabled before the Vice-President. “At the end of the forum, the two sides acknowledged the growing cordial relationship existing between the Customs and the association and expressed commitment to sustain the tempo. “At the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal, the comptroller-general announced Customs intention to optimise the use of the facilities. “He (comptroller-general) disclosed that the Customs management is considering the remodelling of the facility as a terminal designated to handle exports. “Under the arrangement, containers of export will be trucked to the terminal from where they will be moved in barges to the main ports of Apapa and Tin-Can Island.”

How junior civil servants fleece Nigeria of millions – ICPC

icpcuser — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 19:52:29 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has revealed how junior public servants rake in millions of naira illegally. The Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said this while addressing participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies at the Abuja headquarters of the agency on Friday. Speaking on the theme, ‘The role of the ICPC in the war against corruption: Mandate, strategies and challenges,’ the ICPC boss said there was a tendency for investigators to always go after finance directors whenever there was a probe.

He, however, said investigations had shown that junior civil servants, who go to work looking haggard, sometimes made more money than their bosses. Nta said, “If you are probing an agency, the first person you will ordinarily want to look at is the director of finance. But investigations we have done here sometimes show otherwise. How does a protocol officer make money? Is it a high level position? No. “But if, for instance, an organisation is sending five officers abroad for training and the chief executive signs a letter containing the names of five officers and the letter is taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a note verbal, the person who is taking the list from the chief executive to the ministry (protocol officer) adds 10 more names. “The ministry will issue a verbal note covering 15 names and sent to the embassy involved and visas will be issued to the 15 persons without an interview. For each of the 10 extra people, the protocol officer collects N1.5m. That brings the amount to N15m. “And this is an agency that constantly sends people abroad. Do you know how much that protocol officer is taking away? This is a protocol officer who comes to the office in slippers and a bad car, but is secretly building an estate. These are true-life stories based on our investigations.” Nta also revealed how civil servants were collecting multiple salaries but noted that ‘ghost workers’ could no longer exploit the system due to the Bank Verification Number. He added, “Some people have refused to come and collect their salaries. So, some of our agencies are inviting them. They did not expect that the BVN would be there. In the past, they were collecting salaries from different agencies because they had been transferred from one agency or ministry to the other but were still collecting salaries from their previous positions.” The ICPC boss also bemoaned that many wealthy Nigerians were not paying their taxes. He said the anti-graft agency had, therefore, made it a duty to always ask for tax evidence whenever anyone was under probe. He said, “We have, in the course of investigations, seen some very smart people who you get a petition against. On the surface, you have found nothing on him but you have found N1bn in his account and he has shown you that he has not committed any offence. “And so, we went a step further and checked whether he has been paying his taxes. By the time we finished with investigations, that gentleman paid taxes amounting to N77m. So, it became a standard that whenever we are investigating a matter, we look at tax matter.”

Corruption: ICPC seizes 62 houses from one female civil servant

icpcuser — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 19:58:05 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has disclosed that it has started taking into custody civil servants who live beyond their earnings, adding that it seized 61 houses from one female public servant. The commission further revealed that it would soon make public list of most corrupt Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, made this known on Friday while addressing participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies at the Abuja headquarters of the agency. Speaking on the theme, ‘The role of the ICPC in the War Against Corruption: Mandate, Strategies and Challenges’, Nta pointed out that, “We are developing scorecard like Transparency International which rates countries as to the level of corruption of countries. We have developed one for ministries departments and agencies. Hopefully, we know those who will take the first prize.” He added that once the 2016 Budget is passed, the ICPC would follow every event on how monies will be spent. He said that the commission had begun prosecuting public servants that live beyond their means. “From one of the employees of one of the organisations, we seized about 61 or 62 houses in an estate. The matter is in court so I can’t say too much but I want to say that the officer was not a man.

“We do prosecution but also try to seize the assets acquired (through corrupt means) so that apart from prosecution, we can strip you of the assets within and outside the country,” he said. Nta also said the ICPC is also investigating cases of sexual harassment by some university lecturers who demand sex from female students in return for good grades. He noted that in as much as it was the function of the police to handle cases of sexual harassment and rape, it was also the role of the ICPC to investigate cases bordering on abuse of office. Nta added, “We have special teams that investigate universities here. Quite a number of students that have spent more than the statutory period, like young girls who have spent eight years for a four-year programme because they refused to do what should not be done. We got involved and they have graduated and we are still looking at the possibility of prosecution.” Culled from the Punch

UK expresses support for President Buhari’s anti-graft war

icpcuser — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 20:02:52 +0000

The United Kingdom Minister for International Development, Mr. Nick Hurd, has said UK is fully behind President Muhammadu Buhari in the ongoing efforts by his administration to rid Nigeria of corruption. Hurd told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday that fighting corruption was critical to transforming Nigeria’s future. He said, “We have been very active in supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign against corruption in Nigeria and we think it is fundamental to transform the future of the country. “We fully support priorities that the President has given to tackling corruption in Nigeria. “We feel that corruption is absolutely the right priority and we want to support him in that.” The minister urged the federal government to focus on public sector reforms aimed at making corruption unattractive to workers and the general public. He pointed out that there was so much workers in the public sector could do to reduce corruption through effective accounting systems. Hurd told NAN that his country was working with the Federal Government and the Civil Society Organisations on attitudinal change in the Nigerian society. “We think corruption holds Nigeria back and for every pound that is taken out of the public system through corruption, is a pound that could be spent educating children. “It is a pound that could be spent educating girls and developing the health system that the country can be proud of. “That is the kind of attitude that we would like to encourage and, therefore, we support the President in that,” he said. Hurd said that the UK Prime Minister David Cameron, like President Buhari, is also passionate to rid his country of corruption. “Which is why next month, he (Cameron) is holding an anti-corruption summit in London and we very much hope that Nigeria will be well represented in that conference. “The conference will bring together world leaders to discuss corruption and their plans to tackle it in their countries; so corruption is a very big issue for us,” he said.

Give Public Servants Policy, Leadership Training Early – ICPC Chairman

okon — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 12:25:18 +0000

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has recommended that public servants be given policy and leadership training early in their careers so as to make them more focused and effective at their jobs. Mr. Nta made the recommendation while addressing participants of the Policy, Strategy and Leadership Course (PSLC) 21 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), who were on a study tour to the Commission. He said that such training if given early, rather than at the twilight of their career, would provide them with the necessary skills to effectively deal with organisational, as well as, family issues they were confronted with. The Chairman who presented a paper on: “The Role of ICPC in the War Against Corruption: Mandate, Strategies and Challenges” stated that corruption was a global issue which posed serious political, economic and social challenges to state and human development while adding that the African Union estimated that corruption cost African economies $148 billion annually. The ICPC Chairman told the participants that the Commission’s mandate encompassed enforcement, prevention, education and public mobilization as enshrined in the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. He also noted that ICPC had recorded huge successes in the fight against corruption. These included many billions of naira recovered in cash and forfeited assets; system studies conducted in the universities, lands administration in the FCT, and various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). Mr. Nta added that corruption risk assessment had been executed in the ports and aviation sectors, while a national values curriculum had been developed and deployed in Basic Education 1-9, Post-basic and colleges of education, among others. The ICPC Chairman further revealed that the Commission had developed an Ethics and Compliance Scorecard that was a similitude of Transparency International’s rating to be used in rating MDAs, the aim of which was to promote integrity, transparency and accountability. Earlier in his address, Mr. Asipita Umar, Head of NIPSS Consult, who spoke on behalf of the delegation said that they were at ICPC because PSLC 21 had decided to look into a critical issue in the country’s national life which was corruption, and to find out the national policies that drove the Commission’s anti-corruption efforts, as well as, how they were impacting on the desired goal and to possibly call for their review where necessary. Umar also revealed that about 13 officers of ICPC had participated in the PSLC in the past, saying that no other parastatal or ministry was competing with ICPC on the record of such a large number.

ICPC investigates governor over alleged diversion of bailout funds

icpcuser — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 10:12:24 +0000

The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Allied Offences Commission, ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, has revealed that the commission was investigating a state governor for alleged diversion of bailout funds meant for the payment of workers’ salaries. Nta disclosed this when he received students of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, who were on a study tour to the commission in Abuja. He said the commission would soon publish the outcome of its investigations. According to the ICPC boss, the commission was working with ministries, departments and agencies to prevent corruption in the system before they manifest. He said: “Last year, 27 states got bailout funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. We decided to go into collaboration with the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, to monitor the movement of the funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the final destination. “One state, where bailout funds were moved to three different accounts, is being investigated and we will soon publish the outcome of our investigations.” The ICPC boss explained that the commission relied on petitions from members of the public to investigate allegations of corruption, because it did not have access to early financial intelligence that would have given it an edge in identifying early cases of corrupt practices. According to him, by the law establishing ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, it is only the latter that has such access. This, he said, explained the seeming prominence of the EFCC in the fight against corruption, suggesting that such early warning signs should be shared amongst all security agencies. He said despite this seeming disadvantage, ICPC had recorded success, especially in the area of seizure of property that were product of corruption. Nta said: “We have done a lot of seizures. We seized 61 houses from a staff of one organisation, whose income could not justify such massive accumulation.”

BPE Seeks Collaboration With ICPC

icpcuser — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 15:51:43 +0000

The Acting Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Dr. Vincent Akpotaire, has declared the resolve of his organisation to collaborate with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the fight against corruption especially in the area of privatisation and commercialisation of government properties. Dr.Vincent Akpotaire, who led a 14-man delegation on a courtesy visit to the Chairman of ICPC, Mr.Ekpo Nta, said that BPE was aware of the challenges before ICPC, and therefore stressed the need to forge a strategic alliance between his organisation and ICPC in order to achieve set objectives. He further explained that the Bureau was committed to getting rid of the culture of corruption said to be rampant in the country, noting that a lot of privatisation and commercialisation were carried out without adhering to due process. According to the Acting DG, there was need for proper synergy with relevant bodies such as ICPC, EFCC among others to enforce laws that were relevant to them “to avoid favouritism” in the way government business was conducted in the country. He stated that BPE in carrying, out its activities, “…is interfacing with the high and mighty in the society” as part of the efforts to avoid the errors associated with the privatization and commercialization processes. Dr. Akpotaire emphasized that “…there is need for the operatives of ICPC and Bureau of Public Enterprises to have regular interactive sessions for better synergy and exchange ideas for better information”. He therefore requested that ICPC should deploy a desk officer to the Bureau to help ensure the transparency of their processes and give daily reports on their activities. The BPE boss said,: “Bearing in mind the power of the ICPC law and the functions of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, under the Public Enterprises (Privitisation and Commercialisation Act 1999, we seek the cooperation of the Commission in the performance of our functions particularly in the pre-bidding process, and response to public notice of application to bid, where there exist allegations of fraud in the process”. Responding, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr.Ekpo Nta, expressed the readiness of ICPC to collaborate with the Bureau of Public Enterprises on the training and retraining of its personnel, adding that the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), was established for that purpose, and stressed the need for the two organizations to work together for the interest of the people. The ICPC boss counseled that BPE must ensure probity and transparency in its bidding processes saying,: “BPE should carry out intelligence checks on the bidders to avoid any sharp practices, and there should be proper channels of dissemination of information, particularly to foster integrity and accountability”. He assured the BPE team that ICPC would provide the necessary assistance to make BPE more efficient and effective in their quest for corruption-free operations.

FME Staff Tasked On Integrity, Patriotism

okon — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 09:49:12 +0000

Staff of the Federal Ministry of Education have been advised to be committed to the service of their fatherland by being patriotic and shunning acts that would bring their integrity and loyalty into question or smear their record of service even after they exit the system. This advice was given by the Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Hajia Hindatu Abdullahi, who was represented by the Director, Education Support Services, Mrs. Justina Ngozi Ibe, at a one-day sensitization workshop on anti-corruption and transparency practice for directorate level officers organized by the Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department of the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the ministry in Abuja recently. Mrs. Ngozi Ibe also warned that the ministry would not condone any acts by staff that contravene the principles of transparency and accountability, adding that the ministry would not shield anyone that was involved in corrupt acts. She condemned the overwhelming selfishness that seemed to propel many staff-members: “It is no secret that the official climate of the service is beclouded with vested interests and competing personal needs, which are at variance with the standards upon which the Civil Service was established”, she stated. According to the Director, in charting a way forward to eliminate corruption, continuous enlightenment and sensitization drives cannot be over-emphasized. Hence, collective and concerted efforts to address these shortfalls should be embraced and applauded. In his goodwill message, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of the Commission, commended the Ministry of Education for “…getting it right in the steps they are taking towards curbing corrupt practices in Nigeria”. He stated that the topics for the workshop were geared towards the prevention of corruption in the workplace. The essence he said, was to engage with the stakeholders, on the need to imbibe this message and pass it down to the rest of the workforce. The Commission he added, was always happy to do this because as it is said “prevention is better than cure”. Earlier in his welcome address, the Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department, Alhaji Mohammed Jada, stated that the anti-graft war embarked upon by the Federal Government had been a herculean task which required the collaboration of the directorate cadre officers to succeed. He also noted that the directorate cadre was a critical part of the public service that ought to render accountable and transparent service devoid of corrupt practices which would in turn lead to the elimination of corrupt practices from the ministry. Delivering a paper titled: Ethics and Compliance Scorecard as a Tool of Enthroning Transparency and Accountability in the Workplace, Mr. Tanko Samaila Abdullahi of the CMED of ICPC stated that the Ethics Scorecard “…is a tool jointly developed by ICPC together with the Justice for All (J4A), a component of the UK Department for International Development (DFID). It is a monitoring and evaluation tool, tailored specifically for self-assessment, as well as comparative assessment amongst MDAs”. According to him, “Apart from using it as a tool to assess yourself, and your degree of compliance to integrity principles, it is also a tool that will measure how well you have fared with other MDAs. It has immense benefits and it provides your ministry the opportunity to own an important part of the process of corruption prevention and the crusade”. Mr. Abdullahi said that the Scorecard was structured to evaluate MDAs based on key indicators of Ethics and Compliance under three broad headings which were, Management Culture and Structure, Financial Management Systems and Administrative Systems. A key intendment of the Scorecard he noted, was the measurement of MDA compliance with institutional integrity and accountability principles required for effective service delivery. In summarizing, he said that the application of the scorecard was tailored to conduct an in-depth assessment of governance institutions, systems and procedures to determine areas most vulnerable to corruption and corrupt practices, and secure the revision of such vulnerable procedures in order to facilitate good governance, transparency and accountability.

How States used Bailout Funds

icpcuser — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 08:39:15 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), working in concert with the Nigeria Labour Congress, made good its resolve to monitor the Bailout Funds for the offset of salary arrears loaned to twenty-seven states of the Federation as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. 2. Following the conclusion of the monitoring exercise, the Commission hereby wishes to issue, for public notice, the report of the exercise. The Commission, also, will not hesitate to provide updates to this report where applicable. 3. It is important to note that the monitoring exercise report and probable updates are being released to the public by ICPC to foster understanding between workers and the State Governments by providing a transparent process that eliminates information gaps that often lead to rumour-mongering. The Commission is convinced that this will promote a healthy atmosphere for interaction between the parties on the matter. REPORT ON BAIL-OUT FUNDS MONITORING OF STATES AS AT 29^TH FEBRUARY 2016 1. Introduction: As part of the Federal Government’s effort to end the lingering crisis of unpaid worker’s salary in most States of the Federation, President Muhammadu Buhari approved a comprehensive relief package designed to salvage the situation through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s Special Intervention Fund which offered affected States soft loans solely for the purpose of paying the backlog of salaries. 2. Benefitting States: Whereas the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is yet to officially confirm this to the Commission, the twenty-seven benefitting States from the open sources are: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara State. 3. Findings: Following strident allegations of diversion of these bail-out funds and to avoid industrial unrest, ICPC in collaboration with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), decided to monitor the disbursement of the bailout funds in the 27 benefitting States. However, relying on available resources we could only cover twenty-three States as follows: 1) Adamawa State - total debt value accrued from staff salaries and emoluments was N9,578,360,000.00. The State received N9,578,360,000.00 as bailout fund and disbursed N2,378,360,000.00 with a balance of N7,200,000,000.00. The reason for the slow process of off-setting the debt was not provided as at the time of this report. However, the State claimed not to owe outstanding salaries as at September, 2015. 2) Bauchi State - total debt value accrued from staff salaries and emoluments was N14,820,775,109.50. The State received N8,609,100,000.00 as bail-out fund and disbursed N8,414,088,383.26 with a balance of N195,011,616.74. The State claimed not to owe salaries as at September, 2015. 3) Benue State - total debt accrued from staff salaries and emoluments amounted to N12,503,439,787.48. The State received N12,503,439,787.48 as bailout fund and disbursed N10,852,536,702.96 with a balance of N1,650,903,084.52. Analysis of the documents submitted revealed a double payment of N37,760,000.00 in favour of Office of the Deputy Governor. This double payment is presently being investigated. 4) Cross River State is yet to submit her actual debt profile. The State State received N7,856,400,000.00 as bailout fund and disbursed N3,140,883,040.77 with a balance of N4,715,516,959,23. However the State claimed not to have outstanding salaries to workers as at 19/11/2015. 5) Ekiti State - total debt accrued from staff salaries and emoluments of N3,000,266,146.64. The State received N9,604,340,000.00 as bailout fund and disbursed N9,213,816,252.44 with a balance of N390,613,747.56. The State owed one month salary as at 28th October, 2015. 6) Gombe State has a total value accrued from salaries and Staff emoluments of N9,222,432,872.67. A total of N11,000,000,000.00 was granted to the State as bailout and disbursed N6,321,684,423.67 with a balance of N4,678,315,576.33. The state claimed they do not owe salaries as at September, 2015. 7) Katsina State - total debt value accrued from staff salaries and emoluments of N11,086,630,000.00. The State received N11,086,630,000.00 as bailout fund and disbursed N2,512,214,530.71 with a balance of N8,574,415,469.29. The State claimed to have cleared all outstanding salaries as at 18^th February, 2016. 8) Kebbi State - total debt value accrued from staff salaries and emoluments is N8,778,594,714.78. The State received N7,080,000,000.00 as bailout fund and disbursed N2,617,152,577.20 with a balance of N4,462,847,422.80. A careful examination of the documents submitted to the Commission shows lot of conflicting figures. The State claimed to have cleared all outstanding salaries as at September, 2015. 9) Kogi State claimed not to have received bailout funds approved for the State by the Federal Government as at 8th August, 2015. 10) Nasarawa State received N8,317,167,368.87 in two tranches of N3,956,047,519.60 and N4,361,119,848.27 as bailout fund and disbursed N3,956,047,519.60 with a balance of N4,361,119,848.27. The State claimed not to have paid Local Government Workers’ salaries due to an on-going verification exercise. 11) Niger State received N4,396,810,000.00 as bailout fund and the entire amount was claimed to have been expended in off-setting salary debts. 12) Ondo State - total debt value accrued from staff salaries and emoluments was put at N23,151,324,517.39. The State received N9,443,059,226.92 as bailout fund and disbursed N7,905,484,176.60 with a balance of N1,537,575,050.32. The State owes one-month salary and several months arrears of gratuity/pension as at 30th September, 2015. 13) Osun State received N34,988,990,000.00 as bailout fund. N18,677,224,582.20 was disbursed leaving a balance of N16,311,765,417.80 billion as at November, 2015. The Commission is verifying allegations that Osun State Public Servants have only been paid salaries up to July, 2015. 14) Ogun State received N18,916,208,664.86 as bailout fund. The State claimed to have expended the entire sum for salary arrears and does not owe workers as at 9th October, 2015. 15) Plateau State - total debt value accrued from staff salaries and emoluments of N5,090,251,996.39. The State received N5,357,570,000.00 as bailout fund and disbursed N5,330,589,061.15 with a balance of N26,980,938.85. The State owes two-months salaries as at 30^th September, 2015. 16) Sokoto State - total debt value accrued from staff salaries and emoluments including pension, severance and gratuity of N3,488,111,165.77. The State was granted N10,093,370,000.00 as bailout fund and was yet to disburse as at the 19th October, 2015. 17) Kwara State received the sum of N4,320,950,000.00 as bailout fund and disbursed N4,291,087,985.08 for staff salaries and emoluments with a balance of N29,862,014.92. The State claimed to have cleared all outstanding salaries as at 20th October, 2015. 18) Bayelsa State applied for the sum of N1,285,000,000.00 and had concluded disbursement formalities but the Central Bank of Nigeria was yet to release the said fund to the State as at 18th December, 2015. 19) Imo State applied for and received bailout funds of N26,806,430,000.00 from Central Bank of Nigeria which were domiciled with two commercial banks namely Fidelity and Zenith Banks and disbursed N22,806,430,000.00 for staff salaries and emoluments.. In the course of analysis, it was discovered that some transfers were made into certain Imo state Government accounts which are not related to salaries and emoluments as follow: i. N2 Billion into a Government House Account ii. N2 Billion into an Imo State Project Account. iii. N2 Billion transferred to a Micro-Finance bank. iv. A management fee of N21, 017,810.00 was paid to unspecified account. 20) Zamfara State requested for the Sum of N32,512,495,183.27 bail-out funds and received the Sum of N10,020,952,964.51. After careful analysis of the documents provided and interaction with the Nigerian Labour Leaders in Zamfara State by ICPC staff) it was revealed that the State was not owing Civil Servants and Pensioners any arrears as at the time the Federal Government released the bail-out funds. The State Government in order to utilize the funds, made overture to the Zamfara State House of Assembly requesting to use the funds to settle some liabilities amounting to N10,020,751,072.98 as follows: ➢ Outstanding of payment to 14 LGS of the State: N4,262,560,629.83 ➢ Outstanding payment of fertilizer for 2014 farming season: N3,056,300,000.00 ➢ Outstanding certificate for construction of Bungudu-Nahuche Kyabarawa Road 22.6Km: N265,256,342.76 ➢ Outstanding certificate of Hostel Block at Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, T/Mafara: N55,000,000.00 ➢ Payment of outstanding cost of Vehicles supplied to State: N319,430,000.00 ➢ Outstanding certificate of construction work at K/Namoda Juma’at Mosque: N20,479,100.39 ➢ Outstanding certificate of construction work at Emir’s Palace, Gusau: N6,020,000.00 ➢ Share of 14 Local Government Councils Bailout: N2,035,705,000.00 The Zamfara State House of Assembly passed a resolution for the utilization of the funds on the above items which was communicated to the Secretary to the State Government vide letter ZMHA/LEG/089/V.1/13 dated 31^st August, 2015. 21) Enugu State has a total debt value accrued from Staff Salaries and emoluments of N13,764,622,723.38 and N23, 279,099,157.58 as domestic debt. The State was granted N10,174,238,681.19 as bailout fund as at 16^th November 2015. Analysis of the documents submitted revealed that, the State disbursed N5, 967,238,681.19 from the bailout fund to settle domestic debts and claimed that funds for the payments of Staff salaries and emoluments was not yet assessed. 22). Oyo State total debt value accrued from Staff salaries and Emoluments is N26,606,944,831.03. The State was granted N26,606,944,831.03 as bailout fund and disbursed N25,495,292,422.63 with a balance of N1,111,652,408.40. The State owes Four Months salaries as at 7^th April, 2016. 23). Delta State has a total debt value accrued from Staff salaries and emoluments of N36,417,217,601.53. The State was granted N10,936,799,299.36 as bailout fund and disbursed N8,129,888,279.86 with a balance of N2,806,911,019.50. However, the state claimed not to owe salaries as at 24^th November, 2015. NOTE: 1. The Report indicate findings at the dates indicated above for each State. Subsequent changes may have taken place thereafter which the various States and Nigerian Labour Congress are at liberty to bring to our notice for verification and further comments as the need arises. 2. This Report has been published to assist all parties eliminate unsubstantiated allegations and promote peaceful negotiations and understanding in the management of government processes. 3. This Report comes under ICPC Prevention mandate and States are welcome to use this Initiative. Signed: Edet Ufot For: Commissioner, Public Enlightenment /Spokesperson for the Commission

FRSC Partners ICPC on Driver’s Licence and Capacity Building

icpcuser — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 08:32:36 +0000

In its determination to restore sanity in the issuance of the National Driver’s Licence and ensure corruption-free operations of the FRSC, the Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), Ekpo Nta have agreed to collaborate. This was the outcome of the meeting between the Corps Marshal of the FRSC and the Chairman of the ICPC, during Oyeyemi’s courtesy visit to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja. The ICPC Boss who described FRSC as an exemplary organisation whose activities have impacted positively on the image of the country, stated that if there was any organisation in the country that he would recommend for international accolade for what is good in Nigeria, it would be the FRSC. He commended the Corps for its efforts at mobilising members of the public for road safety campaign through its Special Marshal initiative and enjoined all patriotic Nigerians to join in the task of making the nation’s roads safer. On the restoration of sanity in the issuance of the driver’s licence, the ICPC Chairman gave kudos to the FRSC for its initiative in reforming the licensing system of the country, pointing out that with its reciprocity status, it would be embarrassing to Nigeria, if the driver’s licences issued in the country and presented to foreign countries are found to be fake. This, he said, makes it imperative that relevant stakeholders should work together to ensure that the integrity of the system is protected and those that engage in parallel production or tout in the documents are identified and punished accordingly. “Nigerian Driver’s licence has reciprocal status with other foreign countries. It will therefore, embarrass the country, if fake licences are allowed to be presented to reciprocal countries as the genuine licences produced in the country,” he stated. “The Driver’s licence is also an identity document that many people rely on to transact business. We would therefore, work with the FRSC to ensure that those that engage in parallel production or tout in the documents are identified and punished,” he further stated. In his remarks the Corps Marshal thanked the Chairman of the ICPC for his interest in matters of road safety as demonstrated by his long standing association with the FRSC as a member of the Special Marshal. The Corps Marshal further stated that he decided to visit the ICPC in order to share ideas of road safety with the Management of the Commission and to solicit the support of the Commission in ensuring the restoration of sanity in the issuance of the licensing system of the country. The Corps Marshal pointed out that he is determined to leave a legacy of corruption-free organisation for the Corps and would work hard to sustain its positive image through various policies and programmes including the inauguration of the FRSC Antic-Corruption Committee. Oyeyemi expressed dismay at the practice of some people who continue to patronise touts or rely on third party to obtain fake licences at ridiculously high prices against the N6,350 that has been set by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) for the acquisition of the licences. He therefore, called on the ICPC to collaborate with the FRSC in sanitising the system by detecting the fraudsters and bringing them to book. He also solicited the support of the ICPC in monitoring the operations of his men on patrol, saying as an organisation that is built on integrity, FRSC does not condone any form of corrupt practice and any of his men found to be engaged in any act of corruption would not be given cover. The Corps Marshal assured the ICPC Chairman that the doors of the FRSC will remain open for the success of the partnership including the utilisation of the platforms of its Academy and Training School to build the capacity of the staff of the two agencies in order for them to operate on the same level for the restoration of sanity in the operations of the Corps and the licensing system of the country. The Corps Marshal was accompanied on the visit by some principal officers of the FRSC including the Deputy Corps Marshals in charge of Admin and Human Resources; Technical Services and Special Duties and the Corps Legal Adviser, among others.

ICPC, FRSC Vow to Flush Out Corrupt Road Safety Officials

icpcuser — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 14:10:00 +0000

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, and the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi, have vowed to collaborate in flushing out corrupt marshals from the Corps, saying no Nigerian should be made to pay more than the stipulated fees for the acquisition of a new license or the renewal of an old one. The duo made the vow during a courtesy visit of the Corps Marshal of the FRSC to the Chairman of ICPC in Abuja recently. The driver’s license, according to the ICPC boss, was an identification document that many Nigerians trusted for the conduct of business, and for that reason, ICPC would collaborate with FRSC in ensuring that those in the business of producing fake licenses were identified and punished. Mr. Ekpo Nta commended FRSC for adopting modern technology in its operations which had helped to reduce the existence of fake drivers’ licenses and which hopefully would restore sanity to the processes of acquisition and renewal. Earlier, Mr. Oyeyemi told the ICPC boss that the purpose of his visit to the Commission was to renew ties between the two organisations in order to address two key areas that included corruption and road safety. On corruption, he said he was seeking the assistance of ICPC in dealing with issues of graft among FRSC officials and therefore requested the assistance of ICPC in monitoring the activities of his men on patrol, adding that FRSC did not condone any form of corrupt practices among its officers, and therefore would not provide cover for any erring officer engaged in corruption Mr. Oyeyemi offered to train ICPC officers on basic road safety programmes while advocating for exchange partnership programmes between the two agencies to aid investigations especially in data verification. The Corps Marshal expressed his concern over certain practices by road-users that invariably lead to road crashes. He said vehicles overloaded with goods and passengers as well as vehicles that plied the roads with bad tyres were often the main causes of road accidents, adding that sensitisation of motorists on proper road safety practices had been commenced by FRSC. Mr. Oyeyemi called on all Nigerians not to leave road safety management to his agency alone. He urged them to comply with all road regulations in order to promote a safer motoring environment in the country. Those who accompanied the FRSC boss to ICPC included the Deputy Corps Marshals in charge of Administration and Human Resources, Special Duties, Technical Services among other high-ranking officers.

A Bright Future Awaits Nigeria – ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 10:05:42 +0000

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has declared that a bright future awaits Nigeria as the country improves its systems and ramps up the fight against corruption. Mr. Nta made the declaration while speaking to journalists at the Commission’s headquarters recently. He said, “There is light at the end of the tunnel for Nigeria with what we are bringing on board as far as the anti-corruption fight is concerned”. Mr. Nta anchored his optimism on the introduction of new technologies which would help to minimize corruption and fraud in the country. He cited examples of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and the Treasury Single Account (TSA). He said: “The issue of BVN has helped and is coming at a good time; the TSA has engendered a lot of prudence in the management of the nation’s finances. We also hope that with the installation of automated systems at our airports, human interactions and opportunities for corruption will be reduced to the barest minimum.” Responding to a question on whether Nigerians were the most corrupt people as often touted, the ICPC Chairman said that Nigerians, like any other people of the world, were only taking advantage of the country’s weak systems. He said he was convinced that as new systems get installed, Nigerian people will find limited avenues to engage in corruption, the same way they are restricted when abroad. Mr. Nta said he was hopeful that a time would come when a Nigerian would apply for a job online, take his exam online, and be selected online without human interface, and also that a time would come when a Nigerian would go to the hospital and they would not need to know anyone before receiving treatment. The ICPC boss while also commenting on the mandate of the Commission said, “Investigation and prosecution; system study and review which have to do with prevention; and public enlightenment and mass mobilization against corruption, are all duties that can be enhanced with new technology. Our investigations especially will benefit tremendously from forensic investigation and financial intelligence infrastructure being put in place.” Also speaking on the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle corruption, Mr. Nta observed that the focus of each government came with a political strategy and that that of the present government was on corruption and terrorism. He stressed that, in terms of corruption, the populace was beginning to key into the message, and the people were beginning to realize that their enemy was corruption which was taking away a lot of what they were entitled to. Mr. Nta said, “The mantra of the present administration which is “Change”, has been a very good experience; for the entire country has begun to look at corruption for what it is. Before, Nigerians looked at corruption as what didn’t concern them directly. One corrupt act can stop a hospital from being built or located in one’s community which consequences are enormous; or if someone takes away money that was voted for education, it can affect a whole generation. ‘What most people do not understand right now, is that the greatest legacy we can give to Mr. President is to ensure that the institution he is trying to put in place will outlive him. As people go along, they say it is very difficult now, but at the end of the day the benefits will begin to manifest.”

Former Cameroon airlines boss jailed for life for $56m graft

icpcuser — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 15:40:48 +0000

A court in Cameroon has jailed for life the former head of the defunct national carrier Camair, Yves Michel Fotso, on conviction of embezzling almost $56 million, legal sources said Tuesday. Fotso, already sentenced to 25 years behind bars in a separate graft case, “took the rap for life,” said a source close to the Special Criminal Tribunal, set up in the central African country to try major corruption cases. The judges “found Mr Fotso guilty of embezzling 32.4 billion CFA francs” ($55.7 million, 49.4 million euros) when he was chief executive of the airline, whose full name was Cameroon Airlines, from 2000 to 2003, said another source close to the case. Fotso created three front companies to rent aircraft to the airline when the planes had already been purchased outright with public funds, the source explained. The judges also found Fotso guilty of making fraudulent withdrawals of funds from a Camair account at the Commercial Bank of Cameroon (CBC). The tycoon consistently protested his innocence. In February, his lawyers decided to boycott hearings at the special tribunal, denouncing procedural irregularities. President Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982 over a state rated highly corrupt by Transparency International, had called on Fotso to save the foundering airline in 2000. Instead, the businessman used his position to increase his already considerable wealth and became embroiled in several scandals concerning his management of Camair. Imprisoned since December 2010, Fotso was given a 25-year jail sentence in September 2012, together with a former top aide to Biya, Marafa Hamidou Yaya. The pair were found guilty of embezzling $29 million that Cameroon paid in 2001 for a presidential plane in a deal that fell through. Fotso became a target of the “Sparrowhawk” anti-corruption campaign launched in 2006 under strong pressure from Cameroon’s foreign donor partners. A large number of people, including other heads of state-owned firms and former government ministers, have been arrested. The Cameroonian government put Camair into liquidation in 2005, before launching Camair-Co, which is also confronted with serious financial great difficulties. Culled from Vanguard news

Timothy Ash: Ukraine can win the war against corruption

icpcuser — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 09:22:33 +0000

Nigeria Asks World Bank to Help Hasten Return of Stolen Loot

icpcuser — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 09:27:57 +0000

Tackling Graft in India

icpcuser — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 09:33:41 +0000

The Panama Papers and Pakistan’s Corruption Dilemma

icpcuser — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 09:35:22 +0000

The Challenge of Public Sector Corruption

icpcuser — Tue, 03 May 2016 08:18:23 +0000

Sexual Harassment: Senate Plans 5-Year Jail Term For Randy Lecturers

icpcuser — Mon, 09 May 2016 15:57:02 +0000

A bill for a law which prescribes five-year jail term for lecturers who engage in sexual relationship with students was passed for first reading in the Senate on Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege (Labour-Delta Central) and co-sponsored by 46 other senators, seeks to completely prohibit any form of sexual relationship between lecturers and their students. Briefing newsmen after plenary, Omo-Agege said that the nation’s institutions of higher learning must be sanitised to rid them of lecturers who saw female students as “prize’’. According to him, when the bill is passed and signed into law, any lecturer found guilty will be liable to a jail term of up to five years but not less than two years with no option of fine. “When passed into law, it makes it a criminal offence for any educator in a university, polytechnic or any other tertiary educational institution to violate or exploit the student-lecturer fiduciary relationship for sexual pleasures. “The bill imposes stiff penalties on offenders in its overall objective of providing tighter statutory protection for students against sexual hostility and all forms of sexual harassment in tertiary schools. “The bill provides a compulsory five-year jail term for lecturers who sexually harass students. “When passed into law, vice chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics and other chief executives of institutions of higher learning will go to jail for two years if they fail to act within a week on complaints of sexual harassment made by students. “The bill expressly allows sexually harassed students, their parents or guardians to seek civil remedies in damages against sexual predator lecturers before or after their successful criminal prosecution by the State. “The bill also seeks to protect, from sexual harassment, prospective students seeking admissions into institutions of learning, students of generally low mental capacity and physically challenged students,’’ he stated. The lawmaker said that it was practicable in other climes as “honour codes’’ but stressed that it should be domesticated in Nigeria in the Penal form. The bill reads: “an educator shall be guilty of committing an offence of sexual harassment against a student if he/she has sexual intercourse with a student. “He or she shall be guilty if he has sexual intercourse with a student or demands for sex from a student or a prospective student as a condition to study in an institution. “He or she shall be guilty if he has sexual intercourse with a student or demands for sex from a student or a prospective student as a condition to the giving of a passing grade. “ He or she shall be guilty if he solicits sex from or makes sexual advances at a student when the sexual solicitation or sexual advances result in an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for the student. “He or she shall be guilty if he directs or induces another person to commit any act of sexual harassment under this Act, or cooperates in the commission of sexual harassment by another person. “He or she shall be guilty if he grabs, hugs, rubs or strokes or touches or pinches the breasts or hair or lips or hips or buttocks or any other sensual part of the body of a student. “He or she shall be guilty if he displays, gives or sends by hand or courier or electronic or any other means naked or sexually explicit pictures or videos or sex related objects to a student. “He or she shall be guilty if he whistles or winks at a student or screams or exclaims or jokes or makes sexually complimentary or uncomplimentary remarks about a student’s physique.’’ The bill also has provisions to sanction students who falsely accuse lecturers of sexual harassment. Such students could face dismissal from the school but no jail term was prescribed. According to the bill, the only exemption is where the student is legally married to the lecturer before admission in the school as a student.

PHCN Retiree Receives Pension Benefits Due to ICPC Intervention

icpcuser — Wed, 11 May 2016 12:57:21 +0000

Mr Hamah Nenalebari Magnus, a former staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Ughelli, Delta State who was refused access to his retirement savings by his Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) has been paid following the intervention of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). ICPC waded into the matter consequent upon the receipt of a petition by Mr. Hamah Magnus in which he alleged that his PFA, Trust Fund Pension Plc had refused his request to be transferred from what he called Elected Programmed withdrawal to Annuity withdrawal without convincing reasons. This effort of the Commission led to the payment of the sum of N7, 874, 834. 36 to him. The payment to Mr. Magnus came in two tranches: the first payment of N7, 676, 261. 86 was for Annuity withdrawal while the second was a lump sum of N198, 572. 50 through his First Bank account. This intervention by ICPC is another in a series of the Commission’s activities that have brought succour to the weak and voiceless in the society who have fallen victim of administrative and bureaucratic bottlenecks or even official corruption.

Confiscate Properties of Corrupt People – D-G VON Tells ICPC, EFCC

icpcuser — Wed, 11 May 2016 15:41:49 +0000

The Acting Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Ahaziah A. Suleiman, has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to confiscate the many unoccupied houses littering the streets of Abuja and convert them to government properties. Mr. Suleiman, who made the call during the inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of VON recently in Abuja, noted that people with ill- gotten wealth use such funds to buy houses in highbrow areas of cities in Nigeria to hide their wealth. He advised that ICPC and EFCC should take an inventory of properties of corrupt people in cities such as Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Kano. The Acting Director-General, while speaking about the members of the ACTU, assured ICPC that they were persons of impeccable character and integrity who would do their best to stem the tide of corruption in VON and Nigeria in general. Earlier during the inauguration, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, had said that public servants should be sensitized on the need to imbibe high ethical standards in public service, as well as steering clear of the temptation of corruption. Mr. Nta, who was represented by Assistant Commissioner Justin Kuatsea said that the Commission, in collaboration with the Office of Head of Service of the Federation, established ACTU as a way of giving the needed impetus to the fight against corruption in the Public Service. He called on the members of the newly re-constituted ACTU to be worthy of service to the organisation by working with sincerity of heart, sacrifice and dedication to duty. On his part, the ACTU Chairman, Geofrey Okeke, assured that they would not disappoint the organisation, or give room for corrupt practices in the organisation.

Corruption: ICPC supports Whistle Blowing Website

icpcuser — Thu, 12 May 2016 09:29:51 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has given its support to an online social media whistle-blowing platform that will enable members of the public to track and report on the states of government projects. The platform which is called Tracka is an initiative against corruption launched on 22^ndJuly, 2014 by a network of active citizens and a Non-Governmental Organisation called BUDGIT. Tracka with Twitter handle @ TrackaNG and website address, www.tracka.ng will provide avenues for social media users to give actionable reports in real time for appropriate response. The platform is to create an environment that will foster improved service delivery from the government to the people by providing an avenue for citizens to engage their representatives at the State Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly while holding them accountable. The Commission will use its zonal and state offices to monitor the website for report on abandoned capital projects and related matter for necessary action on its part.

Court Jails Civil Servant Six Years over Double Salary

icpcuser — Thu, 12 May 2016 09:31:35 +0000

A Niger State High Court sitting in Minna has sentenced Mr. Lawal Idris Abdullahi to six years imprisonment for fraudulently receiving monthly emolument from two Federal Government agencies. Mr. Abdullahi was charged before the acting Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Maria Sanda Zukogi, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a six-count charge bordering on making false statements to public officers, thereby contravening Sections 25 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and 122 of the Nigerian Penal Code and punishable under the same sections. The Commission had dragged the civil servant to court after receiving a petition on his fraudulent and dishonest activities from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) where he was working and drawing a salary and at the same time drawing another monthly salary from the Federal Inspectorate Service, Minna, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Education. Justice Zukogi upon conclusion of the trial, found Abdullahi guilty of all the charges brought against him and therefore sentenced him to one year imprisonment for each of the counts cumulating to six years, which will, run consecutively.

Visa Fraud: Court Sends Man to Jail

icpcuser — Thu, 12 May 2016 09:37:13 +0000

Hon. Justice Kudirat Jose of a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, has sentenced one Sylvester Sunday Aghaonu to one year imprisonment and 6-months community service for visa-related fraud. Mr. Aghaonu was first arraigned on a 5-count charge by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on offences that bordered on forgery and submission of forged documents to the Indian High Commission with the intent to mislead the Commision into issuing him a visa. The offence contravenes Sections 13, 17(1)(c) and 26(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and is punishable under section 13 of the same Act. The prosecution counsel, Messrs O.G. Iwuagwu and Oludiya Atanda, had averred that the defendant falsely submitted fake documents to the Indian High Commission with the intent of misleading the said Commission to issue him a visa. Some of the evidence made available before the court included a United Bank of Africa statement of account in favor of Daramic Investment Nigeria Limited; Certificate of Incorporation of the said company that acknowledged Aghaonu as its employee and a letter of invitation by one Acme Machinery India PVT. Ltd. After presenting their argument, the prosecuting counsel prayed the court to make the accused face the wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to others. Hon. Justice Jose being convinced of the prosecution’s submission, convicted the accused and sentenced him to one year imprisonment with an option of N50,000 fine and 6 months community service on Counts 1 and 2. On count 5, Aghaonu was also slammed with another one year jail term with the option of N10,000 fine and 6 months community service. The sentences run concurrently. It should be noted that in the effort to rid Nigeria of visa-acquisition fraud, ICPC has in recent times charged several persons to court and secured convictions.

EFCC, ICPC, CCB, CCT revitalised to fight corruption

icpcuser — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:15:48 +0000

I am delighted to be invited to this event to exchange views with you my fellow invited guests representing Governments, the Private Sector and Civil Society Organizations. I thank you Your Excellency, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, for asking me to speak at this gathering.

Corruption is a hydra-headed monster and a cankerworm that undermines the fabric of all societies. It does not differentiate between developed and developing countries. It constitutes a serious threat to good governance, rule of law, peace and security, as well as development programmes aimed at tackling poverty and economic backwardness. These considerations informed my decision to attend this event as well as the Anti-Corruption Summit organized by Prime Minister Rt. Hon. David Cameron that will be held tomorrow. I expect that today’s event would feed into the discussions that will be held tomorrow at Lancaster House.

In 2003, when the world came together to sign the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) that entered into force in 2005, it was with a view to tackling the growing threat that corruption had become to many nations. Little did we know that eleven years since then, the problem would still continue unabated, but even become more intractable and cancerous.

Excellencies,

Permit me to share with you our national experience in combating corruption. I intend to do this by placing the fight against corruption in Nigeria within the context of the three priority programmes of our Administration. On assumption of office on 29th May 2015, we identified as our main focus three key priority programmes. They are, combating insecurity, tackling corruption and job creation through re-structuring the declining national economy.

Our starting point as an Administration was to amply demonstrate zero tolerance for corrupt practices as this vice is largely responsible for the social and economic problems our country faces today. The endemic and systemic nature of corruption in our country demanded our strong resolve to fight it. We are demonstrating our commitment to this effort by bringing integrity to governance and showing leadership by example.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

Tackling the menace of corruption is not an easy task, but it is possible even if many feathers have to be ruffled. Our Government’s dogged commitment to tackling corruption is also evident in the freedom and support granted to national anti-corruption agencies to enable them to carry out their respective mandates without interference or hindrance from any quarter including the government.

Today, our frontline anti-corruption agencies, namely, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), have become revitalised and more proactive in the pursuit of perpetrators of corrupt practices, irrespective of their social status and political persuasion. This is a radical departure from the past.

We have implemented the Treasury Single Account (TSA) whereby all Federal government revenue goes into one account. This measure would make it impossible for public officers to divert public funds to private accounts as was the practice before. Through the effective application of TSA and the Bank Verification Number (BVN), we have been able to remove 23,000 ghost workers from our pay roll, thereby saving billions that would have been stolen.

We are also reviewing our anti-corruption laws and have developed a national anti-corruption strategy document that will guide our policies in the next three years, and possibly beyond.

I am not unaware of the challenges of fighting corruption in a manner consistent with respect for human rights and the rule of law. As a country that came out of prolonged military rule only sixteen years ago, it will clearly take time to change the mentality and psychology of law enforcement officers. I am committed to applying the rule of law and to respecting human rights. I also require our security agencies to do the same.

I admit that there are a few cases where apparently stringent rules have been applied as a result of threats to national security and the likelihood that certain persons may escape from the country or seek to undermine the stability of Nigeria. It is for this reason that we are seeking the support of many countries for the prosecution of certain individuals residing in their jurisdictions. Of course we will provide the necessary legal documents and whatever mutual assistance is required to secure conviction of such individuals, as well as facilitate the repatriation of our stolen assets.

Unfortunately, our experience has been that repatriation of corrupt proceeds is very tedious, time consuming, costly and entails more than just the signing of bilateral or multilateral agreements. This should not be the case as there are provisions in the appropriate United Nations Convention that require countries to return assets to countries from where it is proven that they were illegitimately acquired.

Further, we are favourably disposed to forging strategic partnerships with governments, civil society organizations, organized private sector and international organizations to combat corruption. Our sad national experience had been that domestic perpetrators of corrupt practices do often work hand-in-hand with international criminal cartels.

This evil practice is manifested in the plundering and stealing of public funds, which are then transferred abroad into secret accounts. I therefore, call for the establishment of an international anti-corruption infrastructure that will monitor, trace and facilitate the return of such assets to their countries of origin. It is important to stress that the repatriation of identified stolen funds should be done without delay or preconditions.

In addition to the looting of public funds, Nigeria is also confronted with illegal activities in the oil sector, the mainstay of our export economy. That this industry has been enmeshed in corruption with the participation of the staff of some of the oil companies is well established. Their participation enabled oil theft to take place on a massive scale.

Some of us in this hall may be familiar with the Report released by Chatham House, here in London, in 2013, titled “Nigeria’s Criminal Crude: International Options to Combat the Export of Stolen Oil.” The important findings of the Chatham House document are illuminating and troubling. Part of the Report concluded that:

a) Nigerian crude oil is being stolen on an industrial scale and exported, with the proceeds laundered through world financial centres by transnational organized criminals.

b) Oil theft is a species of organized crime that is almost totally off the international community’s radar, as Nigeria’s trade and diplomatic partners have taken no real action.

c) Nigeria could not stop the trade single-handedly, and there is limited value in countries going it alone.

It is clear therefore, that the menace of oil theft, put at over 150,000 barrels per day, is a criminal enterprise involving internal and external perpetrators. Illicit oil cargoes and their proceeds move across international borders. Opaque and murky as these illegal transactions may be, they are certainly traceable and can be acted upon, if all governments show the required political will. This will has been the missing link in the international efforts hitherto. Now in London, we can turn a new page by creating a multi-state and multi-stakeholder partnership to address this menace.

We, therefore, call on the international community to designate oil theft as an international crime similar to the trade in “blood diamonds”, as it constitutes an imminent and credible threat to the economy and stability of oil-producing countries like Nigeria. The critical stakeholders here present can lead the charge in this regard.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

By the end of our summit tomorrow, we should be able to agree on a rules-based architecture to combat corruption in all its forms and manifestations. I agree fully with the Commonwealth Secretary-General that anti-corruption is a shared agenda for civil society, business and government, requiring commitment from companies, creating a space for civil society and governments providing support for whistle-blowers.

A main component of this anti-corruption partnership is that governments must demonstrate unquestionable political will and commitment to the fight. The private sector must come clean and be transparent, and civil society, while keeping a watch on all stakeholders, must act and report with a sense of responsibility and objectivity.

For our part, Nigeria is committed to signing the Open Government Partnership initiatives alongside Prime Minister Cameron during the Summit tomorrow.

In conclusion, may I commend the Commonwealth Secretary-General and her team for hosting this important event. This is a very encouraging way to start your tenure. We wish you the very best as you guide the affairs of the Commonwealth family in the years to come.

I thank you.

Being the president’s address at the Commonwealth event on ‘Tackling Corruption Together’ held at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London on May 11, 2016

Tackling Corruption Together - A conference for civil society, business and government leaders

icpcuser — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:27:04 +0000

Global leaders from civil society, business and government who are championing the fight against corruption are gathering for a major conference in London on Wednesday 11 May 2016. The leaders will set out their commitments to end impunity, prevent corruption, empower victims and support activists, in an effort to bolster good governance and transparency and support sustainable development. The Tackling Corruption Together conference is hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with Transparency International, Thomson Reuters, Omidyar Network, the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, the B Team, and ONE. The conference precedes the Anti-Corruption Summit: London 2016 on Thursday 12 May, hosted by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, which aims to agree a package of practical steps to expose and drive out corruption. At the Tackling Corruption Together conference, invited participants will underline that anti-corruption is a shared agenda for civil society, business and government, requiring commitments from companies, a space for civil society, and support for whistle-blowers. The conference will reinforce and showcase successful initiatives and is intended to sustain the impact of the Anti-Corruption Summit.

Former Securency manager jailed 30 months for Nigeria bribes, released ‘on license’

icpcuser — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:30:05 +0000

Peter Chapman, the former manager in Africa of polymer banknote manufacturer Securency PTY Ltd, was sentenced in London today to two and a half years in prison for paying bribes in Nigeria. Judge Michael Grieve sentenced Chapman to 30 months on each of four counts of violating the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, to be served concurrently. Due to time already served, Chapman, 54, is serving the remainder of his sentence on license. UK prison inmates often finish half their sentences on license -- or supervised probation. Chapman was convicted yesterday at the Southwark Crown Court after a five week trial. He paid about $205,000 in bribes to an agent of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting PLC to win orders for reams of polymer substrate from Securency. Polymer substrate is used to make plastic banknotes. A prisoner released on license is given a sheet of paper known as the license. A copy also goes to the local police where the offender will live. The licence includes seven standard conditions: (a) Be of good behaviour and don't behave in a way which undermines the purpose of the licence period (b) Don't commit any offense (c) Keep in touch with the supervising officer (d) Receive visits from the supervising officer (e) Reside permanently at an address approved by the supervising officer and obtain his prior permission for any stay of one or more nights at a different address (f) Don't undertake any work that's not approved by the supervising officer, and (g) Don't travel outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man except with the prior permission of the supervising officer. The license can also show special conditions, such as curfews. When he sentenced Chapman, Judge Michael Grieve said: “Corruption is a very serious global problem, that the Anti-Corruption summit this week highlights. Offenses so serious only justify an immediate custodial sentence.” Chapman was arrested at Heathrow Airport in April 2015 after his extradition from Brazil. He managed Securency’s Africa office. Securency was then jointly owned by the Reserve Bank of Australia and UK manufacturing firm Innovia Films Ltd. In March 2013, Innovia acquired all of Securency International and renamed the merged company Innovia Security Pty Ltd. Culled from The FCPA blog.

ICPC arraigns Federal Pay Officer for Diversion of Funds

icpcuser — Sat, 14 May 2016 07:05:59 +0000

A Federal Pay Officer in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mr. Lawal Wilson Olusegun has been charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly diverting funds meant for infrastructural development and meal subsidies of three federal government colleges. The affected schools were: Federal Science Technical College Ijebu-Imushin, Federal Government Girl’s College, Sagamu and Federal Government College, Odogbolu. The accused reportedly siphoned the sum of N103, 000, 000 through his personal company. At the conclusion of investigations, Mr. Olusegun was formally arraigned before Hon. Justice O. O. Majekodunmi of Ogun State High Court, No. 6 in Abeokuta on April, 25, 2016 on a 24-count charge for: conferment of corrupt advantage upon himself ‘’when he diverted the said subsidy monies through his company SOG BEST CONCEPT NIGERIA LTD to his personal use without any authorisation’’, contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. He was also charged for fraudulent acquisition of property contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, ‘’when he knowingly registered a private Limited Liability Company, while still being in the employment of the Federal Government of Nigeria, with the sole aim of using same to do business with his employer (Federal Government of Nigeria), and in that character used the said company to divert subsidy monies for the schools to his personal use’’. The accused person pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against him. The trial judge granted him bail but remanded him in prison custody pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions given by the court.

Communique on the Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) in the Sea Ports.

icpcuser — Tue, 17 May 2016 09:48:06 +0000

A Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) in the Nigerian Sea Ports was undertaken in a collaborative effort by Port agencies and led by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) and Bureau Of Public Procurement (BPP).

2. The exercise identified corruption risks in ports processes and a Report incorporating an Integrity Plan to address the risks was prepared. The implementation of the Integrity Plan is being currently coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Transportation through a Project Steering Committee comprising all stakeholders.

3. The objectives of the Integrity Plan include building the capacity of ports agencies to develop anti-corruption policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and harmonize the SOPs into a single process document for the ports; and establishing a Port Service Support Portal to serve as a transparent system for internal and external complaint handling for both operational and integrity issues.

4. This is a joint project of all the following: Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Port Health Service, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).

Click here to download full Communique

ICPC: The Fight Against Corruption is a Collective Responsibility

okon — Fri, 20 May 2016 13:03:31 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has stated that it will take the collective effort of all Nigerians to fight and win the war against corruption in the country. He made the statement recently through the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, while declaring open, a 2-day training workshop in Abuja tagged, “Implementing Ethics and Fraud/Corruption Prevention Strategies in Public and Private Organisations”. The workshop was jointly organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of ICPC. According to the ICPC Chairman, “It is true that the country has a number of important agencies all approaching the war against corruption from various complementary angles. However, it has become clear that, on their own, the anti-corruption agencies cannot expect to fight and win the war against corruption without input from other sectors.” He added that the country needed the contributions and buy-in of all citizens for the war to succeed. Speaking on the importance of the workshop, Mr. Nta explained that the training was imperative as it would equip participants with the requisite skills and techniques needed to reduce corruption and entrench ethical values in their various organisations. He further charged the participants to resolve to fight the scourge of corruption, imbibe integrity and uphold high ethical standards in their public and private lives while calling on them to ponder on the critical issues confronting the financial services sector with a view to coming up with suggestions on how to tackle the problem of fraud. In his goodwill message, the Registrar/Chief Executive of CIBN, Seye Awojobi, who spoke through Sani Bakari, Head, National Secretariat Annex lauded ICPC for its active role in curtailing corruption-related crimes in Nigeria. He reiterated the fact that fighting corruption would not be won by the singular effort of an agency but through an integrated approach and partnership. “We will join forces with you and use our noble platform as the umbrella body for bankers and financial institutions to propagate the gospel of a corruption-free Nigeria,” he declared.

ICPC Arrests Man for Operating Fraudulent Loan Scheme

okon — Fri, 20 May 2016 13:11:05 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arrested the ringleader of a fraudulent group that has been swindling unsuspecting Nigerians of their money through a fraudulent loan scheme tagged “President Mohammadu Buhari Poverty Alleviation Programme.” Acting on a petition by a concerned citizen, operatives of the Commission uncovered an ingenious criminal scheme being perpetrated by the group led by Umanah Ekaete Umanah who, riding on the promise of the new government to provide a better life for ordinary people to promote innovation in business and encourage entrepreneur development. The scheme “No Burn Global Limited,” under the auspices of Magic Project Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, offered to beneficiaries interest-free and collateral-free loans up to the tune of One Million (N1,000,000) Naira repayable over a period of 10 years. The beneficiaries had the option of repaying weekly (N2,100) or monthly (N8,400). However, to secure this loan, the applicant had to pay for an application form and a processing fee of Seven Thousand (N7,000) and Five Thousand (N5,000) Naira respectively. Further investigations by ICPC revealed that in spite of the fairly large number of applications over the period of time the group had been operating, not one applicant had received the loan. Findings also indicated that “No Burn Global Limited” was neither registered with any financial institution, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) nor the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and therefore did not have appropriate authorization to carry out investment or financial services. It became obvious that Mr. Umanah and his group’s hoodwinking of unsuspecting clients into paying the said sums for the purpose of the supposed loan was the actual target of the whole fraud scheme. The suspect whose action violates and is punishable under Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 will be charged to court accordingly. ICPC hereby issues this notice as a warning to members of the public to be wary of shady individuals and groups who make offers of financial deals that are too good to be true. People should always conduct checks with relevant authorities before committing their resources into business deals that promise fantastic returns. The rule of the thumb should be “if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.”

ICPC Secures 5-year Jail Term for Ex-Ondo Council Boss

icpcuser — Sat, 21 May 2016 11:07:39 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has secured a 5-year jail term for a former Chairman of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Mr. Dele Fagoriola, for various corrupt acts while in office. Mr. Fagoriola was recently convicted by Hon. Justice T.O. Osoba of an Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure, for “conferring corrupt advantage upon himself” and his wife by approving and receiving the sum of N907,450 from the Local Government for conferences, seminars and workshops which he did not attend and to which his wife was not entitled – an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. ICPC had received a petition in the form of an audit report from the State Security Service requiring the Commission to carry out an investigation into the activities of the former council Chairman, on several issues including a visit of the Governor of Ondo State to Akure North L.G.A; seminars and workshops; renovation of offices and purchase of furniture materials, among others. At the close of investigation a criminal charge of 9 counts was preferred against Mr. Fagoriola, and another 3-count charge was instituted against two key members of the committee he had set up to supervise the visit of the Governor in which the latter were found guilty. Instead of discharging the burden of proof, the accused through his counsel, F.Omotosho, employed a lot of legal gimmicks and other instrumentalities of the law to escape justice or stall the case by filing several Interlocutory Appeals. For example, having entered a “no-case submission” which was dismissed by the trial court, Mr. Fagoriola proceeded to the Supreme Court on appeal. However, after a careful examination of the appeal, the apex court, in a well-researched ruling, dismissed it for lacking merit, and ordered the accused to enter his defense. In another gimmick, Mr. Fagoriola, on February 25, 2014 filed a motion seeking the enforcement of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, alleging that he was not given the right to fair hearing. However, in a swift reaction, the prosecution counsel, Godson Igbadume of ICPC, filed a 37-paragraph counter-affidavit in opposition to the motion, arguing that “from the history of the case, it is clear that the accused/applicant is not interested in pursuing this case to a logical conclusion. From the inception of this case the accused/applicant has shown an obvious reluctance to stand this trial, I refer this court to the record of this trial for the 18th day of October 2006 where the accused/applicant disappeared from court and the court had to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.” Having listened to the prayers and submissions of the defense and prosecution counsel, the matter was finally decided on Monday, 9th May, 2016 in favour of ICPC. Hon. Justice Osoba, delivering his judgment, found the accused guilty and sentenced him to 5 five years imprisonment without an option of fine.

ICPC: Real People, Real Impact in the Corruption Fight

okon — Mon, 23 May 2016 11:24:03 +0000

On 25^th April, 2016, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned Mr. Wilson Olusegun Lawal, a former Federal Pay Officer, Abeokuta, on a 24-count charge of corruption before Hon. Justice O.O. Majekodunmi of High Court No. 6, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Mr. Lawal was subsequently remanded in prison custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions as prescribed by the court. Mr. Lawal’s road to his present travails began when, as the Federal Pay Officer, Abeokuta, sometime in 2014, he allegedly diverted funds meant for meal subsidies and capital projects of three Federal Government Colleges, namely: Federal Science Technical College, Ijebu-Imushin; Federal Government Girls’ College, Sagamu; and Federal Government College, Odogbolu. On receiving a report on the matter from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, ICPC swung into action and was able to recover the sum of N56,211,086.23 between 6^th May and 11^th September, 2015 to its Recovery Account out of a total sum of N103,000,000 allegedly diverted by the accused. The accused has however made other refunds. The actions of Mr. Wilson Lawal, to say the least, were not without destructive effects on the victims who, in this case, were the schools, their staff and students. The Principal of FGC, Sagamu, Mrs. Owolabi, who spoke for herself and the other principals while collecting the recovered monies from ICPC, said the actions of the accused “had created so many problems for the managements of the schools”. Here, she was speaking of a number of projects that could not be carried out or completed due to the diversion of the funds. Mrs. Owolabi must also have been thinking of the schools’ creditors who could not be paid. Hear her: “With thorough investigations by ICPC, we are here today. We have suffered so much from our food contractors, but thank God; we have recovered what belongs to us.” “We promise to use the money for what it was meant for”, she concluded after receiving the cheque. The adverse effects of Mr. Lawal’s alleged theft, probably manifested in poorer feeding of students of the schools in terms of quality and/or quantity because the food contractors who had not been paid would certainly have looked for ways to cut corners. What is more, chances are that the contractors had gone to town with allegations that the school authorities were deliberately refusing to pay them after diverting the feeding monies meant for the schools, thereby tarnishing the reputations of the schools’ officials in the process. So the gains and benefits of ICPC’s intervention and recovery of the stolen funds go beyond the monetary value. The Commission has taken it upon itself to not only tackle corruption in its various ramifications, but to also ensure that real people who have suffered due to one form of corrupt act or another, find redress and succour. Numerous examples of its efforts in this regard have been serving public servants or pensioners whose entitlements were mired in administrative bottlenecks; stalled by inactions, actions or outright corrupt demands by schedule officers; etc. but who eventually got their due after ICPC waded in. The Commission now has a growing collection of letters of appreciation from such beneficiaries. ICPC is also committed to making corrupt people receive their just recompense from the law by prosecuting them as required by the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Mr. Wilson Olusegun Lawal’s case is just one among many of such cases that the Commission has charged to court. If he is found guilty by the court at the end of the trial, he will serve the punishment that will be imposed on him. For ICPC, a key motivation is the social value of its actions which can be found in the relief, redress and succour that come the way of victims after the pains and anguish caused by the actions of corrupt persons. Also important to the Commission is the deterrence that is engendered in the society by the punishment meted out to perpetrators of corruption. This therefore serves as a reminder to the general public that the ICPC is always willing and ready to act on reports of corruption in order to build a better nation. Reports can be submitted physically at any of its offices nationwide or electronically through its emails and several social media platforms. Written by Edet Ufot, of the Public Enlightenment Department, ICPC

ICPC Declares Ajanaku Biola David Wanted

okon — Tue, 24 May 2016 14:48:19 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, AJANAKU BIOLA DAVID, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Ajanaku, an indigene of Ogun State, was born on 17^th February, 1977 (39 years old) and is dark in complexion. His last known address was Plot 12, Ogundiran Afobaje Estate, Oju Ore Road, Sango Ota, Ogun State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-6990-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Declares Olabode Philips Olajide Wanted

okon — Tue, 24 May 2016 14:57:41 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, OLABODE PHILIPS OLAJIDE, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Olabode, an indigene of Osun State, was born on 15^th June, 1985 (30 years old) and is dark in complexion. His last known address was No. 14, Rotimi Omotosho Street, Ijegun Ikotun, Lagos State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-6990-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Declares Akinola Olatunde Adejoye Wanted

okon — Tue, 24 May 2016 15:08:07 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, AKINOLA OLATUNDE ADEJOYE, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud. His last known address was No. 63 Agbamu Street, Sanyo, Ibadan, Oyo State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-6990-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Declares Osho Olatunji Tony Wanted

okon — Tue, 24 May 2016 15:14:09 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, OSHO OLATUNJI TONY, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Osho, an indigene of Osun State, was born on 21^st May, 1976 (40 years old) and is dark in complexion. His last known address was No. 126 Shagari Street, Agbamu Boluwaji Bus Stop, Ibadan, Oyo State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-6990-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Declares Ibrahim Musa Bello Wanted

okon — Tue, 24 May 2016 15:21:18 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, IBRAHIM MUSA BELLO, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Ibrahim was born on 26th October, 1975 (40 years old) and is dark in complexion. His last known address was No. 31, Adeyemi Street, Agege Lagos State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-6990-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Declares Noah Omorogie Felix Wanted

okon — Tue, 24 May 2016 15:26:05 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, NOAH OMOROGIE FELIX, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Noah, an indigene of Edo State, was born on 15^th December 1976 (39 years old) and is dark in complexion. His last known address was No. 5 Surulere Street, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-6990-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Declares John Musa Tada Wanted

okon — Tue, 24 May 2016 15:31:00 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, JOHN MUSA TADA, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on issues bordering on fraud. Mr. John, an indigene of Borno State, was born on 28^th April 1981 (35 years old) and is dark in complexion. His last known address was Dunamis Church, after Medigu Hotel along Bauchi/Gombe Road, Tunfure, Gombe State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to the ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC state offices or the nearest police station or call ICPC toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-6990-0191. Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC, Army partner to fight graft

okon — Wed, 25 May 2016 16:29:57 +0000

The Nigerian Army and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission said they would collaborate in the fight against corruption in the country. This was announced on Thursday in Ibadan during the visit of the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division of Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Laz Ilo, to the Oyo/Ogun State office of the anti-graft agency.

In his address, Ilo promised that the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army would support ICPC to nip corruption in the bud and help the agency achieve the purpose of its establishment. He said his visit was to further enhance the civil-military relations between the Division and the agency by creating room for synergy. Ilo said, “The primary objective of this visit is in furtherance of civil-military relations between the men of the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army and the ICPC, in the spirit of reciprocity as well as to create a kind of synergy that will promote inter-agency collaboration and cooperation. “I want to assure you that the Nigerian Army will continue to work with the ICPC to achieve her objective in the fight against corruption and indiscipline in the country. No society can forge ahead without discipline and the agency is at the core of enthroning discipline, hence we will work and collaborate with them.” In his response, the ICPC Commissioner in charge of Oyo/Ogun office, Mr. Stephen Pimor, said it was vital for the two organisations to form a bond against corruption, adding that in the course of carrying out investigation, the support of the Nigerian Army might be needed. “Corruption cannot be fought by a single person or a single agency or commission, hence the need for inter-agency collaboration and the role of the media to the success of anti-corruption crusade cannot be over-emphasised in this wise,” he said. Culled from The Punch

ICPC Secures Six-Year Jail Term for Civil Servant over Double Salary

okon — Thu, 26 May 2016 15:22:43 +0000

A Niger State High Court sitting in Minna has sentenced Mr. Lawal Idris Abdullahi to six years imprisonment for fraudulently receiving monthly emoluments from two Federal Government Agencies. Mr. Abdullahi was arraigned before the acting Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Maria Sanda Zukogi, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a six-count charge bordering on making false statements to public officers, thereby contravening Sections 25 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and 122 of the Nigerian Penal Code and punishable under the same sections respectively. The Commission had swung into investigation after receiving a petition on Abdullahi’s fraudulent and dishonest activities from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) where he was working and at the same time drawing monthly salary from the Federal Inspectorate Service, Minna, which is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Education. Shortly after the commencement of his trial, Abdullahi’s solicitors notified the trial judge of their intention to explore the plea bargain option which was not opposed by ICPC’s prosecuting counsel, Mrs. O.O. Oluwadunsi and Mr. O. A. Obajunwon-Ogunlana. Justice Zukogi, upon conclusion of the plea bargain and sentencing agreement, convicted and found Abdullahi guilty of all the counts in the charge brought against him after he had pleaded guilty on all counts. She therefore sentenced him to one year imprisonment on each of the counts which cumulated to six years that will run consecutively with the option of the payment of a fine of N40,000 only on each of the counts amounting to N240,000. Abdullahi was, in addition, bound and ordered to execute a bond in the sum of N100,000.00 to be of good behaviour for one year. ICPC commends the Management of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for the courage of reporting this incident and other related offences like falsification of Academic certificates for investigation which has led to successful convictions. The Federal Ministries of Environment and Health and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps are such bodies that have instituted such mechanisms that have led to the successful prevention or prosecution of corrupt practices by staff or external fraudsters. We call on other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to emulate this growing trend of Institutions leading the Change Agenda from in-house and taking action as appropriate. It is very disheartening to find some public servants being so unpatriotic as to deprive other citizens from job placements in the face of high unemployment by keeping multiple jobs. This conviction serves to highlight the consequences that await public servants who engage in duplicity in whatever form in their relationship with their employers as various anti-corruption strategies are beginning to bear fruit as evidenced by the deployment or fine-tuning of e-governance.

Former NIHSA DG Arraigned for Mismanagement of N603m

okon — Fri, 27 May 2016 10:36:32 +0000

A former Director- General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr. John Ayoade Shamonda, has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for an alleged mismanagement of N603 million intervention funds meant for rehabilitation and replacement of damaged hydrological equipment of the agency. Mr. Shamonda was arraigned on an 8-count charge before Hon. Justice O.A Adeniyi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, on offences bordering on the falsification of statements on usage of the relief fund and diversion of part of the funds to service other contracts outside the approved purpose. The accused actions are contrary to Sections 16, 17 (1) (C), and 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same sections. The prosecuting counsel of the Commission Mr. Okechukwu Igbudu also accused Shamonda of diverting and spending part of the money on a workshop, which contravenes Section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. After the charges were read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty to all allegations laid against him by the Commission. Counsel to the accused, Mr. Michael Bello, tendered an application for bail before the court based on the fundamental human rights of his client. Justice Adeniyi, in his ruling on the application, granted the accused bail in the sum of N10million and a surety not below the level of a Director in the Federal Civil Service or be remanded in ICPC custody till the date of trial if the bail terms were not met. He further ruled that 11^th and 12^th of July, 2016 respectively would be the days for continuation of trial.

Poverty Causes Corruption - D-G, Budget Office

icpcuser — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:59:04 +0000

The Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF), Alhaji Tijani Abdullahi, has identified lack of virile welfare package, unemployment and weak oversight mechanisms as some of the causes of corruption in the country. Alhaji Abdullahi made this observation at a sensitization workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Transparency Unit {ACTU) of BOF for the Directorate Cadre of the organisation in Abuja recently. According to the D-G, corruption is a social vice and the fight against it should be embraced by all staff of BOF, adding that “If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us”. He also said that corruption could not be effectively fought without addressing its root causes and hoped that with the efforts of ACTUs in MDAs, it would be eventually eradicated. In his welcome address, the Head of ACTU, Mr. Ageda Albeto revealed that the workshop was the first of its kind in the year, especially for the Directorate Cadre, adding that the effects of corruption were far- reaching and could destroy the very existence of an organisation or society. According to him, “Corruption comes in various forms, and to curb or eradicate it, there is need for preventive strategies”. Albeto also noted that the battle against corruption could only be won through the tackling of its causes. He urged the participants to empower themselves by discovering their hidden talents, exposing and opposing corrupt acts courageously with the fear of God always. Two key officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Head, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) Mr. Akeem Lawal and Mr. Justin Kuatsea, also of CMED delivered sensitisation papers on ethics and related issues. Speaking on the importance of Ethics, Compliance and Integrity in the Workplace, Lawal said “Corruption…thrives in an environment where institutional rules, procedures, sanction and reward system, and the general regulatory compliance are deliberately compromised to serve private advantage by those who have the responsibility to do otherwise”, adding that “we must maintain, promote and enforce integrity always”.

Visit of the Country Representative of UNODC to ICPC

okon — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 10:37:35 +0000

At the occasion of the visit of the Country Representative of UNODC, Ms Christina Albertin to ICPC on May 9, 2016, she wondered among other things about the large number of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Nigeria. In his response to this salient issue among others, the Chairman ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, highlighted some provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) on emerging criminal tendencies and revealed that the Convention enjoined State parties to set up agencies to address such criminalities as they emerge. It was in response to the recommendations of the UNCAC that agencies like EFCC, NAPTIP, NDLEA were established. Also laws on Anti-Money Laundering and-Counter Terrorism Financing among others were passed and very recently, the Cyber Crime Council was constituted. All these agencies and laws were meant to address specific areas of criminality which is the standard recommended by UNCAC. Furthermore, while remarking on the mandate of the Commission, the Chairman noted that 60% of the mandate of the Commission was on prevention. Therefore, the Commission was more of a system and institutional change agent. The Chairman further expounded that while not neglecting its enforcement mandate, the ICPC’s strategy is to build strong institutional capacity that will eliminate opportunities for corruption and corrupt practices. To be able to achieve that, ICPC is passionately effecting and injecting corruption preventive measures in both public and private systems. At regular intervals, ICPC interfaces with private and professional organisations/bodies to curb corruption in public and private sectors. This interface is yielding positive results.

₦575m Fraud: ICPC Docks Senior Manager of Calabar Free Trade Zone, Other

okon — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:30:17 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arraigned one Michael Okpo and Dasel Nanjwan before the High Court in Calabar, Cross River State for alleged fraud of ₦575m. The duo who are staff of the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ), a subsidiary of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA),were brought before Justice Michael Edem, on a 10-count charge for “knowingly holding private interest in contracts connected with the CFTZ.” In a charge number: HC/11C/2016, counsel to ICPC, Enosa Omoghibo Esq., averred that the action of the accused persons contravenes Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, and is punishable under the same section. Investigations by ICPC revealed that contracts to the tune of ₦575,164,245.24 (Five Hundred and Seventy Five Million, One Hundred and Sixty Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty Five Naira, Twenty Four Kobo) were awarded by NEPZA on behalf of General Electric (GE) of the United States of America to two companies: Joliz Engineering Services Ltd and Kwop-Ri Services Ltd, for the replacement of warehouse and factories at the CFTZ. Further investigations also revealed that Michael Okpo, who is the Senior Manager, Engineering Services NEPZA, in the CFTZ, and his colleague Dasel Nanjwan, are the owners of the above-mentioned companies having themselves and their spouses as directors. Having taken their plea separately, the duo pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them. The case has been adjourned for further hearing.

ICPC Chairman Gets ICA Fellowship Award

okon — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 10:50:08 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has been conferred with an award of fellowship by the Governing Board of the Institute of Corporate Administration (ICA). Mr. Nta was given the award during the opening ceremony of a three-day seminar on 2016 Administrative Professionals Conference organized by the Board in Abuja with the theme "Rebooting Your Career for the New Work Environment." Speaking during the programme, Nta urged Nigerians to invest more in proffering anti-corruption solutions rather than just talking about corruption. He highlighted the need for ICT-savvy Nigerian youths to be resourceful while taking cognizance of the necessity to join in the anti-corruption effort so that they earn money by helping to design software programmes and design systems that can prevent fraud in the country as well as reduce poverty. Addressing the participants, the ICPC Chairman advised them to always adhere to rules, regulations and procedures put in place to ensure the proper and orderly functioning of the society. Non adherence as a result of "bigmanism", he added, often creates an environment for corruption to thrive as systems would be compromised. While commending the Governing Board of the Institute for the award, he promised to do his very best to keep the ideals of the award. Earlier in a keynote address on "Effective Leadership and Nigeria’s Economic Rebirth", the Chief Learning Officer of the Institute, Dr. Godswill C. Onyekwere, stressed the need for leaders to do away with "the attitude of clinging to the success factors of the past and devise ways to key into the accelerated changes happening in the world today for economic growth". Mr. Onyekwere further advised that ineffective managerial skills which do not add value to the economy must be replaced with modern technology and automation in order to be in tune with current realities. Also, delivering a paper titled, "Rebooting Your Career for the New Economy", Mr. Rawlins Orobogha, a resource person at the event, said that changes at the workplace were inevitable, adding that rebooting and kick-starting a career through knowledge, change and globalization must be in place for workers to adapt to modern day challenges. According to him, "you have to keep changing, improving and updating yourself to be needed in an organisation. In our search for operational effectiveness, we must not relent but run with changes, for the future of our economy and organisations depends on the choices and changes we make today; keep changing and rebooting."

Promoting Anti-Corruption IT-based and other Solutions

icpcuser — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 09:23:10 +0000

Group urge FG to spread the use of CBT to recruitments The group, the New Initiative for Credible Leadership has called on the Nigerian government to adopt the Computer-Based Test for all examination and recruitment processes in Nigeria The group said the success witnessed by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board through the use of CBT is a show of its effectiveness A group, the New Initiative for Credible Leadership on Sunday, June 12, urged the Nigerian government to adopt the Computer-Based Test (CBT) introduced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for all government examinations and recruitment test in the country. In a statement, the group’s executive Samson Onwu said the confirmation by examination stakeholders on the success of CBT is a proof that the method is recommendable. Onwu said the CBT has also successfully checked examination malpractices in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UMTE) and will do well in other examination and recruitment process if adopted. He further added that the “man know man” and nepotism which is synonymous with examination processes in the country will be eradicated with the wide use of the CBT. “We know that the results of Common Entrance Examination into secondary schools and Unity School entrance examinations usually have acceptability issues since examination fraud has spread even to that level of education and we believe that what the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde has done with CBT for UMTE should be introduced at that level,” Onwu said. He said: “The CBT could also help end the rowdiness usually associated with written interviews for government jobs since Nigerian youths usually apply in their hundreds of thousands.” Comparing JAMB’s CBT with the botched 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment, Onwu said the new examination method is a lifesaving alternative to the old system. He said: “It can be applied for the competency test before recruitment processes move to the next stage.” “We are certain that the corrupt tendencies like cheating, favouritism and nepotism that plague examination and government recruitment processes would become things of the past with the adoption of this system,” he said. He also suggested that JAMB should partner with the Federal Character Commission and recruitment agencies to give Nigerians confidence in the numerous initiatives that President Muhammadu Muhammadu has introduced in the implementation of the change agenda. “This will also ensure that the infrastructure for CBT are in use all year round with continuous opportunity for improvement based on experience from each examination or test conducted,” he said. The use of the CBT was introduced by the registrar of JAMB, Dibu Ojerinde. Since its implementation, examination malpractices during JAMB have been reportedly reduced with candidates getting their result with a shorter period after sitting for examination. Culled from Naij.com

Fake Goods: SON, EFCC, DSS, ICPC To Clampdown On Traders

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 08:33:41 +0000

The acting Director-general of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Paul Angya, disclosed yesterday that his agency, in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Matters Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Security(DSS) would soon begin a clampdown on traders in substandard goods in the country. Besides, Dr. Angya disclosed that the agency would soon go into a massive recruitment drive to shore up the staff of the agency with an additional 10,000. The SON boss made these disclosures in Abuja at a press briefing at the headquarters of the organisation. “I have approached the DSS, CUSTOMS, EFCC and ICPC to send their staff to SON to check the crooks peddling fake products. We have also set up a joint-team to see how the CUSTOMS can be of assistance to us. The Chairman of EFCC has pledged to assist us and we have also improved on the SON Act now. We have had our law reviewed and this law has attempted to fill the gaps we identified in the old law, and we are also developing capacity to be able to effectively implement the new law”, he said. The Acting Dg who decried the harm of such goods to the economy, insisted that only stringent methods will phase out these unscrupulous business men. He however decried the inadequacy of equipment for his agency to tackle the influx of substandard goods into the country and the poor packaging of exported items. Dr. Angya said his agency would require at least N10billion in a short-term to purchase scanners and relevant equipment to check against substandard goods littering the Nigerian market. “For the immediate short-term delivery against substandard goods, N10billion will put us in a comfortable place. At least a minimum of 10billion naira, will be needed to ensure quality standardization in a short term. When I talk of short-term, I mean about two quarters (6 months)”, he said. To ensure optimal performance of the agency, the Acting DG also said the agency would employ at least 10,000 additional staff to cover the entire country. He disclosed that the organisation at the moment has only 1,500 staff for the whole country. “We are hamstrung, because at the moment, the SON has only 1,500 staff across the country. In 1993, the Ayida Panel recommended a staff strength of 10,000 for the agency, but nothing was done. So you can imagine that 23 years ago the agency needed atleast 10,000, and 23 years after we still have only 1,500 staff. So we need to recruit more, atleast 10,000 more staff”, he disclosed. The Dg regretted that some traders in fake goods, were duplicating SONCAP certificates to pass counterfeit items as standard ones approved by the agency. He described trading in fake items as “the worst crime”. He said “This type of corruption is trhe worst evil”. Culled from Leadership.

ICPC Set to Launch Port Anti-Corruption Initiatives

okon — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 08:11:47 +0000

In accordance with the statutory powers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to prevent corruption through the study and review of corruption-prone systems of government bodies, the Commission in collaboration with development partners and stakeholders undertook a Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) of 6 ports in Nigeria (Calabar, Tincan and Apapa, Warri, Port Harcourt and Onne) in 2013. ICPC, working with partners such as Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), etc. carried out CRA in line with the Federal Government’s policy to facilitate trade and encourage foreign direct investment by addressing impediments to the latter and came up with an Integrity Plan containing recommendations to address the corruption risks in procedures at the Ports. A project steering committee chaired by the Federal Ministry of Transportation and comprising Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Port Health OF Nigeria, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Council for Registration of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), ICPC, BPP and TUGAR was set up to coordinate the implementation of the recommendations. Three areas of the Integrity Plan were prioritised for quick implementation. They are:

Development, collation and publishing of a Harmonised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the entire Port Sector;
Collation and publishing of the Anti-Corruption Policies (ACP) of the key port agencies;
Establishment of an IT-based complaint and redress mechanism i.e. a Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) for the sector in order to ensure proper accountability and speedy resolution of issues.

All the government agencies and stakeholders operating in Nigerian ports have developed their SOPs and ACPs, and these have been harmonised into a single process document. Also, the PSSP, an online real time platform, domiciled in Nigeria Shippers’ Council, has been developed to afford users an efficient service delivery, complaints and redress system. In furtherance of the above, ICPC is proud to announce the launching of the Port Harmonised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Anti-Corruption Policies (ACPs) and the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) on Thursday 23rd June, 2016, by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja. Signed: Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department, ICPC

Martin Kenney: UK fraud is up, police budgets are down. Criminals cheer

icpcuser — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 08:18:44 +0000

United States: SEC adopts rule on oil, mining payments to foreign governments

icpcuser — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 08:32:24 +0000

BENTV`s Interview with Honourable Chairman, ICPC

icpcuser — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 08:49:53 +0000

Click here to watch BENTV`s interview with Honourable Chairman, ICPC.

ICPC Commended for Recovery of N6m

icpcuser — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 15:23:49 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been commended by Mr. Anifowoshe Shola, Director of Top-Drug Pharmaceutical Ltd for intervening and recovering for him the sum of N6million. Mr. Shola had written a petition to ICPC seeking the refund of his N6m when he discovered that the plot of land he acquired from one Mr. Michael Gini Sabo through an agent, Mr. Thomas Haruna was a sham. Upon receiving the petition, ICPC’s prompt intervention led to the recovery of the money after investigation confirmed the allegations the petitioner had raised in the petition. In an acknowledgement letter dated June 27^th, 2016, Mr. Shola lauded the Commission for its timely treatment of the petition and prompt recovery of his money. He said “I Pharm. Anifowoshe Shola, … want to use this medium to say a very big thank you to your organization I.C.P.C on the recovery of my Six Million Naira (N6000,000) from Mr. Sabo Gini Michael of Lugbe, Layout Abuja.’’ Mr. Shola added that by this singular act, the Commission has demonstrated in clear terms that “there is still justice for the common man.’’ ICPC Chairman commended the team of operatives for the professionalism and diligence with which it carried out the task.

Course on anti-corruption for students of schools, colleges on the anvil: CVC

icpcuser — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 08:45:18 +0000

ICPC Partners Edo Women to Fight Corruption

icpcuser — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 08:52:42 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses (ICPC) has declared that women are agent of change who can inspire sustainable transformation and create new environment not only for themselves and children but the community at large. The ICPC Commissioner in charge of Edo/Delta, Olukile Olusesan, said this while speaking during a meeting with the Edo Women Alliance against Corruption, held in Benin, Wednesday. He noted that women are powerful and full of untapped potentials that can be deployed effectively against corruption. He said the agency will partner with Edo women in the fight against corruption. While expressing optimism that the partnership would yield positive results, he said the meeting was inspired by the conviction that women has the capacity to drive home the need to disparage corruption and other related social vices that are detrimental to societal development. Olusesan explained that President Mohammadu Buhari has demonstrated the political will, total commitment and determination to fight corruption irrespective of the odds, saying that what is needed from Nigerians is total support and commitment. Earlier the Coordinator, International Reproductive Rights, Research Action Group, Mrs. Jane Osagie, described the meeting as apt, saying that the partnership would give them the opportunity to offer suggestions in the fight against corruption. Culled from The Street Journal

Corruption a cog in the wheel of Nigeria’s progress – ICPC

icpcuser — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 08:53:30 +0000

The Deputy Commissioner, North West zone of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), Malam Musa Ibrahim Alkali, has said that the greatest cog in the wheel of Nigeria’s progress is corruption. He stated this in Kaduna during a public lecture for the Marshals of Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTELEA) organised by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna Council. In his paper captioned, “Causes and Consequences of Corruption,” the Deputy Commissioner stressed that corruption was any conduct that amounts to dishonesty, breach of trust, influence peddling by the use of fraudulent means, offering or accepting gratification among others. He also grouped corruption into bribery, embezzlement, fraud, intimidation, extortion, abuse of power, conflict of interest, insider trading and receiving an unlawful gratuity, favour or illegal commission. Others, he said, are favouritism, nepotism, money laundering and identity theft among others. He advised that all forms of corruption should be avoided by Nigerians. According to him, factors such as low salaries, decline in morals and ethics, greed and desire for self enrichment, poverty, unemployment, weak checks, among others were possible causative factors directly linked to corruption. He explained, “Corruption thrives where there is monopoly of power, large operational discretion and weak oversight, operations and process are not transparent, positive values are lacking, risk of getting caught and being punished is low. “Societal dynamics put pressure on office holders; poverty, materialism, low pay, poor welfare, sectional interests, societal pressure etc, great personal greed.” He affirmed that corruption was not limited to monetary issues, adding that it had permeated all fabric of the Nigerian society. He warned that corrupt persons were enemies of Nigeria as everybody is negatively affected with their act, advising against celebrating corrupt people in any part of the country. Culled from Daily Post

ICPC, NANS Sign MOU to Check Corrupt Practices in Higher Institutions

icpcuser — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 09:20:40 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to check indiscipline, exam malpractice, extortion, sexual harassment and other forms of corrupt practices in the nation’s institutions of higher learning. The MOU which was signed at the Commission’s headquarters is aimed at getting the students involved in the anti-corruption campaign, and to create awareness among them as to how to report cases to ICPC for prosecution. It is also designed to encourage both students and teachers to engage ICPC through its training arm, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) in research on corruption and other related matters. Speaking during the ceremony, the Commission’s Secretary, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, said that ICPC was looking at a bigger picture where institutions of higher learning can achieve 100 percent discipline and zero tolerance for corruption. Mr. Oglafa further stated that over the years NANS has not provided any platform which could enable its members to report corrupt practices within the educational system but that with the signing of the MOU a new door has been opened for the reporting of such vices. The Commission’s scribe expressed optimism that since Nigerian students have now demonstrated willingness to confront this monster head on, a new vista which has just been set would cleanse the system of the debris of corruption in the institutions. In his remark, leader of the students’ delegation and NANS President, Comrade Tijani Usman, commended ICPC for the initiative and affirmed that Nigerian students were willing to fight corruption as they were always at the receiving end of its adverse effects. The MOU was signed on behalf of ICPC by the Secretary to the Commission, and the head of the students’ delegation, on behalf of Nigerian students.

How we shared N468.7m project fund: Suspect tells ICPC

icpcuser — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 08:18:35 +0000

N924m already returned to ministry A principal suspect in the alleged stealing of N468, 794,613.79 earmarked for the Great Green Wall, a federal government initiative to check desert encroachment through tree planting, has revealed how a cartel planned the fraud and how the beneficiaries helped themselves to the loot. Adeolu Olugbenga Adeyanju told Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) interrogators that the cartel hijacked the account from the Federal Ministry of Environment and stole the sum before luck ran against them in the process of exhausting the entire allocation of over N1.392billion originally meant for the project. ICPC foiled moves to withdraw the balance of about N924million in the account and recovered it for the ministry. Adeyanju said the N468, 794,613.79 was first converted to dollars – about $2million based on the exchange rate in 2014 – and was then shared at a popular cinema house in Abuja. He claimed to have received $57,000 for making his company, Detwinx Global Service Limited available for the fraud. Adeyanju has already been charged to the High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory while the ICPC is on the trail of top civil servants who connived with him to loot the account. In a statement on oath by Adeyanju, which was attached to the charge sheet and obtained from the court, he explained how the fraud was perpetrated in November 2014. He implicated a Director of Finance and Account, Mr. Edet Akpan in the deal. Akpan has denied ever knowing Adeyanju or having anything to do with him. Adeyanju said: “Sometime in April 2014, I went in search of contract. I visited the Ministry of Environment in my quest to get a contract. “I walked up to Mr. Edet Akpan at the Ministry, Mabushi where I pleaded seriously if I can be awarded any contract at all, even if it is supply or any available contract. “He told me that he was alone on ground as at the time I was in his office. We exchanged telephone numbers in case I may be favourably considered any other time. He gave me one Airtel number 080233246…. “Sometime in July-August, he called me to meet him at Silverbird Galleria, Central Area. I rushed to meet him with the hope that I will get contract or I have been considered by Edet Akpan. “Meanwhile, he called me with one Glo line on that day-08085…He came with his Honda Accord ash colour with Abuja number plate. He was with a driver but he excused the driver from us. “On getting there, he told me that he wanted to use my company for a contract he will execute and the money will be paid into my account but am I sure I will not run away with the money and I answered that never, I can never run away with his money. “Then he said he will test me to see if he can trust me. Then a sum of N5million was paid to me which I collected and gave him. And he gave me N150,000 after he showed me a document of the list of expenses on the execution of the contract that showed a gain of N450,000. “Then he called me sometime November 2014 to meet him in his house in Wuse 2. He said that there is another contract he wanted to use my company if only I can abide by the rules. He stated categorically that he will give me a phone that we shall use in communicating only till the contract is finally executed and paid. “He said I should not call him on any other number except from the line he gave to me. Also, I should call his Glo line alone and I should make sure I get the money out of the bank on the same day. “I said if that was his rule, I will abide with it. As we were rounding up, a woman drove in a KIA SPORTAGE, brown colour with Abuja number plate and he greeted the woman as “honey” and he immediately dismissed me that we shall see the following day. “This meeting was at about 8-8.30pm that day. He gave me a small Nokia phone with a Glo line of 0807…and his Glo line 0805… was saved on it. Throwing light on how the N468, 794,613.79 was wired into his account, he said: “at about 11am on the 28th of November, 2014, Mr. Akpan called me that money had been paid into my account. “I asked him how much was paid and he said over N450million. I moved to the bank and confirmed same. “Immediately, I told my account officer to arranged for a Bureau De Change that I could transfer to. When he got the BDC, I returned and wrote cheques for transfer to the Bureau De Change (BDC) account and Williams delivered the dollar value of the same figure to me. I dashed him $500 and the fellow that helped him in bringing the money into the car was also dashed $500. “Then I drove to Silverbird Galleria to wait for Mr. Akpan. He kept me waiting for close to two hours and I became uncomfortable staying in public with the huge sum and I didn’t know what was in the mind of the bankers. “I decided to move to ASD Motors to collect the car I bought from them the same day through transfer. “On the 28th of November, 2014, I gave over $2milliom to Mr. Edet Akpan and he gave me $57,000 only. Mr. Williams Echechi of Zenith Bank can recall the actual amount he collected from the Bureau De Change. Mr. Edet Akpan made me to understand that he had executed contract with the Ministry of Environment. “I returned to Silverbird Galleria where I waited for a while as well before Mr. Akpan arrived with Honda Accord car alone and showed me the list of expenses as usual and made me to understand that he shall give me $57,000 only which he did. “He collected the Nokia phone from me and said we shall have something doing in March and he will get to me then. “I have not heard from him. I did not know that the money was stolen or from fraud.” But Akpan in a statement to ICPC said: “I do not know the person by name Adeolu Adeyanju neither the owner of Detwinx Global Service Limited. I do not know Adeolu Adeyanju. It is in the course of the investigation being carried out by ICPC that I got to know or hear of this name Adeolu Adeyanju and the company. “I have never transacted any business with him. Nobody with this name has ever come to my office for any transaction.” As at press time, it was gathered that ICPC was still on the trail of the syndicate behind the fraud. Records indicated that the anti-graft agency had on September 15, 2015 returned N924million intercepted to the Federal The ICPC chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, had explained how the commission burst the fraud. He said: “On the 1st of December, 2014, we received a petition from this Ministry in respect of a fraudulent electronic funds transfer from its accounts. A forged payment mandate in the sum of N924million was presented to the First City Monument Bank Plc. Where the Ministry’s account was domiciled, the funds were diverted to different company accounts. “The funds were meant for the Great Wall Programme of the federal government meant to check desert encroachment through tree planting.” Culled from The Nation

New Report: Corruption risks in oil trading require greater attention

okon — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 10:26:23 +0000

The oil sector is well known for its corruption risks, but one corner of the industry has received less attention than it deserves: commodity trading. Companies that engage in physical commodity trading, including such giants as Glencore, Trafigura, Gunvor and Vitol, often compete for high-value deals buying and selling oil and other commodities from governments, including those in countries where corruption is widespread. So far, for example, only one FCPA matter -- part of the Iraq Oil-for-Food Program cases -- has focused on graft in oil trading. Our new report uses ten real-world examples to illustrate the corruption risks that can accompany oil trading activities. In many oil producing countries, the government sells a share of its production to traders, and our analysis focuses on these deals. The risks concentrate in three areas. First, as with the allocation of valuable licenses or contracts, bribery and other kinds of illicit favoritism can surface when governments sell their oil. Examples include an Indonesian official convicted of receiving a bribe from a trading company seeking a contract, and a Swiss investigation into whether a Gunvor employee made illegal payments to officials in the Republic of Congo via two politically-connected intermediaries. Second, officials can skew the terms of a deal to benefit a favored company, usually at the country’s expense. The previous Nigerian government signed several trading deals with local companies that had highly imbalanced terms. We estimate Nigeria lost as much as $381 million in a year from three provisions in just one of the bad contracts. The current government cancelled the deals in 2015; several of the officials and companies involved now face investigation in several jurisdictions. Third, corruption can result in the diversion of trading revenues. In countries including Angola, Nigeria and Turkmenistan, some of these revenues from oil trading deals never found their way to the treasury. The revenues are often spent directly by the national oil company, a channel which avoids the scrutiny of the national budget process. For oil producing countries like Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Libya and Nigeria, oil sales are the government’s single largest revenue stream. Due to their size and the apparent corruption risks, commodity trading deals with governments should receive more attention from regulators and law enforcement. This cause appears to be gathering steam, as the issue of commodity trading corruption received explicit attention at the May 2016 Anti-Corruption Summit hosted in London. Greater transparency would be a good first step. New regulations now require American and European oil and mining companies to publicly report all payments they make to governments. Commodity traders should be required to do the same, in order to discourage bribery and other illicit actions in this often overlooked corner of the sector. Prosecutors and police that enforce anti-corruption laws should also learn more about trading, and be open to pursuing cases as they arise. _____ Alexandra Gillies and Aaron Sayne lead the anti-corruption programs of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), a non-profit organization that promotes transparency and good governance in the oil, gas and mining sectors. Alexandra tweets on oil and corruption issues at @acgillies, and both can be reached at nrgi@resourcegovenrance.org. Culled from The FCPA Blog

Abuse of Office: ICPC Arraigns FERMA Official

okon — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 10:36:52 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arraigned one Anthony Mbanefo before Tambuwal Judicial Division of the Sokoto State High Court in Bodinga. Mbanefo, who is a Senior Technical Officer with the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), was docked before Justice Bello Duwale on a 4-count charge for “knowingly holding private interest in a contract award connected to FERMA, and conferring corrupt advantage upon himself.” The accused is alleged to have executed a contract awarded by the agency where he works, using another company. In a charge number: SS/14c/2016, prosecution counsel to ICPC, Sulaiman Abdulkarim Esq and Mashkur Salisu Esq averred that the action of the accused person violates Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and is punishable under the same sections. The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him, and the team of defence counsel comprising Ibrahim Abdullahi Esq, A.B. Liman Esq et al prayed the court to grant him bail. The court granted him bail in the sum of ₦100m (One Hundred Million Naira) and one surety in like sum, who must have a landed property anywhere in Nigeria and must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court. The case was adjourned to 7^th September, 2016 for further hearing.

Susan Divers: Tracing corporate train wrecks back to toxic tone at the top

okon — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 10:45:23 +0000

Everyone knows that “tone at the top” is important in the ethics and compliance area but the phrase has become a tired and hackneyed cliché. The recent public implosions of established companies and start-ups however, add a fresh perspective and meaning to the concept by illustrating what happens when a CEO or C-suite sets a toxic tone at the top. The iconic and legendary company Volkswagen, previously revered for its green image, is now labeled “Hoaxwagon” by Fortune Magazine and liable for billions of dollars in remediation and fines, not to mention plummeting worldwide sales and stock price. In essence, it appears that the company deliberately hid the truth about emissions from its cars by rigging devices that defeated testing. As the scandal has unfolded, emails surfaced from 2004 showing that U.S. employees repeatedly and appropriately questioned decisions by German headquarters to blow off regulatory requirements, but got shut down and, in essence, told to obey. Volkswagen’s former CEO, Martin Winterkorn was apparently known for his autocratic management style and silencing his middle managers. The leaders of Theranos Inc. and Valeant Pharmaceuticals, companies that have suffered precipitous declines in value, share key traits with Volkswagen leadership. Theranos Inc., formerly a hot startup, saw its $9 billion valuation fall to $800 million in a matter of months. CEO Elizabeth Holmes’ misstatements and extreme efforts to hide the truth from employees, customers, and even regulators, fits the profile of executives responsible for major ethics crises. Holmes went to extraordinary lengths, some possibly fraudulent, to shield the company’s work from internal as well as external scrutiny. Before he resigned, Sunny Balwani, Theranos' former president and chief operating officer, chastised an employee who raised questions internally about the efficacy of Theranos’ tests. Balwani then requested that the employee apologize for raising the concerns in the first place. Now Theranos may be in a death spiral as it appears that their signature blood-testing technology doesn't actually work. Holmes is banned by regulators from owning, operating or directing any lab for two years. Valeant Pharmaceuticals, a darling of hedge fund investors, has lost 90% of its share value since last August. The company hid its relationship with a specialty pharmacy, Philidor, from shareholders and regulators. Its employees apparently used fake comic book aliases to hide their collusion with Philidor. Valeant blamed its recent earning restatement and "material weaknesses" on bad tone at the top and pressure on employees to meet unrealistic sales targets. Its CEO stepped down and its former COO and CFO was terminated. This isn’t a new phenomenon. One of the most egregious examples occurred when Jon Corzine, former U.S. Senator and New Jersey Governor who became CEO of MF Global Inc., fired his compliance officer when he was the CEO of MF Global Inc. in January 2011. Ten months later the firm imploded as a result of the issues the compliance officer had raised repeatedly with Corzine (as subsequent inquiries by regulators documented). It should be no surprise that C-suite insistence on blind obedience and lack of transparency leads to misconduct. LRN's research shows that this leadership model is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to trust, innovation, performance and values. What is surprising is that seemingly savvy investors, including hedge funds and corporations, haven’t been looking at these factors or asking tough questions when deciding to invest. Instead of focusing on "value investing," perhaps it’s time to consider what values are motivating the C-suite before making a major investment or deal. _____ Susan Divers , a senior advisor with LRN Corporation, has more than 30 years experience in the ethics and compliance area, including serving as the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer of a Fortune 500 corporation. LRN’s mission is focused on values-based leadership and ethics. Culled from The FCPA Blog

NYSC/ICPC CDS Group on a Courtesy Visit to the Commission

okon — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 12:45:47 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently hosted the National Youth Service Corps/ICPC Community Development Service group on a courtesy visit in the Commission’s headquarters. The corps members, who were led by their supervisor Mrs. Aisha Telta, were in the Commission to get acquainted with its activities, learn how far the Commission had gone in the fight against corruption and to also make a presentation to ICPC on their strategies to support the anti-corruption crusade which would include public enlightenment activities such as community forum, school visitation and street awareness. Chairman ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, while addressing the corps members on the Commission’s activities and achievements, commended their effort in contributing to curbing corruption in Nigeria. He stated that Nigeria’s hope would only be assured when vibrant youths like them take bold steps in ensuring that the menace of corruption is curbed. Mr. Oglafa highlighted enforcement, prevention, publicity and education as the Commission’s major approaches in fighting corruption noting that the corps members’ strategies were in tandem with the last two. According to him, “the fight against corruption goes beyond the pages of newspapers. For long-lasting change, ICPC focuses more on the preventive approach in curbing the menace of corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.” During the course of the event, Heads of Departments and Units of ICPC took turns to brief the corps members on their various activities all aimed at making the Commission achieve success in its mandate. In a presentation by Education Department, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, charged the corps members to stand up for the future they want by "acting against corruption through imbibing the culture of integrity and good moral standards at their personal level." The event also featured a drama presentation titled "It’s a Circle of Corruption in our Society" by some of the corps members. The play explored corruption in all aspects of the society: legislature, health, education, the borders, and marketplace and even among security guards.

ICPC Secures Conviction Against 2 Railway 0fficials

okon — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 12:51:02 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a one year prison term each for two staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Augustine Chukwuemeka and Agnes K. Ikeme, for abuse of public office. They were alleged to have diverted Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) worth N22, 059,636 allocated to NRC by the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited (PPMC), Kaduna through a marketer, and sold it for their personal use, thereby committing an offence contrary and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Hon. Justice Mohammed Tukur Muazu Aliyu of Kaduna State High Court 7, handed over the jail term to the duo after evidence against them proved that they actually committed the offence. The accused had earlier been arraigned by ICPC on a 20-count charge and had pleaded not guilty to all the allegations leveled against them which set the tone for months of legal trial. During the proceedings, the counsel to ICPC convinced the court that the accused persons’ action was a clear breach of trust and sought the relief of the court to mete out the appropriate punishment on them in accordance with the provision of the law so as to serve as a deterrent to other public office holders. Having found the accused persons guilty and taken their plea of leniency, the trial judge, relying on the case of Egwaba Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria, which makes sentencing discretionary for judges, sentenced them to one year imprisonment each without an option of fine.

ICPC Arraigns Professor for Graft

okon — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 12:59:42 +0000

A former Consultant Cardio-thoracic Surgeon in the Department of Surgery, University Of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Professor Martin Aghaji, has been arraigned before Justice R. O. Odugu of a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 4-count charge of allegedly demanding and receiving gratification in the course of his official duties. The charges bordered on administrative corruption, extortion and conferring corrupt advantages on himself, which violate Sections 8 and 19 and are punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Professor Aghaji, had sometime in 2003, while being a public officer used his position as a Consultant Cardio-thoracic Surgeon at UNTH Enugu, demanded for N320, 000 and received N70, 000, before he could carry out a surgical operation on one late Francis Ebeogbodi, which he never did before the patient passed on. Investigations have shown that although it is unethical for doctors in public service to demand and accept money before performing their official duties, the accused had allegedly done so. The accused pleaded not guilty and was granted bail on self-recognition.

Fraud: ICPC Secures 3-Year Imprisonment for Man

okon — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 13:07:48 +0000

A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja has sentenced one Sunny Martins Omokhagbor, to 3 years imprisonment for cheating and false pretence. The accused was dragged to the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) for contravening Section 320 (a) and (b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code. Part of the charge brought against Mr. Omokhagbor was that he fraudulently induced one Adira Akison, to deliver the sum of N200, 000 to him as part payment for the purchase of a car from Germany whereas he does not import cars, thereby breaching the agreement. A summary of the other counts were to the effect that the accused person also induced one Joseph Oba Iyatse to part with the sum of N200, 000 to help him secure a German visa. The prosecution witnesses were able to establish a prima facie case of cheating as alleged in the charge brought against Omokhagbor. The accused also admitted committing the crimes in his voluntary statements made to ICPC which were tendered in court. Hon. Justice Folashade Ojo therefore sentenced the accused to three years imprisonment with an option of N100, 000 as fine.

ACTU of Rubber Research Institute Inaugurated

icpcuser — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 14:45:34 +0000

Determined to encourage and promote hard work, integrity, transparency, accountability and zero tolerance for corruption in the workforce of government agencies, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently inaugurated the Anti- Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), of Rubber Research Institute, Benin, Edo State. The event which took place at the conference hall of the Institute, Edo State, featured a paper presentation by Mr. Innocent Ofili of ICPC, titled “Curbing Corruption at the Workplace” after which he formally administered the oath of office on the new members of the ACTU of the Institute. The members included: Dr. Fredrick Iyayi as Chairman, Mrs. C. F Iwualah, Dr. (Mrs.) Eseosa Osazuwa, Mr. Isa Wamyil and Mr. Alexander Aizoba. The Head ICPC, Edo State office, Mr. Olukile Olusesan, said the inauguration could not have come at a more auspicious time than when the Federal Government was reinvigorating the fight against corruption. He said ACTUs were an instrument for tackling corruption in public institutions, adding that corruption was infectious and destructive, therefore, should be kept at bay. Speaking further, he said that the establishment of the ACTU in the Institute was to make members serve as the ‘eyes and ears’ of ICPC. Earlier, Mr. Olukile had paid a visit to the Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Aigbodion, but was received by Dr. T Esekhade, a director in the Institute. During the visit, Mr. Olukile declared ICPC’s resolve to rid the country of corruption.

Perm. Sec.: ICPC Making a Difference in the Behaviour of Nigerians

okon — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 10:46:23 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has again received commendation for continuously designing strategies for re-orienting Nigerians on and against corruption. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Mr. Aminu Aliyu Bisalla gave this commendation recently during the inauguration and induction of the newly reconstituted Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja. Mr. Bisalla who was represented at the programme by the Director, Weight and Measures of the Ministry, Mr. Oluyinka Sikuade, stated that “The establishment of the ICPC has gone a long way in making a difference in the behaviour of the Nigerian populace and the unsavory culture of brazen criminality”. He noted that the newly-constituted members of the ACTU were officers of proven integrity and who were ready to discharge their duties effectively. The Permanent Secretary enjoined the team to work hard to justify the confidence and trust reposed adding that they should count themselves fortunate to have been selected to serve in the Unit. In his goodwill message at the programme, the Honourable Chairman, ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta emphasized that the holding of the event was “indeed a step in the right direction” as it would assist in securing the public mobilization of the Ministry. Mr. Nta who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), ICPC, reiterated the fact that the inauguration and institutionalisation of the ACTU was intended to “serve as a constant reminder to everyone to carry on the crusade against the scourge of corruption”. In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the newly-constituted ACTU, Engr. Muhammed Kwali, noted that since the birth of ACTU, “We have gone from a world in which the word “corruption” was not even whispered, to a world in which preventing corruption has become an anchor for good governance”. Buttressing his assertion, Engr. Kwali said that it is not only that the present government gives increasing priority to transparency and accountability, adding that this is not mere rhetoric. Mr. Justin Kuatsea and Mr. Tanko Abdullahi of CMED, ICPC thereafter delivered 2 papers respectively. Mr. Kuatsea delivered a Paper titled “ACTU Standing Order and Concept of ACTU in MDAs”, while Mr. Abdullahi delivered a Paper titled “Elements and Gamut of Investigation”.

5 Persons arraigned for impersonating ICPC officials

icpcuser — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 20:05:19 +0000

Five persons, four male and one female, were yesterday arraigned before Justice Ifiok Ukana of Uyo High Court in Akwa Ibom State for allegedly impersonating officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The charge said the five accused had on July 8, at the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly premises, presented themselves as ICPC officials to one Jeremiah Efe of the House of Assembly, to investigate a petition written against him.

The five accused, who were all in Court, pleaded not guilty, and Justice Ukana granted them N5 million bail with two sureties and adjourned the case to November 2 for mention.

Ethics, Values Essential to the Fight against Corruption - ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 13:59:01 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has declared that ethics and values are very essential for the fight against corruption to succeed in Nigeria. He made the declaration recently while playing host to the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari, who was at ICPC on a courtesy call. Mr. Nta revealed to the D-G and his entourage that ICPC had submitted a draft National Policy on Ethics and Integrity to the Attorney-General of the Federation, and he hoped that when approved by the Federal Executive Council, it would form the foundation on which future anti-corruption strategies would be built. He further explained that people erroneously regard ICPC strictly as a law enforcement agency, noting that the danger of excluding ethical and integrity imperatives from its anti-corruption assignment might actually lead to the neglect of ‘the tap-root of flourishing corruption.’ Nta added that 70 per cent of the work of ICPC as prescribed by the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) should be on prevention, which the Commission is pursuing through public enlightenment and mass mobilization. The ICPC Chairman also drew attention to the fact that the Commission’s National Values Curriculum has been running at the primary and basic school level since 2007 that it was infused into various subjects ‘to catch them young and get them to imbibe the culture of integrity early’. Mr. Nta urged the D-G of NOA to help sensitize the youths on the dangers of acquiring fake documents in order to travel overseas, also pointing out that NOA had much to do in sensitizing Nigerians about the activities of job scammers that swindle unsuspecting citizens by asking them to pay money in order to secure employment. He frowned at the Nigeria’s reward system which he said was tilted towards publicizing punishment for wrong-doing while under-reporting or completely ignoring the establishment of a reward system for doing good. He advocated that people who do good should be given cover-page and headline publicity as it is done for those who do bad or steal public funds. The ICPC Chairman also suggested that NOA could use the lessons on the outcomes of ICPC investigations and prosecution as themes for its publicity campaigns on the enthronement of a new culture of integrity among Nigerians. Earlier in his remarks, the D-G of NOA had said that he was at ICPC to seek partnership in the fight against corruption. He also explained that the “get rich quick” mindset was responsible for endemic corruption in Nigeria. “We are here to partner, cooperate and to learn from your experience as an anti-corruption enforcer, as corruption preventer and also to learn of the strategies you have been putting in place so that we can enrich what we are doing at our end”, he said. He praised ICPC for the impressive job it had done in the field of civic education and solicited for continuous collaboration and support towards a new Nigeria that is free of corruption.

Follow Due Process, Shun Corruption, ICPC Chairman urges Workers

okon — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 16:00:35 +0000

Members of staff of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Abuja, have been urged to adhere to due process in discharging their duties for effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and transparency. Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, gave the advice at a 2-day sensitization programme on “Promoting a Culture of Transparency and Accountability in the Public Service” for the officers of the Ministry organized by its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), recently in Abuja. Speaking through his representative, Mr. Akeem Lawal, Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), Nta said: “To achieve the right results, transparency and accountability must be followed in Ministries Departments and Agencies of government”. On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Jamila Suara, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Budget and Planning of the Ministry, Nkem Anwanu, stated that “…for the sake of nation rebuilding, all hands must be on deck to weed the society of ills and corrupt tendencies that constitute a bottle-neck”. Mrs. Suara, urged the participants to pay attention to the lectures which she believed will impact positively on the attitude of officers for quality service delivery and good conduct. A paper titled “Promoting a Culture of Transparency and Accountability in the Public Service” was presented by Mr. Akeem Lawal, in which he said “...the quest to enthrone accountability and transparency in both public and private sectors have been the reason for reforms in government to combat abuse of office and corruption”. He listed some of the reforms to include: Civil Service Reforms, E-payment, IPPIS, TSA, FOIA, etc. Mr. Lawal added that “…the importance of accountability and transparency stems from the imperative to make public officers responsible in the conduct of their duties, subject them to scrutiny thereby discouraging mismanagement and corruption”.

Pieth, Stiglitz quit Panama Papers panel

icpcuser — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 18:40:04 +0000

Nicole Rose: If compliance were an Olympic sport, what would it be?

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 08:09:00 +0000

CBN orders bank workers to declare assets

icpcuser — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 08:10:21 +0000

NBA Pledges to Support ICPC’s Anti-Corruption Fight

icpcuser — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 11:39:10 +0000

The President, Abuja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Ezenwa Anumnu, has pledged the association’s support to the anti-corruption effort of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Mr. Anumnu made the pledge when he led the executive members and the Anti-Corruption Committee of the association on a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja recently. The NBA President stated that as stake-holders in the anti-corruption fight, they were at ICPC to identify with the giant strides the Commission was making in the fight against corruption and to seek for a better relationship between lawyers and the anti-corruption agency. He also added that he was delighted at the approaches the Commission was adopting in its anti- graft fight saying, “The war against corruption has changed with technological innovations.” In his response, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, expressed happiness at the fact that government business at the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are becoming electronically-driven which is now eliminating some of the processes that had earlier aided corrupt practices. Some of these electronic innovations include e-payment systems, biometric registration of personnel, e-voting etc. The ICPC Chairman advised NBA to key into some of these technology-driven platforms to guard against corruption. Also, in a brief remark, the Commission’s Board Member, Alhaji Abdullahi Bako, called on the delegation to advise its members to guard against frivolous interlocutory appeals which intent is to delay judgment. Mr. Bako who pointed out that “justice delayed, is justice denied,” added that lawyers must ensure that justice is done to both the defence and prosecutor by ensuring that frivolous appeals are dispensed with.

Navy hands-over fraudster wanted by ICPC

icpcuser — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 12:43:02 +0000

The Nigerian Navy has handed over a female fraudster to the Independent Corruption Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), who was arrested for parading herself as a representative of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Ebok-Ete Ibas. The suspect, Grace Nwanzor, was transferred to the custody of the ICPC, on behalf of the Naval Chief, by Commodore Jason Gbassa, the Commander Naval Unit Abuja, on Tuesday at the Navy Headquarters. Gbassa said Nwanzor was arrested after a compliant by one of her victim she swindled the sum of N200,000 adding that she was picked up in Gudu, Apo area of Abuja by reinforced naval personnel after first resisting arrest. He said Nwanzor had an office in Gudu from where she acted as an estate developer on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff, and tricked her victims into buying property in the ongoing construction of Navy town, Asokoro, Abuja. He added that during preliminary investigation, documents were recovered from the office which included a layout design of the ongoing construction of Navy town, Asokoro. He said Nwanzor collected N200,000 from the complainant as payment for registration forms to be a prospective buyer of property in the Navy town, which she allegedly marketed at N50 million per unit. He said they also discovered she was on the wanted list of ICPC. He said the Navy used the occasion to hand her over to the anti-graft commission for further investigation so as to deter others from such practices. Fielding questions from journalists, an official of the ICPC, Wellington Nkemadu who signed the handover note for the ICPC, said Nwanzor was wanted over a recruitment scam. He said she was implicated in the scam investigated by the ICPC in the Office of the Head of the Federal Civil Service. He explained that Nwanzor at that time was invited by the ICPC, but remained evasive and was consequently declared wanted. He said after further investigation by the ICPC, she would be charged to court according to the law. Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/navy-hands-over-fraudster-wanted-by-icpc/159176.html#8rM1bG455LTkjq8e.99

ICPC trains MDAs on budget monitoring

icpcuser — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 10:16:06 +0000

ICPC Chairman Bags AFIA Fellowship Award

okon — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 14:59:57 +0000

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has been conferred with an honourary fellowship award by the Association of Forensic and Investigative Auditors (AFIA). The award was presented to him recently at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja by AFIA President, Dr. Victoria Enape, during a courtesy call. Presenting the award, she said that the award was conferred on the Chairman in view of his passion and desire to eradicate corruption and corrupt practices from Nigeria. Enape, while encouraging the Chairman to keep up with the good work also praised him, saying that the impact of his anti-corruption efforts is being felt in Nigeria. Dr. Enape also said that in view of the present administration’s commitment to tackling and eradicating corruption in the country, AFIA was at the Commission to seek collaboration in the area of training for members of AFIA and other professionals for the purpose of contributing their quota to the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria. She also used the forum to crave the Chairman’s indulgence in supporting the association in their effort at ensuring the passage and signing into law of the AFIA bill which will help bring sanity into the practice of forensic auditing in Nigeria. The ICPC Chairman, while receiving the award, expressed gratitude to AFIA, saying that the Commission was willing to partner with the association. He advised the association to start thinking of designing systems that would plug loopholes for corruption in the auditing process. In respect of the request for training, Mr. Nta told AFIA to avail its members the opportunity for specialised training on offer at the ICPC training school, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi. He suggested to AFIA that while running their conferences, they could pick one sector of Nigeria’s economy and come up with an anti-corruption solution that could be applied to solve corruption challenges peculiar to such sectors.

Resource Alert: Huge public-access database for corruption research

icpcuser — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 10:14:05 +0000

Technology key to preventing corruption, says legal expert - The Jakarta Post

icpcuser — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 20:18:08 +0000

Recent Arrests Show MACC Is Not Afraid To Go After 'Big Fish' But Enforcement Alone Is Not Enough, Experts Say

icpcuser — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 09:01:18 +0000

ICPC Declares Vincent Obekpa Edeh Wanted

okon — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 12:33:54 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. VINCENT OBEKPA EDEH, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Edeh, an indigene of Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, is dark in complexion and was born on 20th October 1977 (38 years old). His last known address was Dutsen Alhaji (Q12/96), Zone 3, Abuja, FCT. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC arraigns Orubebe , Others over Alleged N1.965bn Fraud

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 09:25:44 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, sitting in Maitama, for allegedly diverting N1.97 billion meant for the compensation of owners of properties on Eket Urban section of the East-West Road in Eket, Akwa Ibom State Orubebe, who had failed to appear in court on two previous occasions, is facing a six-count charge before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, alongside an Assistant Director with the Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs, Mr. Oludare Davis Alaba, and the Director of Contracts, Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nig. Ltd. ,Mr. Ephraim Towede Zari. Counsel to ICPC, Ekoi Akpos, said before the court that their offences contravened Sections 25 (i), (b); 19, 22(5); of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and Sections 96, 312 and 323 of the Penal Code laws of FCT 2006. Part of the charge reads, “Diverting the sum of N1, 965,576,153.46 out of the sum of N2, 320,686,826.00 initially released by the Federal Government meant for the compensation of owners of properties on Eket Urban section of the East- West Road" ‘Conferring unfair advantage upon Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nig. Ltd, by circumventing the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the dualization of the Eket Urban road where the former Minister`s decision to rehabilitate the road instead of dualization falls contrary to the award letter No.WR14522/VOL.1/55 dated 28/09/2006 as approved by the FEC; and making false statements to operatives of the ICPC where he mentioned in his written statement that the decision to rehabilitate the Eket Urban road was taken after he had left office as Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs.’ The ex-Minister and the co-accused pleaded not guilty to the charge when read to them. Their counsel, F. Zimuan, representing Orubebe, K. Asunogie, representing Alaba and Kanu Agabi (SAN), representing Zari, who is a Lebanese, pleaded with the court to grant their clients bail on liberal terms. Zimuan specifically urged the court to grant Orubebe bail on self- recognition, having served as a former Minister. The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi admitted the ex-Minister to bail in the sum of N10 million and a surety who must be resident in Abuja, with evidence of three years tax clearance. He further admitted Mr. Alaba to bail in the sum of N20 million and a surety who must be an employee of the Federal Government not below the rank of an assistant director. The third accused, Mr. Zari was equally granted bail by the judge in the sum of N20 million and one surety who must be resident in Abuja, under the jurisdiction of the court. Justice Adeniyi, ruled at the end of the arraignment that all the accused persons be kept in ICPC custody pending the fulfillment of their bail applications and then adjourned the case to 10th November, 2016 for hearing.

Amaechi Launches Standard Operating Procedure To Tackle Port Corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 10:48:54 +0000

Minister of Transportation; Mr. Rotimi Amaechi flagged-off the open air launch of the harmonised Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) designed to stem corrupt practices and ensure a user-friendly port. The SOP is a collation of operational procedures of all maritime government agencies, shipping companies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, associations and other stakeholders. The PSSP on the other hand, is a complaint management portal‎ for operators to lodge complaints if any agency fails to follow the SOP. This is anchored by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. Amaechi who was represented at the launch by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Ms Hadiza Bala Usman noted that this project was a follow-up to the initial launch of the project in Abuja on June 2016. He said that the SOP and the PSSP are a direct response to a Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) report on Nigerian seaports released in 2013 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) labelling Nigeria the most corrupt port in the world.Shipping Position Daily recalls that the report had alleged that it takes over 79 signatures of government officials to clear a consignment from Nigeria’s seaports.‎ The report was the outcome of a four-month corruption assessment study carried out by the ICPC in conjunction with the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption (TUGAR) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) with the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).‎ The Corruption Risk Assessment was carried out at the six ports in Nigeria; Tin Can, Apapa, Warri, Calabar, Onne and Port Harcourt ports.The report however recommended that stakeholders should jointly implement integrity plans to strengthen transparency and accountability towards enhanced service delivery.Addressing the gathering yesterday, the Minister urged all agencies and port stakeholders to associate with the project which according to him, is aimed at providing‎ quality service to members of the public and international community that patronises Nigerian ports. He said "as the Federal Government seeks ways to leverage on the potentials of the maritime sector to diversify the economy, efforts will be made to support this project especially as it fits into the key objectives of our drive to grow the economy through increase in efficiency, reduction of waste and corrupt practices in the non-oil sectors" he said.‎In her welcome address, NPA Managing Director; Ms Hadiza Bala Usman noted that the SOP helps to establish operational standards and guide customers on what to expect at the ports and what they need to do to receive good services. Her address was delivered by Executive Director Marine and Operations; Dr. Sekonte Davies.Usman said "with this launch today, we are certain that unwholesome practices by service providers at the ports will be greatly reduced, if not completely eliminated. It will become easier to detect culprits and defaulters and sanction them‎""The SOP is a document that captures and clarifies work processes; it serves as a guide to‎ the general public in their dealings with agencies, organisations or companies at port""The PSSP is a central mechanism for service support and pre-emptive resolution of service impediments brought forward by users" she said.

ICPC Arraigns Retired Army Officer over alleged N64.8m Fraud

icpcuser — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 08:04:01 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged Major Sam Youdubagha (retired) to a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, sitting in Maitama, for allegedly defrauding one Mr. Madukaife Fabian of N64.8 million. Major Youdubagha was arraigned on a four-count charge before Justice Oluwakoyade Adeniyi, for allegedly falsifying bank documents and awarding fictitious contracts to Mr. Fabian, contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Cap 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja 2006. The charge sheet revealed that Major Youdubagha purportedly acted as representative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to award contract for the dredging of Sambrero River in Ahoada West, Bayelsa State to a company, Samsara Oil and Marine Services Limited, owned by Mr. Fabian. The charge reads in part, “Major Sam Youdubagha, Knowingly made a false document to wit: Award of contract for the dredging of Sambrero River in Ahoada West, purporting same to have emanated from Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with the intention that it may be acted upon as genuine and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja 2006. ‘Major Sam Youdubagha, cheated Mr. Madukaife Fabian, when you received the sum of N64, 800, 000 through his company, Samsara Oil and Marine Services Limited via Access Bank Account with the knowledge to cause wrongful loss to the said Fabian whose interest you were bound by the contract agreement to protect and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 323 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja 2006.” Counsel to the accused, Mr. William Ivara, pleaded with the court to grant him bail while assuring that his client would not interfere with the trial. ICPC counsel, Ekio Akpos who did not oppose the bail application however urged the court to admit the ex-army officer to bail on stringent terms due to his antecedents of bail. He told the court that the accused while on administrative bail, jumped bail leading his surety to withdraw his services. Justice Adeniyi, in his ruling, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N20 million and one surety, who must be a responsible citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and must be resident in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He ruled that the accused be reminded in Kuje prison pending the fulfillment of his bail application and adjourned the case to 15^th November, 2016 for trial.

We’d keep closer watch on Nigerian ports – ICPC

icpcuser — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 08:01:36 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has said the standard operating procedures it recently launched for the Nigerian ports will enable it to keep a closer watch on operations within the ports. It therefore urged all the players in the sector to embrace transparency and accountability, warning that it would not hesitate to invoke the instrumentality of the law against any erring player. The Director of Public Enlightenment, ICPC, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, said this during the inauguration of the Harmonised SOPs and the Port Service Support Portal at the Apapa Port, Lagos, on Tuesday. According to Okoduwa, illegal activities can no longer go unnoticed at the Nigerian ports, with the launch of the SOPs, which, she said, had made it clear to the whole world how business is conducted at the Nigerian ports. Okoduwa noted that the launch of the SOPs and the PSSP followed a recent corruption risk assessment carried out by the ICPC in the Nigerian ports sector. She said the ICPC carried out the corruption risk assessment pursuant to its mandate to prevent corruption under Section 6 (b) – (d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Okoduwa said, “The mandate empowers the ICPC to study the systems and procedures of government bodies and supervise a review of those processes found to be prone to corruption. “The ICPC would like to remind all the agencies and port operators of the commitment they have given to comply with procedures as obtained in their published SOPs and to conduct port business with the highest level of integrity and a keen sense of accountability. “Through the SOPs, Nigeria has told the whole world how she conducts port business and the PSSP empowers port users to seek prompt resolution of service and integrity shortfalls. “The ICPC will maintain a keen watch over proceedings on the platform and will not hesitate to call upon its enforcement powers to sanction those who willfully err. Therefore, we implore all stakeholders to continue to support the government in creating a new Nigeria where service is rendered selflessly, responsibly and with dignity.” Okoduwa commended members of the Project Steering Committee, whose report and recommendations culminated in the launch of the SOPs, for their zeal. She said, “The bodies represented on the committee deserve singular mention for their patriotic zeal and tenacity of purpose. They include the ICPC, the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-corruption Reforms, the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Nigeria Ports Authority, the Nigerian Shippers Council, the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Port Health Services of Nigeria, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria.” According to her, the SOPs would also be launched at the Warri, Onne, Rivers and Calabar ports. She added that the essence of the launch was to create awareness to the SOPs and the PSSP for active use by port patrons. Source: The Punch

West African Anti-Corruption Chiefs Meet in Monrovia and other meetings

icpcuser — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 20:16:55 +0000

The commission will be involved in the following international engagements this month as shown below: 1. Barr. Akeem Lawal, HOD of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Dept. and Mr. Godwin Oche of the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) will attend the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) Advisory Board meeting as Expert Advisor and Board Member and respectively. The meeting is being hosted by the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Cote D'Voire on 23rd September, 2016. 2. Barr. EZEANA Ijezie of the Legal Dept. will represent the Commission at a three-day (19 - 21 Sept. 2016) Regional workshop on Whistleblower and Witness Protection in Monrovia, Liberia under the sponsorship of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The workshop is organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the LACC and the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA). Monrovia - More than sixty Anti-Corruption practitioners and government officials from West Africa will gather in Monrovia next week for a three-day regional workshop on Whistleblower and Witness Protection.

The meeting will be attended by heads of Anti-Corruption bodies, Police Chiefs from West Africa, Parliamentarians with oversight on corruption issues and representatives from international organizations involved with Whistleblower and Witness Protection activities. The three-day regional gathering seeks to increase the knowledge of participants about the systems to protect whistleblowers and witnesses, to share experiences and lessons learned from other countries within the region and beyond on whistleblower and witness protection as well as identify practical priority actions for West African countries in relations to whistleblower and witness protection. The exercise which is being organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the LACC and the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), brings together various stakeholders from West African countries to discuss specific challenges in protecting reporting persons and witnesses, to raise awareness about concepts and measures used in other countries, their strength and limitations. The regional workshop comes against the background that, despite increased awareness about the need to enact whistleblower and witness protection legislation and other measures, there is still a lack of technical knowledge on how to device such legislation, good practices and issues to be considered in devising such legislation. Moreover, most countries have some form of general protection provided in their anti-corruption laws, but these provisions remain very vague and usually don’t provide sufficient protection for whistleblowers and witnesses. Source: www.frontpageafricaonline.com

Gov. Dankwambo Commends ICPC on Systems Study

icpcuser — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 15:51:36 +0000

The Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo, has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for conducting systems study on Gombe State Board of Internal Revenue (GSBIR) and making recommendations on how it can be better run for transparency and accountability. Governor Dankwambo made the commendation in Gombe during the formal presentation of the recommendations of the findings of systems study on GSBIR, saying that for a very long time he had not seen such a detailed systems study and review as the one presented by the Commission. It should be noted that in fulfillment of its preventive function, ICPC recently undertook a systems study on GSBIR. The main thrust of the exercise was to examine the practices, systems and procedures of the board and where such practices or procedures encourage corruption, to direct and supervise a review of them. The governor therefore assured that from the findings and observations of the systems study, all recommendations would be implemented to strengthen the internal control system of the board. He said, “I assure you that we will make the best use of this report and in the next couple of weeks put all measures in place.” He also expressed the desire to engage the Commission further to look at the systems and procedures of other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in his state. Earlier in his remark, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by the Commission’s Honourable Member, Alhaji Abdullahi Bako, had said that the systems study and review of GSBIR was conducted using ICPC’s diagnostic tool designed to identify corruption vulnerability in public institutions. He further stated that the study had made some interesting findings and recommendations for the Gombe State Government to strengthen GSBIR for improved revenue generation, transparency and accountability. Mr. Nta added that ICPC had already carried out systems study of some other government agencies which recommendations had been implemented by the various MDAs concerned while criminal infractions discovered during the studies were also being investigated and prosecuted as the case may be. He therefore called on other relevant stakeholders to utilize the opportunities available in ICPC through its systems study and review, corruption risk assessment and corruption training at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) for the entrenchment of integrity and transparency in their systems of operation.

N14.8m Job Scam: Court Remands Civil Servants in Suleja Prisons

icpcuser — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 18:09:38 +0000

Two civil servants in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Mrs. Grace Nkoyo Nwauzor and Mr. Okorie Tobias Otubaku, have been remanded in Suleja Prisons by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, High Court for allegedly defrauding job-seekers of N14.8 million. Nwauzor, a Level 12 officer under Career Management Section in OHCSF, who had been on the run from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for several months before she was arrested by the Navy while allegedly trying to defraud some of their personnel and Otubaku, were both arraigned by the Commission before Justice Salisu Garba. The duo who are facing a ten count-charge were claimed to have defrauded job- seekers of their monies by offering them non-existent jobs in government ministries, department and agencies in 2012 and 2013. ICPC, while arraigning them, told Justice Garba, that Nwauzor collected N2, 250, 000 in 2013 from one Matthias Billy Ibrahim, who was an intermediary between her and many job-seekers in contravention of Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and punishable under the same section. She was alleged to have received N700, 000 from Onyeziligbo Ngozi in 2012 for the purpose of getting employment in a government ministry or department, thereby committing an offence that contravenes Section 10(a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section. The Commission further told the court that Mr. Otubaku on his part, fraudulently collected N5, 800, 000 in 2013 from Mathias Billy Ibrahim for the purpose of helping him to secure jobs for ‘his candidates’ in some departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The said money was paid into his Ecobank account, making him to commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Part of the charge sheet reads, “Nwauzor, being a staff of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation did corruptly receive the total sum of N2, 250, 000 as benefit for yourself from Mathias Billy Ibrahim, through your Zenith Bank account, on account of favour to be afterwards shown to him by securing job employment for his candidates in different ministries and departments of government, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 10 (a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. ‘Otubaku, while serving as a staff in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation cheated Mathias Billy Ibrahim, by deceiving him fraudulently to deliver to you the total sum of N5, 800, 000 through your Ecobank account on your promise that you will secure a job employment for his candidates in different ministries and departments of government which he would not do if he were not so deceived. Which caused him loss of his money, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89.” The duo pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to them and were not admitted to bail. Justice Garba in his ruling ordered them to be remanded in Suleja Prisons till 1^st November, 2016 pending the hearing of their bail applications.

ICPC Declares Nike Olateju Fabelurin Wanted

okon — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 14:05:03 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mrs. NIKE OLATEJU FABELURIN, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for jumping administrative bail. Mrs. Fabelurin, an indigene of Oyo State, was born on 21st February 1963 (53 years old) and is dark in complexion. Her last known address was E9/884 Loyola Area, Ibadan, Oyo State. Anyone who has useful information on her whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

Jigawa State Seeks Partnership with ICPC to Entrench Transparency in Local Government Administration

icpcuser — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 15:25:31 +0000

The Jigawa State Ministry for Local Government and Community Development is seeking the partnership of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to entrench transparency and accountability in local government administration in the state. This was made known recently in a welcome address by the Commissioner of Ministry for Local Government and Community Development Alhaji Ahmed Abubakar at a two-day sensitization workshop for principal officers of Jigawa State local government councils. Alhaji Abubakar indicated that Jigawa State was desirous of instituting a transparent and corrupt-free working environment in the state’s local councils and therefore needed the support of ICPC. The workshop with the theme: Institutionalizing Integrity in Local Government Administration was organized to enlighten key officers of local councils on the ills of corruption and to proffer ways by which the menace can be curbed. Alhaji Abubakar, described the program as timely in ensuring a corrupt-free and transparent local government administration in the state saying: “The ministry is ready to contribute its quota by promoting the values of transparency and accountability amongst staff.” In order to educate participants on the workings of ICPC and to create synergy between it and Jigawa State Government, the ICPC Commissioner, Kano State, Shehu Yahaya, gave an overview of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. He charged them to take the message learnt at the program down the ladder of their respective councils. One of the resource persons at the workshop, Professor Badayi M. Sani, who presented a paper titled: Budget Preparation and Implementation, Challenges and the Salient Issues, advised the principal officers to implement budgetary allocations of their respective LGAs without compromise. He noted that a sound budget implementation should be both transparent and comprehensive; and that good public finance management has to be in place to bring corruption to the barest minimum.

ICPC Charges NITDA to Support Anti-Graft War

icpcuser — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 15:41:28 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has charged staff of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), to support the ongoing anti-graft war. Mr. Akeem Lawal, Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (CMED), who represented the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, made the call at a 2-day sensitization workshop on anti-corruption recently organized by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of NITDA for management staff of the organisation. He told the participants that there was an urgent need for intervention in the sense that everyone must begin to see the need to address the issue of corruption from the perspective of what they could do as individuals to prevent it. Mr. Lawal added that participants should be conscious of the fact that any corrupt act an individual engaged in in their offices was bound to have negative impact on governance. The workshop also featured lectures. In a lecture titled: ”Entrenching Ethics and Integrity for Compliance in the Workplace”, Mr. Lawal said that “Corruption thrives in an environment where institutional rules; procedures; sanction and reward system; and the general regulatory compliance are deliberately compromised to secure private advantage by those who have the responsibility to do otherwise.” He also drew attention to the need for fairness and justice in the workplace saying:”Competence and merit should be the basis of engaging people to work or assigning them to schedules. Considerations such as friendship, loyalty, ethnicity, nepotism, favouritism etc. should be eschewed.” In another paper presentation on the topic: “Public Sector Corruption in Nigeria and Its Effects”, Mr. Justin Kuatsea, also of CMED noted that corruption has hindered the growth and development of institutions and nations. He called on participants to join in the fight against corruption. His words: “We all need a collective and positive attitude in order to eliminate the scourge of corruption from our country today.” Earlier in his opening remarks, the acting Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, had told the participants that given the present administration’s commitment to fighting corruption, individuals needed to shift their mindset from corruption and begin to think of doing the things that would reduce corruption in Nigeria. Mr. Olatunji said, “Whatever we get from this workshop, let’s practise them when we get back to the office.” He added that the workshop should bring about the desired change in the participants so that they would be able to positively impact on their organisation in their bit to support the government to curb corruption in the country.

Scorecard Magazine Honours ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 19:32:08 +0000

A Nigerian-based leadership performance evaluation magazine, Scorecard, has honoured the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission Mr. Ekpo Nta for his “optimal performance” in the fight against corruption. Publisher of the magazine, Mr. Humphery Onyima, presented the Scorecard Leadership Certificate of Credence to the ICPC Chairman as an outstanding “Statesman of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” during a courtesy visit to the Commission recently. He explained that the honour came against the backdrop of the Chairman’s selfless sacrifice and tireless commitment towards repositioning ICPC in the fight against corruption which in turn has brought about attitudinal change in the management of public funds in the country in recent times. Reacting to the honour done to the ICPC Chairman, the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa who received the award on behalf of the Chairman, commended the publisher for his interest in the fight to get rid of corruption in Nigeria and thanked him for deeming it fit to honour the Chairman with the award. Dr. Oglafa also assured him that the Commission would partner with him in waging the war against corruption.

UNDP backs ICPC, Other Agencies’ Anti-Corruption Fight

icpcuser — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 22:43:53 +0000

The Country Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to Nigeria, Pa Lamin Beyai, has expressed optimism that the anti-corruption crusade of the Federal Government as prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and other anti-corruption agencies will help reduce the incidence of corruption in Nigeria. Beyai gave the assurance through the UNDP Deputy Country Director-Programme, Mandisa Mashologu, at the Training of Trainers on Corruption Risk Assessments (CRA) held at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a training wing of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), located in Keffi, Nasarawa State. Beyai said that the government being aware of the rating of Nigeria by Transparency International (TI) as the 136^th most corrupt country out of 168 countries, a rating lower than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa, has put in tremendous efforts through institutional reforms, enforcements, prosecution, entrenching the culture of integrity and capacity-building of staff of anti-corruption agencies to tackle the menace. He said, “As you are all aware, in the 2015 Corruption Perception Index by the Transparency International which measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 168 countries, Nigeria ranked 136^th, lower than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa. ‘Tackling corruption remains a top priority of the government as one of the means to facilitate efficient delivery of public services and enhance national development opportunities. ‘The process has resulted in on-going institutional reforms which are already yielding positive results. We believe that an efficient and effective public service can positively contribute to the ease of doing business in Nigeria and act as stimulant to curb corrupt practices” Provost of ACAN, Professor Sola Akinrinade, who declared the training open on behalf of ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said that the establishment of the academy was in line with the Commission’s determination to fulfill its enlightenment and education functions in a systematic and sustainable way to achieve long term impact in the national war against corruption. He said, “At the academy, we do not subscribe to the widespread notion that fighting corruption in Nigeria is a lost cause. Our philosophy is that corruption and related crimes can be controlled or managed through a system of training and re-training, geared towards sound policy formulation, operational efficiency and good management culture.” Professor Akinrinade also said he believes that Nigeria will make great strides in the fight against corruption by incorporating a sustainable attitudinal change in the citizenry, besides arrest and prosecution. His words, “This week’s CRA training is in part a fulfillment of the dreams and vision of the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who embodies the belief that the war against corruption should transcend arrest and prosecution to building long term, sustainable attitudinal change.” At least 64 participants drawn from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the Nigeria Police, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), civil society organizations and other government ministries and departments are attending the week long programme. Some of the participants who spoke at the training workshop were enthusiastic about the training as they expressed optimism that the CRA would help them identify corruption loopholes in government circles.

ICPC docks Man for Forged Certificates Scheme

icpcuser — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 05:35:20 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Owoyele Kolawole before Justice S.A. Adepoju of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja for alleged forgery and possession of blank Senior School Certificates. Acting on a petition from the Federal Ministry of Education pertaining to the growing incidence of presentation of altered West African Senior School Certificate results for accreditation and endorsement by those seeking admission into foreign educational institutions. Discreet surveillance and intelligence gathering by ICPC led to the arrest of Mr. Kolawole. The suspect allegedly ran a syndicate that specialised in producing and selling customised certificates to fraudulent applicants seeking admission into foreign institutions. The suspect, who at the time of arrest was in possession of blank certificates, was allegedly operating a criminal scheme where the particulars from a genuine certificate would be transferred to a blank copy with alteration in either the grades or age or both, depending on what the ‘client’ desired. Mr. Kolawole was arraigned on a two-count charge for possessing false documents with intention to defraud in contravention of Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory. Part of the charge read: “That you Owoyele Kolawole....made false documents to wit: “West African Senior School Certificates” empty/blank, with no student information on it with the intention that it may be filled with student information later which may be acted upon as genuine…” While taking his plea, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him. However, since the defence counsel was absent at the time the charge was read to the accused, Justice Adepoju ordered that the suspect be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to 24th November, 2016 for definite hearing.

FIRS to Partner ICPC in the Campaign against Corruption

okon — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 12:56:26 +0000

The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Tunde Fowler has expressed the determination of his organization to partner with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the crusade against corruption. Mr. Fowler made the declaration at the inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the organization recently in Abuja. The Executive Chairman, explained that it was the desire of FIRS to support ICPC in the fight against corruption by ensuring that it created systems and structures that would encourage the organization’s staff to maintain high ethical standards in their day- to- day duties. ‘’The functions performed by staff of this Service are very significant, therefore, all the issues which ACTU promotes, such as transparency, accountability and good governance in the public service are key to the success of an organization like FIRS, which collects revenue for the government’’, he said. Earlier, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea, of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) had said that there should be no misconception about the role of ACTU in the agency. ‘’ACTU is not to witch-hunt anyone or spy on this organization, but rather to propagate and entrench high ethical standards required for it to achieve its mandate’’, Mr. Kuatsea stated. He urged the new ACTU members to dedicate themselves to their duties in a responsible and transparent manner.

IACA Board of Governors Convenes

icpcuser — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 20:01:26 +0000

The IACA Board of Governors convened for this year’s third meeting on 29 September at the Academy’s premises in Laxenburg. During the meeting the Board acknowledged the report of the Independent External Audit of IACA’s financial statements 2015, carried out by a collegium of independent senior auditors from Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Russian Federation. This external audit statement was formally approved by the Board. Furthermore, the agenda included substantive preparatory work for the 5th session of the Assembly of Parties in November, discussions on the next Work Programme, and review of IACA’s latest (academic) activities such as progress on preparation for the launch of a second master’s programme on collective action, compliance, and (private- sector) anti-corruption. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Eduardo Vetere, Former Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and brought together seven other members of the Board, including its Vice Chairperson, Prof. Pakdee Pothisiri (Thailand).

Embezzlement of shrines-relocation compensation funds: ICPC Secures 2-Year Jail Term for Traditional Ruler

icpcuser — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 14:13:15 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a 2-year imprisonment sentence against a traditional ruler, Eze Bob Ubiaru, for the fraudulent conversion to his personal use of funds meant for the compensation of his community for the installation of public power infrastructure on their sacred land. Eze Ubiaru, the traditional ruler of Ipupe Community in Ubakala Umuahia-South Local Government of Abia State and the Secretary to the palace, Patrick Iyke Ubiaru, were charged by ICPC before Honourable Justice Agwu Umah Kalu of the High Court of Abia State for fraudulently converting N40 million out of the sum of N60 million paid to Ipupe Community as compensation to relocate the community shrines in order to give way for the power project under the National Infrastructure Power Project (NIPP) that passed through the community. The charge against the traditional ruler, who was the 1st defendant in Count One, was brought under Section 363(1) and punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 80 Laws of Abia State 2005. The 1st defendant was also charged under Count Two for conferring corrupt advantage upon himself contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 whilst the 2nd defendant, Patrick Ubiaru was charged under Count Three for criminal alteration of records of Community meetings contrary to Section 15(a) and punishable under Section 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Delivering his judgment, the trial judge held that the prosecution had proved the case in Count One beyond reasonable doubt, in that there was enough evidence to show that the 1st defendant did not use the money to relocate the community shrines but actually converted the money to his personal use. Justice Kalu, however, discharged and acquitted the 1st defendant on Count Two on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove that the 1st defendant was a public officer as stipulated in Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. With respect to the 2nd defendant, the trial judge held that although the prosecution clearly proved alteration against the 2nddefendant, the prosecution, however, failed to prove that he was at the material time in the employment of the Eze-in-Council which was one of the ingredients of the offence. In his judgement, the judge convicted Eze Ubiaru on Count One and sentenced him to 2 years imprisonment or a fine of N3million, while the 2nd defendant, Patrick Ubiaru, was discharged and acquitted. Justice Kalu also held that the sum of N10million in the deposit account of First Bank Plc fixed by Eze Ubiaru from the proceeds of the crime be forfeited and given to the true representatives of Ipupe Community who are to be identified by the Chairman of Umuahia-South Local Government Area of Abia State. In addition, the judge also held that the shares bought by the Eze from the proceeds of the crime be forfeited, sold and the money realised be given to the same representatives of Ipupe Community.

Alleged N97m SUBEB Contract Fraud:ICPC arraigns Fmr. Benue State SUBEB Chairman, UBEC Officer

icpcuser — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 14:15:54 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a former Chairman of Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Iho Anum Achusa, and a staff of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Abuja, Mr. Donald Orya Anagenda, for alleged conspiracy, bribery and using their offices to confer corrupt advantage on themselves. The two officers were arraigned before Honourable Justice A.O Anum of Benue State High Court No.2, Makurdi on a 4-count charge of contravening sections 12, 18(d), 19 and 26(1c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The prosecuting counsel of ICPC, Sunny Ezeana Esq and Abayomi Adepoju Esq averred that sometime between October and November 2013, the accused “conspired … to knowingly hold private interest in a contract awarded by Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to Brown Sugar Global Resources Limited for training of teachers on ICT to the tune of N97,500,000.00 (Ninety Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) only and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000”. The first accused, Mr. Donald Orya, while being in the employment of UBEC, Abuja was further charged for ‘’knowingly holding private interest in a contract awarded by SUBEB to Brown Sugar Global Resources Limited for training of teachers on ICT contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000’’. The second accused, Mr. Iho Achusa was also charged for ‘’conferring corrupt advantage upon yourself when you received the total sum of N14,900,000.00 (Fourteen Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) only from the contract sum awarded to Brown Sugar Global Resources Limited thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000’’. The former SUBEB boss, Mr. Iho Achusa, while being at the service of SUBEB was further accused of accepting the sum of N14,900,000.00 (Fourteen Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) only from Donald Orya through Brown Sugar Global Resources Limited as reward for the contract he awarded to Brown Sugar Limited thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18(c) and punishable under Section 18(d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The first accused, Mr. Orya pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against him while the second accused, Mr. Iho Achusa, through his counsel, informed the court of his intention to challenge the competence of the charges brought against him. The judge granted the accused persons bail and adjourned the case to October 14, 2016.

Och-Ziff takes fourth spot on our new Top Ten list

icpcuser — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 15:26:56 +0000

PTAD Seeks ICPC’s Continuous Support

okon — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 16:51:28 +0000

The Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, has said that the support of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was invaluable towards sanitizing pensioners’ payroll and creating an accurate and credible database of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme. Mrs. Ikeazor said this when she led a team of management staff of PTAD on a courtesy visit to ICPC headquarters in Abuja recently. The Executive Secretary sought the continuous support and collaboration of ICPC to deepen the operations of the Directorate. She thanked ICPC for its intervention especially in the verification of pensioners’ bank accounts in order to stop the duplication of payments and added that even with their achievements so far, the agency was still “work in progress”. “Pension payment in Nigeria has been a challenge, I hope that my tenure will make a positive impact on pensioners such that every pensioner will be able to live the remainder of their lives in dignity and good health”, she said. Furthermore, Mrs Ikeazor said, “My vision is an agency that serves pensioners with the utmost respect and empathy”. In his response, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said that the Commission’s assistance to PTAD is one of its duties, which is to study and review systems, and give directives where necessary to block loopholes. He further stated that the mode of operation of ICPC was not to ambush people but to work with organizations to achieve international best practices. Mr. Nta noted that one of the challenges facing the agency was having to deal with incapacitated pensioners. He therefore suggested the use of biometric verification for pensioners in such category. “As future pensioners we must all make effort to see that the pension system is credible and pensioners themselves should be wary of fake pension staff so as not to fall victim of pension scam”, the ICPC boss concluded.

ICPC Holds Anti-Corruption Leadership Training

icpcuser — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 11:41:07 +0000

The Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is holding a 5-day “Anti-Corruption Leadership Academy” training for participants drawn from various agencies of government. The Leadership Academy training which is taking place at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja is a high-level companion programme to the Senior Executive Course in Organizational Integrity Management which the academy held a couple of weeks previously. In his welcome address during the opening ceremony, ACAN Provost, Professor Sola Akinrinade, said that the Anti-Corruption Leadership Academy was aimed at building a core of leaders that would drive the anti-corruption agenda in the public and private sectors of the country. He added that the training was designed to build the capacity of participants to provide leadership in tackling corruption in their organizations while developing their competencies for building their personnel and organizations into anti-corruption agents. Professor Akinrinade also stated that participant would be provided with knowledge of key issues in corruption and anti-corruption including prevention strategies. According to him, “While seeking to build the capacity of participants to provide leadership in managing integrity systems in their organizations, we try to provide participants with knowledge of key issues in corruption and anti-corruption including prevention strategies.” “Our fervent expectation is that as leaders in your organizations, you will upon return to your respective workplaces, will initiate the process of institutionalizing workable integrity management systems that will transcend individuals and regimes,” the Provost added. The participants are also expected to be provided with necessary skills and knowledge for building institutional integrity systems and enhance their capacity to enthrone integrity, accountability and transparency in their workplaces while safeguarding their organizations against corruption and internal fraud. One of the participants and Registrar, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Mr. Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok, has expressed satisfaction with the training, saying that he is gaining a lot from the workshop and will return home a better-informed person. The facilitators for the programme are drawn from among the ranks of anti-corruption practitioners, past and present leaders of anti-corruption agencies and other experts with experience in developing and managing integrity systems.

ICPC Secures Conviction as Policeman Jailed for Demanding Bribe

okon — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:29:58 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a one-year prison sentence against a Policeman, Sgt. Abba Peter, for demanding a bribe of N50,000 in order to quash an investigation of criminal breach of trust against a citizen (name withheld) that was pending at the Metro Police Station, Abuja. In Charge No. PLD/J/23C/2007 Sgt. Peter was arraigned before Honourable Justice M.I. Sirajo of High Court 6, Jos, Plateau State, on a 4-count charge bordering on corrupt demand and using his office for gratification. His corrupt demands contravened Sections 10 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The convict was arrested by operatives of ICPC in a sting operation after the petitioner had reported his corrupt demand and was given marked money to give him. Sgt. Peter was caught red-handed with the marked money and arrested. Delivering judgment, Justice Sirajo found the accused guilty and sentenced him to one year imprisonment on counts 1 and 2, with an option of fine of N50,000 on each count. However on count 3, he was sentenced to one year imprisonment without any option of fine. On Count 4 the accused was discharged and acquitted as the court stated that the prosecution could not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

N6m Bribe: ICPC Arraigns Firm, 3 Others

icpcuser — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:25:02 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned three persons, Kenneth Okezie Samuel, Collins Ugwu, Cosmas Okechukwu Eze and a company, Boss Engineering Nigeria Ltd, before Hon. Justice Angela O. Ataluka of High Court 27 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on a 5-count charge bordering on bribery, criminal conspiracy and forgery. While the first defendant Kenneth Okezie Samuel was arraigned on counts 1 to 5, the second, third and fourth defendants, Boss Engineering Nigeria Ltd, Collins Ugwu, and Cosmas Okechukwu Eze respectively were arraigned on counts 1, 4 and 5. In Charge No. CR/207/16, the accused were alleged to have offered to pay the sum of N6,000,000 (Six Million Naira) through Cosmas Okechukwu Eze as an inducement to the Procurement Committee of the Federal Ministry of Works to facilitate the procurement of a contract in favour of Boss Engineering Nigeria Ltd, which offence contravenes Sections 26(1)(c) and 22(1)(a)(i) and punishable under Section 22(6) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The suspects allegedly forged a Tax Clearance Certificate No. 05387252 purportedly belonging to Boss Engineering Nigeria Ltd and presenting same to the Procurement Committee of the Ministry of Works for the purpose of prequalification for award of contract and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 25(1)(a) and punishable under Section 25 (1)(b) of the ICPC law. Mr. Samuel was also charged for paying the sum of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) into Guaranty Trust Bank Account No. 0020128053 and issuance of undated Skye Bank cheque No. 18723789 in the sum of N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) to one Michael Olanrewaju Awonusi as part payment of the N6,000,000 inducement to Cosmas Okechukwu Eze. While taking their plea separately, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them. All their Counsels namely John Kalu Esq., Christopher Makpu Esq. and Ashimole Felix Esq. through motions supported by affidavits applied for bail for their various clients. However, in a swift reaction to the prayers sought by the defense, ICPC lead counsel, Ephraim Chukwuemeka Otti Esq., asked the court grant bail under conditions that will compel the accused persons to attend trial. Having listened to the submissions of all the parties, the trial judge therefore granted bail separately to all the accused to the tune of the sum of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) and two sureties in the like sum. The sureties must be civil servants of FCT, not below Grade Level 14, who must present evidence of being currently in the FCT civil service and whose retirement must not be due in the next five years. The case has been adjourned to November 21, 2016, for hearing.

Autonomy, Panacea to Local Government Corruption – ICPC Chairman

okon — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 11:55:59 +0000

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has called for the immediate separation of local government accounts from that of the states in order to reduce corruption at the third tier of government. He made the call at a two-day Conference on “The Role of the Legislature in the Fight Against Corruption”, which was organized by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) together with the National Assembly in collaboration with the European Union (EU), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC) in Abuja recently. During a panel discussion on “Fighting Corruption at State and Local Government Levels”, Mr. Nta decried the situation in the country where caretakers are appointed to run the Local Government for two or three years, saying that this makes them less effective and inefficient, thereby falling below that which the Nigerian constitution expects of them. He therefore called on the State Houses of Assembly to always ensure that elections at the local governments are not delayed in order not to prolong the stay of caretakers. The ICPC Chairman further advocated the entrenchment of transparency and accountability to make the third tier of government performance-based and result-oriented. He said “Let’s put the local governments in order and build their capacity because currently, there are legislative houses at the local government level that should be sitting over contracts but they are not sitting.” Mr. Nta also acknowledged that while enforcement was an integral part of the mandate of ICPC, the Commission was also focused on creating sustainable anti-corruption processes that would prevent corruption in the systems of ministries, departments and agencies.

News Release: RE: FG SENDS ICPC BOSS, NTA EKPO ON COMPULSORY LEAVE

icpcuser — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 14:27:57 +0000

RE: FG SENDS ICPC BOSS, NTA EKPO ON COMPULSORY LEAVE The attention of the Management of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been drawn to the report of above title in the Vanguard newspaper of 26^th October, 2016 authored by one Ben Agande and replicated under different titles by some other online and traditional publications. The report purports that ICPC is in receipt of a letter from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, informing the Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, “to proceed on compulsory leave beginning from today, October 26”. It goes further to impute perceived reasons for the alleged “sack” of the Chairman while quoting an anonymous “ICPC source”. No such letter or letters have been received in the Commission. ICPC has brought this matter to the attention of the relevant authorities for appropriate action. Click here to view original copy of Rejoinder Signed: Edet Ufot For: Commissioner, Public Enlightenment and Spokesperson for the Commission

ICPC/ACAN trains Agricultural Experts on Accountability and Transparency

okon — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 16:21:05 +0000

In line with the preventive mandate of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the training and research arm of the Commission, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) has concluded a training workshop for stakeholders in the Agricultural sector aimed at riding the sector of corruption. The workshop which held at the Commission’s Headquarters was titled: “Transparency and Accountability: a Veritable Tool for an Effective and Corruption-Free Agricultural Sector”. Speaking at the event, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta told participants that one of the success stories of the series of workshops the Commission held, is creating more awareness on anti-corruption laws for the participants, thus reducing incidences of infractions on their part. The ICPC boss who defined corruption as an ‘opportunistic crime’, urged the participants to go back and ensure that they block all loopholes in their systems in order to reduce corruption in their MDAs. The Provost of ACAN, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, in his welcomes address explained the objective of the workshop, stressing that capacity building was one of the critical interventions of ICPC to move the country forward and bring about sustainable development. Delivering his paper titled “Integrity in Agricultural Infrastructural Support Provision” Dr. Tunde Aworanti of ACAN enlightened participants on some agricultural infrastructures which he said include the provision of some basic services, facilities, equipment and institutions. These, he said, ranged from seed, fertilizers, farm equipment to research and financial services. On ethical values needed, Dr. Aworanti urged participants to always adhere to correct procedures and processes of procurement, management and maintenance of infrastructures to ensure that they are devoid of corruption.

ACAN Holds Training Workshop for Port Harcourt Refinery ACTU Members

okon — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 16:25:12 +0000

The Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training and research arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has held a 3-day induction training workshop for the new officials of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of Port-Harcourt Refinery Company Limited (PHRC). The training which took place at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja recently was organized to furnish the ACTU members with knowledge on how to effectively perform their duties. Speaking during the workshop, the ICPC Chairman Mr. Ekpo Nta, spoke about the benefits that the participants would gain from the workshop. He said: “I have no doubt that at the end of the training workshop; you will be better equipped to contribute your quota to the anti-corruption campaign in your organisation by being able to develop an integrity plan for your organisation and to properly manage whistle blowers.” In his own address, ACAN Provost, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, said the objective of the training was to help enhance ACTU members’ skills for monitoring Compliance system to enable them effectively check corruption and unethical conduct in the organisation. Prof. Akinrinade who also spoke on: Integrity Imperative in Public and Private Organisation, said ‘’…there must be synergy between what you think, say and do as ACTU officials to effect change in unethical behavior in the workplace’’. Furthermore, he said that the culture of doing what is right under less supervision, which is integrity and a common virtue in corporate ethical codes should be imbibed as a giant step towards curbing the menace of corruption in an organisation. “Building the culture of integrity is a long term process which could be difficult at the beginning but has great effects and rewards afterwards. The starting point therefore is a leadership commitment to enthrone sanity in the operations of the organisation”, he added. Also speaking on the topic: Becoming an Effective Whistle-Blower, Mr. Akeem Lawal, fsi, Head, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Commission, enlightened the participants on managing whistle-blowing by staff of the organisation in the course of their duty as ACTU members. In his words, “As ACTU members, whistle blowing mechanism should be used and encouraged in the organization as a means of exposing illegal and unethical practices that serve as breeding ground for corruption. More so, whistle blowers who are courageous enough to expose corrupt practices should be protected and rewarded against victimization as enshrined in the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and the Freedom of Information Act (FOI)’’.

PTAD inaugurates anti corruption and transparency unit

icpcuser — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 20:48:00 +0000

Och-Ziff and Embraer join our Top Ten Disgorgement List

icpcuser — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 20:49:16 +0000

ICPC Boss Charges PTAD on Elimination of Corruption in Pension Administration

okon — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 19:28:21 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has called on the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), to work towards achieving zero-tolerance for corruption. Mr. Nta who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), made the call at the PTAD office in Abuja, during the inauguration and induction of the new members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the organisation. The ICPC Chairman stated that there have been reported cases of mismanagement and corruption in handling the pension funds of retirees, a situation which he described as most unfortunate because these have contributed in no small measure to the daunting challenges faced by retired senior citizens over the years. He expressed optimism saying that “with the establishment of this Directorate and given its robust mandate to address the observed challenges, the dark age of pension fund mismanagement would be a thing of the past.” Mr. Nta added that the Commission was equally of the view that positive results would be attained, especially now that it would be leveraging on the strong liaison with PTAD to produce a clean pension administration system in Nigeria. Earlier in her address, PTAD Executive Secretary, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, expressed confidence in the ability of the members of the ACTU to spearhead the building and entrenchment of the culture of accountability, transparency and professionalism in the organisation. Mrs. Ikeazor said that in view of the collaboration with ICPC, PTAD was determined to institute best practices in pension administration and prevent corrupt practices. She added that her organisation would not allow the activities of pension fraudsters to continue under any guise. She also revealed that since she assumed duty as the Executive Secretary of PTAD, she and her team had been strategizing on ways to tackle the menace of corruption in the management of pension under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), for pensioners who retired on or before June 2007 and did not migrate to the new Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

N1bn Abuse of Office Case: ICPC Presents Witness against Former Governor of Zamfara State

icpcuser — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 13:09:05 +0000

At a resumed hearing in a N1billion alleged fraud case involving the former Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Sani Yerima, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has presented its first witness in the trial before Justice Bello Tukur Gummi of Zamfara State High Court 5, Gusau, Zamfara State on issues bordering on Virement, making false statement and abuse of office. ICPC lead counsel, Christiana Onuogu, Esq. leading several other ICPC Lawyers, during the examination-in-chief, led the witness Abdulrazak Abdulkadir of Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) of ICPC to present about 15 exhibits in the case against the former governor. Senator Yerima had earlier been arraigned on a 19-count charge filed before Justice Bello Shinkafi of High Court 4 for allegedly diverting N385.5million and various other sums from a N1billion loan meant for the repair of a collapsed dam and the compensation of the victims, thereby contravening Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. He was granted bail in the sum of N100million and two sureties who must own landed properties worth N150million. The case could not continue before Justice Shinkafi due to the judge’s ill–health prompting ICPC to apply for the transfer of the case to another judge. At the resumed hearing before the new judge, Justice Gummi, the defence counsel prayed the court for adjournment in line with the provision of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution to enable him study the volumes of documents tendered by the prosecution team. The case has been adjourned to 29^th and 30^th November, 2016 for cross- examination of the prosecution witness and continuation of hearing.

ICPC Boss, Obono-Obla, Others Attend Course In Toronto Canada

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 08:05:05 +0000

Contrary to recent news reports that he has been sacked by the Federal Government, ICPC boss Ekpo Nta is among some Nigerian government officials that are presently attending a course on Indicators of Development for Justice Officials. the ICPC boss is attending the course alongside senior officials in the justice sector of the government like the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla; Chief Judge of the High Court of the FCT, Ishaq Bello; Deputy Inspector General of Police, Investigation and Intelligence; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Legal,Force Headquarters; the CG of Nigerian Prisons Service and Special Assistant to the Vice President on Justice Reform. The course which is to run from the 30th of October, 2016 to 10th of November, 2016 is taking place at the prestigious Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Canada.

The Munk School of Global Affairs (also referred to as the Munk School) at the University of Toronto is an interdisciplinary academic centre with various research and educational programs committed to the field of globalization. It offers master’s degrees in Global Affairs, European, Russian, and Asia-Pacific studies. The school also offers a certificate program in global journalism. It occupies the historical Devonshire House, a former residential hall of the university’s Trinity College, and in 2012 opened a second location at 315 Bloor Street West (Observatory Site) after an $80 million collective contribution from the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation, the Government of Canada, and the Government of Ontario. The School is located in the north and south wings of Devonshire House building on Devonshire Place, which is shared with Trinity College’s John W. Graham Library. In 2012 the Munk School of Global Affairs opened its second location at the Observatory site at 315 Bloor Street West (formerly Admissions and Awards) which houses the offices of the Citizen Lab and the Master of Global Affairs program. It was founded as the Munk Centre for International Studies in 2000, named after Canadian businessman and philanthropist Peter Munk who made a $6.4 million donation to finance the construction. The current director is Professor Stephen J. Toope, a noted expert on human rights, and public international law. Previously, he served as the President of the University of British Columbia. Culled from The Metro Lawyer.

ICPC tasks Accountants Body on Uprightness

icpcuser — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 10:48:10 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has asked practicing accountants in public and private sectors to be diligent and upright in their work so as to help curtail corruption in Nigeria. Nta, who was represented by Hon. Member Abdullahi Bako, gave this advice during a courtesy visit by some members of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) to the ICPC headquarters in Abuja recently. He explained that accountants play a huge role in the anti-corruption fight as “No money will leave an organisation without the knowledge of the accountant”. The ICPC Chairman held that the visit was a first step towards building a good working relationship between ANAN and the Commission. Earlier, the President and Chairman of ANAN, Mr. Anthony Chukwuemeka Nzom, fcna, had said that transparency and accountability must be the watchword of members of the association as accountants play an important role in the fight against corruption. The ANAN President also said the aim of the visit was to seek collaboration with ICPC and also discuss issues of importance, not only to ANAN and ICPC, but the country at large. He revealed that the association was in the forefront of the war against corruption and related vices, and was also promoting the whistle-blowing campaign among its members and the general public. Mr. Nzom added that ANAN, as the number one body in public service accounting, had come to learn a lot from the Commission and therefore appealed that ICPC should accept the association as a partner so as to collectively rid the society of the cankerworm called corruption. He also used the visit to bring to the knowledge of the Commission the registration of the Society for Forensic Accounting and Fraud Prevention (SFAFP), adding that the society would be delighted to use the facilities in Commission’s training academy, Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN). Also speaking at the event, the National Treasurer of the Association, Professor Benjamin Osisioma, observed that “…unless we apply ourselves diligently and make crime a difficult thing for the criminal we won’t achieve the goals we have set for ourselves”.

The Secret of my old age is honesty - Octogenarian Business Man

icpcuser — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 08:32:59 +0000

An octogenarian business man and retired civil servant, Mr. Humphrey Wokoro Woko, has said in an interview he granted The Punch newspaper that the secret of his old age is honesty. He said rather than steal public funds because of poor remuneration, the Civil Servant should leave the Service honourably and engage in what he considers to be a more rewarding private sector enterprise. He also spoke on ethics and integrity as a basis for contentment. Mr Woko said “The secret of my old age is honesty. No matter what happens, I will always be honest. Whenever one cheats others, one will pay the price. There is no need to rush because this world is like a market place; when one finishes buying everything one needs, one must surely go back home. Some people love to acquire everything. When they finish acquiring everything, they must leave it behind when they die.” “I enjoyed being honest. If one is honest and content, one will make it. I know some people who were not sincere. I am the third oldest person where I am. If you ask people that you need a sincere person, they will always refer you to me. I enjoy that.” He added. When asked why Nigeria is facing many challenges, he said “Nigeria is suffering today because some people are so eager to attain a position that God has not prepared for them. They want to make it at all cost even to the detriment of another person and the whole country. Killing is rampant today because they want to make it overnight. People are looting public funds to make it. People are no longer honest. They no longer have the fear of God. People should fear God. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.”

ICPC Commended for Facilitating Land Document Re-issuance

okon — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 09:45:19 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been commended by one Mrs. Sydney Igwealor Jephter, a business woman in Abuja, for facilitating the re-issuance of fresh land documents by the Gwagwalada Area Council to replace missing ones. Mrs. Sydney had lodged her complaint through a petition to the Commission over missing documents for 10 plots of land worth N3million that she had purchased from one Hajiya Yerima with original Certificate of Occupancy. According to her, she had given the original documents to Mr. Levi Omega a trusted long-term family friend who said that he knew a lawyer who could perfect Power of Attorney for the plots at the cost of N60, 000. When Mr. Omega who had claimed to have misplaced the original land documents started avoiding her and was not picking her calls, the complainant suspected foul play and alerted ICPC. During investigation, the Gwagwalada Zonal Land Coordinator, Mr. I. Douglas, revealed that Mr. Levi had actually lost the original documents; he had also placed a newspaper publication of a Notice of Misplacement. Through the efforts of the operatives of the Commission, fresh land documents were issued to Mrs. Sydney by the Land Registry of Gwagwalada Area Council. In a letter of appreciation, Mrs. Sydney lauded ICPC for the prompt and efficient manner it ensured that the issue was sorted out, as well as the kind assistance given to her. “I humbly want to appreciate your kind personality, I pray for promotions and blessings on your part and in every of your endeavor,” Mrs. Sydney wrote.

British High Commission Says ICPC’s Anti-Corruption Academy, Most Advanced Nigerian Training Facility

icpcuser — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 13:43:41 +0000

The Immigration Liaison Manager, British High Commission, Mr. Liam Harrison, has commended the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the facilities it has put in place at the academy for anti-corruption learning and training activities. He made the commendation recently as the leader of a team of British High Commission’s officers who were being conducted round the academy located in Keffi, Nasarawa State by its Provost, Professor Sola Akinrinade. Mr. Harrison who expressed satisfaction with the facilities and structures he saw, described ACAN as the most advanced training facility he had seen in Nigeria. His word, “The facilities are very impressive actually, I’m surprised! This is probably the most advanced training facility I have seen in Nigeria so far. I have been to a few academies belonging to some other organisations but I wasn’t as impressed as what I have seen here.” The Liaison Manager had stated earlier that the purpose of their visit was to look at ways of funding, training and ramping up development for ICPC. He also promised that they were going to look at the training packages for ICPC to see if they could further develop the investigation skills of the officers of the Commission.

Bauchi Government praises ICPC at Anti-Corruption Summit

icpcuser — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 09:17:01 +0000

The Bauchi State Government was full of praises for the collaboration offered by ICPC during the launching of the Bauchi State Anti-Corruption Summit in Bauchi on Monday 14th November, 2016. The theme was: Transparency and Accountability for Good Governance and Sustainable Development. The State Governor, Alh. Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar was delighted that Bauchi State was the first beneficiary of the Anti-Corruption Initiative as the state had already embarked on the process of open and responsive governance. The initiative was a collaborative one between Bauchi State, ICPC's Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) and the Foundation for Transparency and Accountability. The ICPC Chairman, Ekpo Nta, speaking at the event, stated that the Commission would continue to organise System Study and Review or Corruption Risk Assessments of Federal and State Ministries, Departments and Agencies to reduce corruption-prone processes in their systems, procedures and practices. Mr. Nta called on all states to emulate the Federal Government's efforts in dealing with the scourge of corruption through severe sanctions and prosecution for infractions; proactive and innovative prevention strategies; and the strengthening of institutions.

ICPC Declares Ogbonna Ifeanyi Samuel Wanted

okon — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 11:23:35 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. OGBONNA IFEANYI SAMUEL, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Ogbonna, an indigene of Ukwa in Aba Local Government Area of Abia State, is dark in complexion and was born on 16th October 1980 (36 years old). His last known address was New Kutunku, Behind Federal Road Safety Commission, Gwagwalada, Abuja-FCT. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Signed Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC opens Case against NIHSA Ex-DG for Mismanagement of N603m

icpcuser — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 13:53:24 +0000

The trial of a former Director-General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr. John Ayoade Shamonda, opened before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Apo, Abuja. Earlier in May, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had arraigned Mr. Shamonda before Justice Ademola for alleged mismanagement of N603 million intervention funds meant for rehabilitation and replacement of damaged hydrological equipment of NIHSA. The accused person’s actions were contrary to and are punishable under Sections 16, 17 (1) (C), and 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. During the trial, the prosecution counsel of ICPC, Mr. Okechukwu Igbudu called the head of the Investigation team, Mr. Joshua Wakili, to the witness box to testify on the outcome of his investigation to the court. In his testimony, Wakili tendered some documents to substantiate his findings and they were admitted in court as exhibits. He also testified that some of the purchases and disbursement of funds made by Mr. Shamonda were outside the approval given by the Presidency and Ministry of Water Resources. The defence counsel, Mr. Michael Bello, cross-examined the ICPC witness on the admissibility of some of the documents tendered in court. At the conclusion of the cross-examination, Justice Ademola adjourned the case to 7^th December 2016 for further hearing.

House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption Inspects FG Vehicles Seized by ICPC

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:35:21 +0000

ICPC Chairman encourages Bauchi not to relent in the fight against Corruption

okon — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:42:31 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has called on the government and people of Bauchi State to join hands with the Federal Government in the fight against corruption. Mr. Nta made the call recently in Bauchi State, during the Bauchi State Anti-Corruption Summit which was organized by ICPC in conjunction with the Bauchi State government, and facilitated by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) together with the Foundation for Transparency and Accountability (FTA). The ICPC Chairman revealed that ICPC was prepared to assist Bauchi State, and other states of the federation to eliminate corruption by providing them with technical assistance to carry out System Study and Review of their systems, practices and procedures. He added that System Study and Review has the capacity of strengthening institutions, a prerequisite for sustainable development, good governance and the rule of law. Chairman of the summit, Hon. Akinloye Babajide, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption represented by Hon. Benjamin I. Wayo, in a goodwill message stated that if corruption was fought to a standstill, Nigeria would overcome most of the problems being experienced in the country. Hon. Babajide also appealed to all and sundry to join in the fight against corruption saying that “ It must be fought together, it is not an individualistic battle, it must be fought by the politicians, governments at all levels, the rich, the poor, the healthy and the sick.” Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Alh. M.A Abubakar, commended ICPC for organizing the summit in order to help stem corruption and its accompanying effects in the state. Governor Abubakar, while calling for a total attitudinal change, noted that a positive attitude was fundamental to the success in the fight against corruption in Bauchi State and Nigeria. “We must change the old ways of doing things in this country, and business must not be allowed to go on as usual”, he said. The governor also called on all the people of Bauchi State to join in the fight against corruption. The high point of the summit was the flagging off of the Anti-Corruption Campaign with the slogan “I Support the Fight against Corruption in Bauchi State” by the ICPC Chairman.

House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption Inspects FG Vehicles Seized by ICPC

icpcuser — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 09:20:49 +0000

The House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption has inspected 95 Federal Government vehicles seized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from various government officials after the winding down of the activities of the defunct Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (Sure-P) by the current administration. The inspection formed part of the visit by members of the committee to ICPC on oversight duties. Speaking, while conducting the members round the seized vehicles, the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, explained that the recovery of the vehicles was an indication of the firm resolve of the Commission to tackle the various manifestations of corrupt practices perpetrated by some government officials. However, among the vehicles inspected, Mr. Nta said 40 of them were recovered from some retired officials of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. Speaking at the visit, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Akinloye Azeez Babajide said that the essence of the visit was for his committee to acquire better knowledge of what the Commission was doing and offer support where necessary. He commended the Commission for fostering a good image for Nigeria through its preventive initiatives against corruption. Akinloye, who was visibly impressed with what he had learnt about the activities of ICPC harped on the need for the achievements of the Commission to be made public as a lot of people had the mindset that ICPC was not doing much. In his words: “The perception of ICPC not doing enough should be a thing of the past. With what I have seen, we want to contribute to the development of the Commission and eradicate wrong perceptions of ICPC.” Earlier in his remarks, while receiving the visitors, the ICPC Chairman had said that preventing corruption is a major objective of the mandate of the Commission which was also the thrust of what it was doing. Nta defined corruption as an “opportunistic crime since people tend to abuse opportunities which then lead them to engage in corruption” and therefore advocated the elimination of such opportunities. “ICPC is interested in the development and deployment of high Information and communication technology (ICT) in government processes to achieve success with greater ease. This will be the height of our prevention activities”, he said. The ICPC boss further explained to the lawmakers some preventive initiatives the Commission has institutionalised which have saved Nigeria a lot of money. According to him, some of the sectors that have benefitted from these initiatives include the Ports, Aviation and Education Sectors. On challenges, Mr. Nta said the Commission needs realistic funding for the war against corruption as corrupt persons are well off financially to fight back.

ICPC Declares Alexander Umeakpa Wanted

okon — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 10:37:15 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. ALEXANDER O. UMEAKPA, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Umeakpa is dark in complexion and was born on 10th May 1983 (33 years old). His last known address was No. 81, Lugbe Zone 8, Airport Road, Abuja, FCT. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Boss tells Civil Servants to take Anti-Corruption War Personal

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 10:32:32 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has charged civil servants in the country to take the fight against corruption as a personal challenge, so as to achieve zero tolerance for corruption in the operations of Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Mr. Nta, who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of ICPC, gave this charge to staff of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), during the inauguration and induction of the re-constituted Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Ministry. He told the newly-inaugurated ACTU members to approach their various assignments with all the seriousness required, while avoiding acts that may dent their image before their colleagues and the Management of the Ministry. The ICPC Chairman admonished the new members not to use the opportunity given to them to serve to engage in acts of witch-hunting other members of staff, or use it to challenge the position of Management in running the Ministry. He further stated that the Commission expected the full cooperation and support of all staff of the ministry by distancing themselves from all acts of corruption, and reporting such acts whenever they may manifest to the unit. Earlier in his address, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shehu M. U. Ahmed, said that ACTU in the Ministry was a tool that would enable individuals to join in the fight against corruption. Dr. Shehu who was represented by Director General Services, Mr. Isa Musa, stressed that ACTU was expected to assist the ministry in furthering the current administration’s anti-corruption campaign by creating awareness among members of staff on the ills of corruption. He also assured them of Management’s support to the unit in every way possible for it to succeed, while urging staff not to leave the anti-corruption fight for the ACTU members alone. Speaking on behalf of the members, the ACTU Chairman, Mr. Garba Yahaya, promised that the unit was totally committed to carrying out their duties with absolute integrity.

ICPC certifies 42 Corruption Risk Assessors

icpcuser — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 15:52:51 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has certified 42 Corruption Risk Assessors (CRA) with a view to empowering them to tackle corruption in private and public sectors. The 42 CRAs, drawn from the Civil Society Organisations, anti-corruption agencies including ICPC were certified following a rigorous one-month training on Corruption Risk Assessment at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN). ICPC Chairman, Ekpo Nta who presented certificates to the assessors at the end of the programme enjoined them to use the knowledge acquired to improve the corruption rating of Nigeria. Nta who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, said that ICPC in conjunction with development partners embarked on the training because of the importance of having a large army of anti-corruption agents in Nigeria. He emphasized importance of Corruption Risk Assessment , adding that the Commission was desirous of preventing corrupt acts by training more CRAs given that only 69 assessors had been trained before now. He said, “CRA is a critical aspect of the prevention mandate of ICPC as contained in its enabling law. By this, the law affirms the adage that prevention is better than cure. I wish to charge all of you not to waste this knowledge; you should put it into practice to better the fight against corruption.” Earlier, the Provost of the academy, Professor Sola Akinrinade, advised the assessors to be committed agents of anti-corruption while he urged them not to leave the fight against corruption in the hands of government alone. His words, “We know what corruption has done to our nation. We do not want the fight against corruption to be a passing thing. We want it to be systemic; it does not have to go with individual leaders. One of the certified assessors, Dr. Adeyeye Adewole, from a CSO, who spoke on his experience at the training academy lauded ICPC saying the training had put him in a better position to contribute to the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

ICPC Chairman Gets ICA Fellowship Award

icpcuser — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 15:34:17 +0000

NBA pledges to support ICPC Anti-Corruption fight

icpcuser — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 15:39:15 +0000

Autonomy, Panacea to Local Government Corruption – ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 15:43:30 +0000

Bauchi flags off anti-corruption campaign

icpcuser — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 15:49:58 +0000

ICPC calls for adequate funding of corruption cases

okon — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 10:05:42 +0000

ICPC Recovers Housing Contributions for Retiree

okon — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:32:51 +0000

As part of its effort to bring succor to weak and vulnerable Nigerians, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered the sum of N424, 857.12 which was the shortfall of payment of the housing contributions of a retiree, Dr. E. F. Odiah by Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). The recovery was premised on a petition received by the Commission titled: “Attempt to Defraud Me by Federal Mortgage Bank.” Dr. Odiah had in the petition he sent to the Commission alleged that FMBN had paid him the sum of N71, 566.76 against N530,000 being his contributions to the National Housing Fund from 1994-2013. The petitioner also alleged that despite several letters of complaints to FMBN, he could not find any redress and this prompted him to seek ICPC’s intervention. Acting on the said petition, the Commission embarked on a full scale investigation and directed FMBN to reconcile the petitioner’s account. The resultant reconciliation was able to establish a shortfall of N424, 857.12 on payments made to Dr. Odiah’s account. On account of this, FMBN subsequently paid the shortfall into the petitioner’s account.

We are winning the War against Corruption- ICPC Chairman

icpcuser — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 15:40:17 +0000

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)’s Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, has declared that the Federal Government is on course to winning the fight against corruption. Nta who appeared on the Tuesday Live programme of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) recently, noted that the anti-corruption fight of the government was not only succeeding in the areas of investigation and enforcement but that the Federal Government has also recorded great success in the areas of ethical value re-orientation. He said, “We have been focusing on the fight against corruption on the basis of enforcement and the country had come to equate the fight with investigation and enforcement. Of our own volition, we decided to join ethics and value re-orientation which must form the substance upon which we build any anti-corruption fight. In so short a time … we are winning the war against corruption and we must sustain it, because we are getting back on track.” The Chairman also lauded the Federal Government for the funds that were made available to the Commission, noting that ICPC had been enabled to carry out several of its financial obligations besides the normal payment of staff salaries. He also praised the civil society organizations for their support to the Commission over the years saying, “We have enjoyed lots of support from the citizens especially the civil society organisations and as for funding, we have moved away from just salaries to even capital projects.” The ICPC boss, who also called for the need to instill ethical values in Nigerian families as bedrock to attaining a corruption-free nation in the nearest future, lamented that children were no more being disciplined by the society as it used to be in the past. He decried situations where parents attack school authorities for correcting an errant child, adding that such actions would only allow unethical values to grow and fester in the lives of the children even when they become adults.

ICPC pledges to strengthen Public Institutions in Plateau State

okon — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 20:15:23 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has pledged to assist Plateau State with technical assistance in carrying out System Studies and Review of practices and procedures of its public institutions in order to reduce vulnerabilities, leakages and provide a platform for sustainable development in the State. This pledge was made by ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, while delivering a keynote address at the Plateau State Anti-Corruption Summit in Jos, Plateau State. Mr. Nta said "ICPC, under its mandate, has the capability of assisting Plateau State of Nigeria, and other states, in providing technical assistance in carrying out System Studies and Reviews of your systems, practices and procedures. This will help eradicate or reduce institutional vulnerabilities, leakages and misalignments of objectives." "ICPC firmly believes that if you strengthen your public institutions, it will automatically provide the platform for sustainable development, and governance and rule of law", he added. The ICPC Chairman stated that Plateau State could banish poverty and ignorance by putting in place an anti-corruption agenda that guarantees the promotion of integrity, transparency through exploring innovative solutions and new technologies, and that Plateau State could become a reference point in eradicating public sector corruption. In his speech, the Chief Host and Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong expressed happiness for the choice of Plateau State for the anti-corruption summit. The Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden said "The choice of Plateau State for the 'I Support the Fight against Corruption Campaign' is undoubtedly an open attestation to the fact that our commitment as a government on a rescue mission to the fight against corruption is real and beyond the rhetoric that has characterized the campaign in the past." "The summit is no doubt apt, because it seeks to strengthen the fight against corruption in Plateau State. The strategy is commendable, seeing that it calls the citizen's conscience to an action which he or she will personally sign for, not as a supporter, but as a prosecutor of the corruption war. People of conscience and conviction cannot afford not to stand up and be counted." Governor Lalong added. Earlier in an opening remark, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, the Provost of Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, ACAN, said he was pleased that the Plateau State Government had committed itself to joining the war against corruption as demonstrated in the convening of the summit. The Provost said: "We are looking forward to working with the Plateau State Government to train staff of various agencies of government in the state to be able to identify processes and conducts that are prone to corruption, and to build systems that promote integrity, transparency and accountability, with zero tolerance for corruption." Also speaking at the event, in goodwill messages, were the Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly and the Chief Judge of Plateau State. The Speaker of the House, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker of the House, commended the Commission for training Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly immediately after their inauguration. That training, he said, had given some direction to their oversight duties. The Chief Judge who was also represented by a High Court Judge, Yakubu Gyang Dakwak, urged the Commission to go after the proceeds of fraud rather than the people involved. He said “Go after the proceeds of fraud, not the people involved in fraud, people could go to jail and die, their children inherit the proceeds.”

ICPC Compels Company to Pay Staff N10.56m Salary Arrears

okon — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 15:15:59 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has compelled the management of Eagle View Concept, Limited, to pay N10.56 million backlog of salaries to its staff. Eagle View Concept, Limited, a security service company contracted by the moribund Nigeria Telecommunication (NITEL) was owing 141 staff members six months’ salary following the termination of their contract by NITEL. Some of the staff who wrote a petition to ICPC claimed that they were employed in 2011 to work as security men; however the company failed to pay them their monthly salaries for six months in 2013. In the course of investigation the Commission discovered that the accumulated arrears were due to the non-receipt of funds from NITEL by the company. Eagle View Concept Limited however received N13.5 million in August 2015 from NITEL following the intervention of ICPC, which has led it to pay 116 staff members the backlog of salaries. The company claimed that 25 staff members were left out of the payment because 20 of them did not meet the requirements for payment such as failing to supply Bank Verification Number (BVN) while 5 others were deceased and because of lack of information on their next-of-kin, the company could not process payment to their rightful beneficiaries.

G-To-G Initiative will reduce Public Service Corruption- Amb. Sheni

icpcuser — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 10:54:52 +0000

As part of the effort to reduce the menace of corruption in the Ministry of Defence, the government has introduced a Government- to- Government initiative also known as G-to-G in the procurement process. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, dropped this hint recently at an anti-corruption sensitization workshop organized by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the ministry for its senior staff. He said, the workshop was appropriate and timely especially now that, “ this administration is carrying out various reforms in the Federal Public Service to ensure prompt, accurate, efficient and effective delivery of quality services to the public, adding that ‘the public expects no less and the government certainly expects no less”. Amb. Sheni further said, “The change campaign has become necessary, especially for us in the Ministry of Defence, considering the not- too-long ago mind-boggling revelations in the public domain with regards to the procurement of arms. In addition, the Public Service has witnessed cases of corruption by officers which have created a bad image for it. ‘The good news however is that government, more than ever, is committed to reversing this trend in the procurement process for the Armed Forces. To this end, all categories of government procurements have now come under the G-to-G initiative with effect from this 2016 procurement exercise. The import of this is that it will ensure accountability, transparency and due process and real value for money”. According to him, “Strict adherence to the extant laws will not only regulate our attitude to work and relationship with the public but will go a long way to minimizing, if not eliminating the widespread occurrences of suppressing official records, false claims, delay of files, embezzlement, dishonesty in the course of discharging official duties, absenteeism without excuses, willful acts of omission and other general misconduct in the public sector”. In his welcome address, the Head of ACTU, Mr. Uche Arinze, revealed that the workshop was the first of its kind in the year, especially for the Management cadre, adding that the effects of corruption were far- reaching and could destroy the very existence of an organization or society. According to him, “Corruption comes in various forms, and to curb or eradicate it, there is need for preventive strategies”. He urged the participants to use the platform to interact and generate enduring ideals that would aid a sustainable systemic cleansing process. Two key officers of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mr. Bello Dauda of Administrative Department and Mr. Justin Kuatsea, of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) delivered sensitization papers on Corruption in the Workplace and Roll and Mandate of ACTU in the Fight Against Corruption respectively.

ICPC Witness testifies in Alleged N4m Salary Fraud Case

icpcuser — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 11:07:27 +0000

Hearing resumed in the case of an alleged N4million fraud involving Mohammed Alhassan Ndagi, an officer in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) before Justice Ajoke Adekoju, of the FCT High Court Wuse 2, Abuja. The accused, Mohammed Ndagi of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) unit in the OAGF is alleged to have sometime in April 2013, forged a Federal Ministry of Defence staff identity card for one Miss Otu Elizabeth Banku with intent to fraudulently open a salary account with Garki Micro Finance Bank while she was not an employee of the Ministry. He is also alleged to have paid a total sum of N4, 749,536.76(Four million Seven Hundred and Forty-Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty-Six Naira Seventy-Six Kobo), into the bank account No- 0069352110 of Bantu with Garki Micro Finance Bank as arrears of salaries, when she was not a staff of the Federal Ministry of Defence, thereby contravening Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. At the hearing, the defense counsel, Baba Mohammed, did not appear in court. ICPC prosecution counsel, Mr. Adesola Michael, during the examination-in-chief, led the ICPC witness, Mijinyawa Ado, an officer with IPPIS in the office of the AGF to tender a form he was examined on as evidence ‘A12’ in the case against Ndagi. The witness could not be cross-examined because of the absence of Ndagi`s defense counsel. The case has been adjourned to 6^th February, 2017 for continuation of hearing.

NBC Staff undergo Three Days Intensive Investigative Training at ACAN

icpcuser — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 11:10:22 +0000

In order to empower and improve the investigative capacity of staff of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the research and training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has conducted a three-day intensive training for senior investigative staff of the regulatory agency. In his welcome address, the Provost of ACAN, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, represented by Mr. Richard Bello, the Head of Programmes, said the training was part of the preventive mandate of the Commission. Prof. Akinrinade, expressed satisfaction with the calibre of participants and urged them to use the opportunity of the workshop and subsequent lectures to acquire the requisite knowledge so as to function creditably and efficiently in their monitoring and enforcement assignment for the NBC. Ten papers focusing on: Overview of Investigation; Investigation Techniques; Legal Principles of Investigation; Legal Significance of Evidence; How to give Evidence in Court; Care and Custody of Suspect and Compilation of Case File; Introduction to Surveillance and Selection of Personnel Communication and Surveillance Formation were delivered in the course of the training.. The papers were delivered by security experts picked from ICPC and the Police including a retired DIG, Barrister Hashimu Argungun. At the end of the day, the resource persons adequately responded to all questions, observations, contributions and enquiries from the participants, and they agreed that the workshop was timely and beneficial particularly in the area of investigative techniques and on how to give evidence in court, which would not only enhance, but perfect their performance in their various assignments. No fewer than 40 top investigative staff of the NBC attended the three-day training with another batch of the regulatory agency staff expected to attend the second phase of the workshop specifically designed by ACAN for the NBC. The climax of the event was the presentation of certificates to the participants after which in his vote of thanks, Mr. Olufemi Ayeni, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Department of NBC, commended the organisers as well as resource persons for being instrumental to the success of the programme, and asked for continuation of the collaboration between the two federal organizations.

ICPC Chairman advocates a Holistic Anti-Corruption Strategy for Education Sector

okon — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 11:34:54 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has charged officials of examination bodies and education stakeholders in the country to design a holistic anti-corruption strategy for the education sector. Mr. Nta, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, made this charge while addressing participants at an anti-corruption sensitization programme for stakeholders in the education sector at the ICPC headquarters, Abuja. The ICPC Chairman said that the Commission was very concerned about the various acts of corruption associated with the conduct of public examinations, adding that there had been a lot of petitions from both foreign and local sources concerning the malaise, and that the Commission had resolved to root out the problem. He told the participants who were drawn from WAEC, JAMB, NECO, NSCDC, the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian Police Force, Non-governmental organisations, National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), National Association of Parents Teachers Association (NAPTAN) etc. that the forum was not aimed at apportioning blames, but to find ways of eradicating the problem in order to improve the Nigerian public examinations system. Mr. Nta recalled that ICPC had carried out a similar exercise in the tertiary education sector in 2013, in partnership with the National Universities Commission (NUC), to address multiple corruption prone-processes in the sector, which had helped to solve the problem of illegal degree-awarding ‘mills’. According to him, many of such institutions were closed down while some of their sponsors were being prosecuted in court. Earlier in his welcome address, the Head of Education Department, ICPC, Mr. Geoffrey Anumve, emphasized the importance ICPC places on the education of children and youths in the country and explained that the programme was aimed at tackling the challenges of examination malpractice, academic dishonesty and such forms of corruption in the education sector in order to ensure that the country’s educational system was in line with internationally accepted best practices. He hoped that the participants would contribute meaningfully and actively towards the strengthening of the educational system for national progress. Also speaking at the event, the Chief Registrar of NABTEB, Prof. (Mrs.) Ifeoma Isiugo, noted that the Board had already begun to implement measures to help check examination malpractice. She listed some of the measures to include the use of bio-metrics/e-registration for candidates ; good sitting arrangement of 1.2 meters apart for candidates; appointment of credible and qualified supervisors, invigilators and examiners; involvement of credible custodians of examination materials e.g. banks and the police ; etc. Another stakeholder, Mr. Ike Onyechere, founder Exam Ethics Marshall International, an NGO, proposed that ICPC establish an examination malpractice desk in educational institutions and a task force as part of the solution to the problem.

DSS sting operation: Reps threaten arrest warrant against AGF Malami - Vanguard News

icpcuser — Fri, 25 Nov 2016 14:24:05 +0000

ICPC Spokesperson inducted as Member of NIPR

icpcuser — Fri, 25 Nov 2016 15:47:58 +0000

Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni, the Spokesperson for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department, has been inducted as an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). She got the distinctive honour after attending the Special Executive Membership Course (Master Class IX) of the Institute in Lagos. The NIPR, as a professional body of all qualified public relations practitioners in Nigeria is encouraging all spokespersons of government and private institutions to become members of the Institute so as to achieve its objective of the observance of high standards of professional and ethical practice among spokespersons.

ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta Bags Education Fellowship Award

icpcuser — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:12:33 +0000

Barr. Ekpo Nta, Chairman of ICPC receiving a Fellowship Award from Dr. (Mrs) Sally Bolujoko, National President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Nigeria for his immense contributions to the education sector.

This was at the 10th Annual National Conference ‎held in Abuja from November 23-24, 2016. Barr. Nta was a one-time Deputy National President of NAPPS.

AMAC ACTU receives New Lease of Life

icpcuser — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:44:27 +0000

In its continuing effort to entrench accountability and integrity in government ministries, departments and agencies, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has inaugurated the new members of the Anti Corruption Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). The Council’s ACTU had gone dormant due to the death of two of its members, while another one had left service. There, therefore, arose a need for it to be rejuvenated. Speaking at the event, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) said that the Commission was in AMAC to advise, instruct and direct the Council on the path of accountability and integrity. ‘ICPC is here to galvanize the Anti Corruption Transparency Unit of Abuja Municipal Area Council and add impetus to the efforts of eradicating corrupt practices in our public institutions of which Abuja Municipal Area Council is one’, he said. Mr. Nta further charged the management of the council to ensure that their systems, processes and manpower are not unduly exposed or enmeshed in corrupt tendencies. He advised the new members to ensure that the principles of integrity, accountability and transparency were the operating guidelines in AMAC. Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of AMAC, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu, said the values of ICPC were becoming known in all government ministries and departments through ACTU. Hon. Adamu charged the executive of the ACTU to always do the right thing while upholding the values of accountability and integrity. ‘Be up and doing. You may not be excellent but do all things possible to correct the ills of corruption to make our society a better place for even our children yet unborn’, he said. He encouraged the inaugurated members of ACTU to set their eagle eyes on the affairs of all departments for better service delivery. In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of ACTU, Mr. Attahiru Yakubu Ibrahim pledged to promote the values of accountability and integrity in AMAC.

British Government to Provide Forensic Equipment for ICPC

icpcuser — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 20:54:37 +0000

The British Government has offered to provide critical forensic equipment for the operations of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the training needs of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of ICPC. Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, made the revelation while declaring open a 4-week International Forensic Training Boot Camp for some staff of the Commission at ACAN conducted by the Canadian Institute of Learning. He added that the forensic equipment meant for the academy would be deployed for use by Nigerians. Speaking on the training boot camp, Mr. Nta also said that at the completion of the training programme, the trainees would be deployed to address online and computer-based corruption-prone operations in the country, especially in the banking and public service sectors in terms of e-banking and e-governance. The ICPC Chairman called on all participants to take the training seriously, adding that there would be no place in the ICPC of the future for any staff who was not computer literate. He expressed the desire to see personnel processes, such as recruitment and promotion examinations, in the wider public service conducted on electronic platforms Earlier, in his remarks, the course instructor, Mr. Samuel Amoah, who is also the President of the Canadian Institute of Learning, Brampton, said that he and his team were in Nigeria to give ICPC an “edge over the corrupt in the fight to rid the country of corruption.”

Nigerian Polytechnic sacks 13 lecturers, demotes 16 others for sexual harassment, extortion

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 09:01:04 +0000

Neglect of Indigenous Culture fosters Corruption - ICPC

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 09:04:37 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said that corruption has become a problem in Nigeria because of the neglect of local culture of integrity and dignity of labour. ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who spoke through the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, at the National Anti-Corruption Conference held at the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, lamented that Nigerians have become used to the filthy proceeds from the culture of corruption to the detriment of reward for hard work that was the norm in time past. Nta while speaking at the Conference which had the theme: ‘Culture of Corruption’, observed that it had become common for people and groups to rise in defence of persons indicted for corruption which is against the culture of integrity that our societies were known for. He said, “In a situation where groups or communal and professional bodies rise in defence of their kith and kin, and of course their colleagues respectively indulge the culture of corruption.” Earlier in his address, ACAN Provost, Professor Sola Akinrinade, mentioned that even though Nigeria’s rich local cultural heritage was replete with effective tools to combat corruption, there was no strong policy thrust to embed them in the fight against corruption. According to him, “Nigerian traditional cultures are also believed to contain elements that could serve as effective tools for dealing with corruption. In Nigeria, virtually every community had one traditional mechanism or the other for dealing with crimes, including stealing and betrayal of public trust while promoting transparency, integrity and accountability. ‘However, these ‘indigenous cultural anti-corruption practices’ have so far failed to find their way into the official domain. So far, anti-corruption policy-making has largely ignored consideration of cultural values, and practices as well as popular culture in developing official responses and legislations.” Professor Akinrinade concluded that a draft policy document on culture and corruption would be forwarded to the government for inclusion into the anti-corruption policy framework for effective implementation and results.

ICPC enhances ACTU Effectiveness with Peer Review Strategy

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 09:07:56 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has organised a Service Wide Sensitisation and Peer Review Meeting for members of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Units (ACTUs) in government establishments nationwide to enhance their effectiveness. The Peer Review Meeting, aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of ACTUs was organised with the support of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and Justice For All (J4A), a programme of Department for International Development (DFID) for Governance, Justice and Anti-corruption. Speaking on the importance of ACTUs in the fight against corruption, the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office (OHCSF), Mrs. Nuratu Batagarawa said, “ICPC established ACTUs in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to tackle corruption in civil service through the preventive approach and the institutionalisation of a culture of transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business”. Mrs. Batagarawa further said that because of the role of ACTUs in MDAs, a caucus stakeholders meeting was convened recently by Civil Service Transformation Department, ICPC, Federal Ministry of Justice and J4A to review the status of ACTUs in MDAs, their state of effectiveness and how to move the units forward. She explained that after extensive deliberations at the meeting, it was agreed that some of the actions that would strengthen ACTUs include: creating a budget line for ACTUs in MDAs annual budget while a circular with the attachment of revised template of Quarterly Reporting and ICPC Standing Order should be issued and sent to permanent secretaries and heads of agencies to remind them of ensuring the representation of ACTUs on relevant disciplinary, administrative and procurement committees in the civil service for improved transparency. In her opinion, “It is a known fact that the present administration has the fight against corruption as one of its main pillars, hence, ACTUs are a veritable tool that must be recognised and empowered to work efficiently in the anti-corruption campaign”. She pledged the commitment of her office towards the success of ACTUs through collaboration with ICPC and J4A, adding that steps had been taken to implement the agreements reached at the stakeholders meeting to enhance the functions of ACTUs. In his remarks, the representative of the Chairman of ICPC and Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), Mr. Akeem Lawal, said the aim of the event was to further strengthen ACTUs and make them more effective. According to him, “ACTUs are meant to be agents of change in their organisations. Enough tools have been developed to ensure your effectiveness, make use of it”. Mr. Lawal urged members of ACTUs to always ensure that ICPC had information on developments within their organisation and should also complement efforts geared towards sensitising their agencies. Speaking at the occasion, the Director, Civil Service Transformation Department (OHCSF), Mr. Gabriel Aduda said peer review for ACTUs would be organised quarterly from next year. Aduda explained that the essence of the peer review was to share knowledge and experiences among ACTUs and that, it would bring them to management attention since it would be hosted rotationally among the MDAs which would require the attendance of the head of hosting organisation. He also said that communiqués from the peer review meetings would be presented by the Permanent Secretary of Service Policies and Strategies Office (OHCSF) at the monthly Perm Sec meetings which would further assist the acceptance of ACTUs by heads of agencies. Mr. Aduda emphasised that administrative part of the reports by ACTUs should be submitted to OHCSF and concluded that the knowledge of members of ACTUs would be enriched by the peer review exercise.

Corruption will take away Your Jobs – ICPC Chairman Warns Aviation Workers

icpcuser — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 10:52:21 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, urged workers in the nation’s aviation sector to shun corruption so as to remain on their jobs. Nta, who made the call during the official presentation of the report of the Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) conducted in the aviation sector by the Commission, tasked aviation workers, especially those at the airports, to kick-out corruption from the sector. He said corruption was a terrible menace in the sector and that the Commission was poised to bring the full weight of its powers to bear on officials who engage in it. He said, “Each and every one of us has a serious role to play regarding dealing with corruption at the airports. We can prevent future mishaps in our air transportation by being proactive and transparent rather than being negligent and losing our job because of corruption.” The CRA was a risk assessment conducted by ICPC in collaboration with the Ministry of Aviation and some aviation stakeholders at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in 2015 with a view to identifying corruption loopholes and coming up with solutions to plug them. The report exposed entrenched corruption being perpetrated by government officials at the airports thereby painting Nigeria in a bad light. For example, some of the findings indicated that touting and extortion had assumed a worrying dimension, a fact which had come to light in an earlier sting operation by ICPC during an outward clearance of an Emirates flight at the MMIA leading to the arrest of officials of some government agencies. Happily, the situation has now changed as the ICPC Chairman announced that such practices have been reduced following the intervention of the Commission. Earlier, the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, who was represented by Mrs. C.N Chukwu, assured the Commission that government was determined to implement the recommendations made in the report. He added, “We thank ICPC for the report. It is a very well-done job. It will be used by the Federal Government as a guide to the cleaning-up project of the aviation sector.”

Make E-Governance Platforms more Secure, ICPC Chairman Tasks Stakeholders

icpcuser — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 07:54:49 +0000

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has charged stakeholders operating e-Governance platforms such as the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) and the Government Integrated Financial Management Information system (GIFMIS) to draw-up integrity plans that will improve the safety and security of the platforms in Nigeria. Mr. Nta made this charge at the Stakeholders’ Meeting on Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) of Nigeria’s e-Governance System organized by ICPC for organisations such as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Office of the Head of Service of the Federation; Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) among other government establishments; selected commercial banks; and Galaxy Backbone, an information technology company. The meeting was organised in collaboration with other anti-corruption stakeholders with support from European Union (EU) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The ICPC Chairman said: “Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA), a strong corruption prevention tool, should be carried out to check vulnerable areas of corruption in systems, procedures and programmes of any institution so as to block any breathing areas of corruption.” He added that with the change from manual to e-payment platforms initiated by the Federal Government there was a great expectation for the reduction of corruption in payment systems in Nigeria. He announced that pursuant to the Federal Government’s effort to entrench transparency and accountability in governance, the CRA in e-governance would be conducted by ICPC and other stakeholders to enhance the efficiency of the nation’s public expenditure systems. Mr. Nta solicited the support of other anti-corruption agencies to achieve success in carrying out the risk assessment of the electronic platforms of government such as the Treasury Single Account (TSA), GIFMIS and IPPIS. In her presentation at the meeting, the ICPC Spokesperson, Mrs. R.A. Okoduwa, mni highlighted some of the loopholes discovered by the Commission when it conducted CRA exercise in Ports and Aviation sectors. Regarding some weaknesses discovered by ICPC in Ports sector, Mrs. Okoduwa explained that the Commission had developed and recommended a Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) document which was launched by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in June 2016. This, she added, would lead to the reduction of corruption in that sector. Okoduwa also said that the Commission discovered the absence of a Code of Conduct, any internal control mechanisms and ineffective complaints handling system. As a result, a Code of Conduct and an e-Portal system were developed to mitigate corruption in the operating procedures of the sector. She solicited commitment of stakeholders for stronger synergy to achieve a common goal of corruption prevention in government financial systems. In her remarks, the UNODC representative in Nigeria, Cristina Albertin, commended ICPC’s effort in ensuring that corruption is prevented in systems of governance in Nigeria. In her words: “Corruption Risk Assessments are formidable prevention anti-corruption tools, because their results provide invaluable information useful for the development and implementation of policies and measures targeted at reducing opportunities for corrupt activities. “

ICPC recovers 40 Official Vehicles carted away by Retiring Civil Servants

icpcuser — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 08:48:10 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has revealed that some civil servants with the Ministry of Water Resources had made away with 40 official vehicles belonging to the ministry which were later recovered by the Commission. Mr. Abbia Udofia, who represented the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, at the International Anti-Corruption Day celebrations in Abuja, made the revelation during a panel discussion on “Reducing Impunity: Recovery of Proceeds of Crime for Sustainable Development.” Mr. Udofia said that 16 of the officers had on retirement gone home with 27 vehicles attached to their offices, while another who was still in active service commandeered 13 for himself. The Chairman’s representative also added that when the matter was reported to ICPC, the Commission swung into action and recovered the vehicles. He further told the audience that the suspects were arrested and that when investigations were completed they would be charged to court. Mr. Udofia lamented that with such officers, it would be difficult to achieve sustainable development as all of government’s good intentions would be undermined by their actions. He held strongly that the way to doing away with impunity was “by putting in place systems, procedures and practices that will prevent corruption.” Earlier in his keynote address, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said that for Nigeria as a nation to succeed in the fight against corruption, Nigerians must make transparency and accountability the way of doing business. Dr. Fayemi also said that proactive efforts should be sustained to make Corruption Risk Assessment and implementation of remedial and integrity plans a culture with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The Minister also called for adequate funding of anti-corruption agencies. In his words, “The anti-corruption and accountability institutions have to be adequately equipped with adequate financial and human resources. This will enable them to stay one step ahead of the corrupt that are sparing no efforts to devise new ways of looting our common resources.” He added that “appropriate funding of these agencies will serve as a strong demonstration of political will by the government to fight corruption.” Dr. Fayemi also pointed out that there must be leadership by example, “The highly-placed must show example by following due process and avoiding impunity.” Country representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cristina Albertin, in her goodwill message said that people from all walks of life must all unite to end corruption. Albertin said “Corruption is a direct threat to infrastructure investment; it does not discriminate but impacts rich and poor countries alike. And it isn’t any other that suffers the most than the weak. If we do not unite to successfully eliminate corruption, we risk economic growth being slowed and prosperity hindered.” Deputy Chief of Missions at the United States Embassy, Mr. David Young, in a goodwill message said that corruption was a cancer that affects countries all around the world, therefore, creating the need for all to join in the fight against the scourge. Mr. Young added that “By reducing corruption, we pave way for a better future for our children.” In the same vein, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Michel Arrion, who was represented by Richard Young, said that the International Anti-Corruption Day affords everyone the opportunity to restate their commitment in the fight against corruption. Arrion said that corruption was the biggest impediment to achieving sustainable development goals. He called on all Nigerians to be involved in the fight against corruption. The event also witnessed the unveiling of the report of the Pilot Corruption Risk Assessment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-Related MDAs of Water, Health and Education.

ICPC’S Intervention Stops Exploitation of Students

icpcuser — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 15:45:00 +0000

952 fresh undergraduates of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta who alleged exploitation by the school authority to the tune of N4,760,000 have been refunded their money. The refund which was as a result of the intervention of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was facilitated by a petition by one of the students of the school who alleged that fresh undergraduates were made to pay additional N5,000 as fee for ICT Training despite paying N2,500 earlier for the same training. Upon receipt of the petition, the operatives of the Commission swung into action and investigations revealed that indeed the students were levied twice for the same training. The Commission, after bringing the issue to the attention of the management of the University, directed them to resolve it within a stipulated period. Following that directive, the affected students were requested by the school to provide evidence of payment of the said N5, 000 to the college accountants to facilitate a refund. Random telephone calls to some of the students by the Commission confirmed the refund.

ICPC Gets 10 New Forensic Experts

okon — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 08:40:40 +0000

10 members of staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have graduated as digital forensic experts. The members of staff picked from Computer and Forensic Unit and selected departments of the Commission, were trained on basic and advanced digital forensics by a team of consultants from the Canadian Institute of Learning at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN). During the graduation ceremony held at the Commission’s auditorium recently, the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Ekpo Nta, stated that the staff were trained by some of the best in the industry and have been equipped to work on any electronic platform in the world. Nta advised the officers not to use the newly acquired knowledge to the detriment of the Commission and their colleagues. Mr. Samuel Amoah, the course instructor, who is also the President of the Institute, said the graduating staff gave a good account of themselves from the start of the training to the end. Amoah assured the readiness of the officers to work in the forensic field and urged them to make integrity their watch word. The participants were later issued two certificates; one in Basic Digital Forensic Training and the other in Advanced Digital Forensic Training.

ICPC Hands Over Recovered Vehicles to Ministry of Water Resources

okon — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 10:44:18 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has handed over 40 vehicles it has recovered to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. The vehicles which consist of 14 SUVs, 14 Hilux Pick Up Vans, 3 Toyota Avensis, 7 Toyota Corolla, 1 Toyota Camry and 1 Audi A6, were recovered in 2016 by the Commission from some retired public servants at directorate cadre of the ministry. At the handing over ceremony, the Commission’s Chairman represented by Honourable Member, Alhaji Bako Abdullahi, expressed displeasure at how the vehicles were carted away dishonestly by retiring public servants, saying that “the event should not just be for the handing-over of recovered vehicles from an anti-corruption agency to another public institution. Rather, it should be a moment of solemn reflection on our avowed commitment to public service and the thought processes of the public servants going into retirement.” “It is not much that official vehicles of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources were dishonestly made away with by retiring public servants. However, what is more significant is the need to ask some questions and consistently interrogate how 40 government vehicles were removed without authorization”, he added. He stated that, the fight against corruption was not all about nailing down those who dishonestly enrich themselves through government properties, but much more in blocking the loopholes that allowed corruption to thrive in our systems. Receiving the vehicles on behalf of the Honourable Minister, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta mni, commended ICPC’s due diligence and commitment to its mandate which has led to the successful recovery of the ministry’s operational vehicles. According to her, “One of the challenges I met on ground when I resumed office was lack of operational vehicles, which I learned were carted away by retired officials of the ministry, adding that nobody has the right to retain any government’s property, a day after his or her retirement. The Permanent Secretary said, she wrote to those involved to return the vehicles to the ministry’s pools but they did not respond. “I was glad when I heard later that ICPC was handling the matter and was tracking the vehicles” When asked how the vehicles would be put to use, Mrs. Jimeta, mni said she would make sure all the vehicles were returned to the ministry’s pools and used for operational purposes, adding that mechanisms would be put in place to ensure occurrences that led to the vehicles being brought to ICPC did not happen again. The very elated Permanent Secretary concluded by saying “It is with great joy, I commend ICPC for this great intervention that recovered 40 vehicles for the ministry, I believe that this achievement will mark the beginning of our relationship in ensuring corruption is curbed in Nigeria.”

ACTU is Entrenching Transparency in MDAs – ICPC Chairman

okon — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 11:06:45 +0000

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has said that the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) in Government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were set up to entrench transparency and accountability in the public sector. Mr. Nta, made the remark through Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of ICPC, at the inauguration of ACTU of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). The chairman maintained that ACTU - one of the initiatives the Commission, would help to combat corrupt practices in the public service. According to him, “The unit is an institutional ethics and anti-corruption instrument which ICPC under its preventive mandate established in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in 2001, to serve as an in-house check mechanism within MDAs.” Mr. Nta added that the mission of FHA which was to promote housing delivery for sustainable settlements as a catalyst for socio-economic development in Nigeria could not be realized if the institution was not fully poised to provide transparent and accountable service and its operatives seen to be above board at all times. He therefore charged the new members of ACTU not to use their position to witch-hunt their colleagues and the management but to work in harmony towards a corruption-free FHA. He also advised the management to give the unit unalloyed support in order to realise the lofty goal of positioning it on the path of assisting in removing all vestiges of corruption wherever they exist in the agency. Earlier in his remarks, the MD/CEO of FHA, Prof. Mohammed Al-Amin, expressed optimism that the establishment of ACTU in the agency would help the staff perform their statutory duties in line with international best practice. “ACTU is a structure set up by ICPC in all MDAs to do checks and balances just like the Commission is doing in the larger font,” he stated. Professor Al-Amin further enlightened all the participants on some of the anti-corruption measures he has put in place in the FHA. For instance, he said his insistence on proper documentation has led to fewer cases of missing files. He also charged the newly inaugurated ACTU members to cut down on their lifestyles to avoid unnecessary temptations. In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the newly inaugurated ACTU, Mr. Humprey Ukeh, said that together with his team they would be objective and firm in carrying out their duties even as they hit the ground running.

Forgery: Suspect Challenges ICPC’s Jurisdiction to Prosecute Him

icpcuser — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 16:01:59 +0000

An accused person, Olakunle Bamidele Heritage, who is standing trial on allegations bordering on forgery, illegal possession of fake documents and making false statement, has challenged the jurisdiction of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to prosecute him. This scenario played out at a resumed hearing recently at the FCT High Court 2, Maitama, Abuja, when counsel to ICPC announced his readiness to proceed with the case and sought the relief of the court to tender an application seeking to withdraw the earlier charges and substitute them. In a counter motion, the defence counsel informed the court that they had an application for preliminary objection, challenging the validity of the entire suit. In a swift reaction, ICPC’s lead counsel, whose argument was premised on Section 396, Sub-section 2 of the Administration of Criminal Justice System (ACJS), opposed the preliminary objection, saying it was too premature for the defence counsel to come up with such an issue at that point in time. He further averred that the preliminary objection was a deliberate ploy to delay the trial and therefore prayed the court not to entertain it. Also, relying on the same section of the ACJS, counsel to the accused person, stated that the issue of his application being premature did not arise, as the court did not even have business in the first instance to entertain the case, citing a plethora of Supreme Court cases. Since the castle of jurisdiction was the structure built around their argument, the trial judge having listened carefully to the submissions of both parties, adjourned till 20^th February, 2017 for ruling. It should be recalled that the accused had earlier been charged before Honourable Justice Salisu Garba of the above court for actions which contravened Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, where he pleaded not guilty.

ICPC to Partner with NHIS in the Fight Against Corruption

okon — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 15:00:31 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has expressed its willingness to partner with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to reduce the menace of corruption in the nation’s health sector. The Chairman of the Commission Mr. Ekpo Nta, represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, disclosed this during a courtesy visit of the Executive Secretary, NHIS, Professor Usman Yusuf and his management staff to ICPC. Mr. Nta stated that the Commission was ready to collaborate with NHIS to achieve its mandate of health service delivery through systems study and constant evaluation of the agency. He further expressed satisfaction with the analysis of the problems facing the scheme as enumerated by the Executive Secretary in order to proffer solutions to them, saying it was a wise decision. Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Secretary NHIS had solicited for the support of ICPC in the fight against corruption in the Scheme. According to him, his willingness to rid his agency of corruption was the driving force behind his visit to the Commission to partner with ICPC.

We Are Interested in Building Institutional Capacities – ICPC Chairman

okon — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 15:03:23 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has reiterated the Commission’s commitment in building institutional capacities to reduce system-prone corruption. Mr. Nta made this known while welcoming some management staff of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPM) who paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The ICPC boss maintained that the Commission, in line with its preventive mandate, was not into demonising any organisation but rather looking into systems and procedures aimed at offering advice on how to curb the loopholes in such systems. He expressed optimism on the relationship between the Commission and NSPM while describing the latter as “a very strong arm of warfare against corruption”. Mr. Nta also proposed to the management team of NSPM to expand their scope to checkmate the indiscriminate printing of certificates especially Medical Leave Certificates, saying that some fraudulent persons usually cause the country a lot of embarrassment in foreign lands whenever they present fake ones. In his remarks, the MD/CEO, NSPM, Mr. Joseph Ugbo, expressed hope for a sustained relationship with the Commission. Although the MD noted that the duty of NSPM as a production company ends at production, he explained that with the upgrades of the security features of documents, it could help check the activities of those engaged in printing fake documents.

ICPC, Hope of the Hopeless ….recovers N3.3m Death Benefits for Widower

icpcuser — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 08:34:39 +0000

A petitioner, Simeon Nnadi, has described the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as “the hope of the hopeless” when it comes to providing redress for weak and voiceless citizens who are deprived of their entitlements by public and private establishments due to corruption or bureaucratic bottlenecks. Mr. Nnadi had petitioned the Commission in relation to his late wife Mrs. Maria Okeawolam Nnadi’s outstanding entitlements, who until her death, was a staff of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) under the Health and Human Services Secretariat. His prayer was for the Commission to help him recover the variation of his wife’s promotion allowance which accrued from October, 2011 to December, 2012. However, after her demise, her employer had held on to the balance of her entitlement. All efforts made by her husband to get them to release the money proved abortive which led him to run to ICPC for intervention. Upon receipt of the petition, ICPC immediately commenced investigation and the outcome revealed that the late Mrs. Nnadi’s contributory pension from August to December, 2006 was not paid to her and also the variation in her contributory pension for the new level she was promoted to was not remitted amongst others. Following ICPC’s involvement, the first payment of N324, 290.56 was made to her husband. A month later, the balance of N2, 752, 880.33 which was being held by her insurance companies (Goldlink, Zenith, Capital Express and Leadway) was also released. In his appreciation letter to the Commission, Mr. Nnadi, commended ICPC for the professionalism it displayed in handling the matter. The letter reads in part,”This achievement was made possible by the professionalism, timeliness, selflessness and the zeal for a corruption-free nation shown by your wonderful officers who investigated the case. ‘You restored hope when all hope was lost. I am deeply indebted and I humbly pray for God’s guidance, strength and wisdom for you to lead this noble Commission to a greater height.”

ICPC’s Case against Civil Servant stalled by Suspect’s Absence in Court

okon — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:07:22 +0000

The on-going trial of Oluwole Fayiga, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja has been stalled owing to the absence of both the accused and his counsel in court for trial within trial before Justice Salisu Garba of the FCT High Court No.2, Maitama Abuja. The accused person, Fayiga, had been arraigned on a 13-count charge in August 2016 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for conspiracy to commit offences contrary to the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. His co-accused person, Adebajo Olalekan, could not be arraigned because he was at large. Fayiga had pleaded not guilty on all the counts and was granted bail by the court. Part of the charge on which he was arraigned reads: ‘’That you Oluwole Fayiga and Adebajo Olalekan (at large) sometime in December 2014 at Abuja Judicial Division did conspire with yourselves to wit: to knowingly give to a staff of Union Bank documents required for the opening of an account by the bank to open an account in the name of Bashorun Toluwashe Adebola knowing the documents to be false and intended to mislead the bank thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) (c) and punishable under Section 17(1) (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000’’. Fayiga, was also charged for allegedly forging documents of the Federal Government of Nigeria which include; Employee pay slips; Official Gazette of New Appointments; Official Gazette Confirmation of Appointments; Federal Ministry of Health’s Department of Human Resources Letter of Introduction/Confirmation of Employment; National Identity Management System; National Identification Number Slip; Federal Ministry of Health Identity Card in respect of Ajayi Olubukola Anthonia to obtain the sum of N445,000 as loan from Credit Direct Limited, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code. At the renewed hearing of the matter, ICPC’s Prosecution Counsel, Iliya Ashom, told the court that at a subsequent hearing after the arraignment, the accused person’s bail was revoked and that since then he had been evading arrest. The matter has been adjourned to 14th March, 2017 for continuation of hearing.

Graft: Judge’s Absence Stalls Trial of Community Development Association Chairman, 2 Others

icpcuser — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 13:58:38 +0000

The absence of Honourable Justice O.A. Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, has stalled the commencement of the trial of Mr. Adegunwa Oshinubi, a former Chairman of Ogunbiyi Community Development Association (Computer Village), Ikeja, Lagos and two other members of the association, Mrs. Mopelola Ogunajo and Mr. Adesanya Adelaja. Mr. Oshinubi and his accomplices had earlier been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 4-count charge bordering on abuse of office, gratification and making false statement under oath. The accused, in a charge No: ID/2187/c/2012, was alleged to have received a Zenith Bank cheque in the sum of N1,000,000:00 in his name while being the Chairman of Ogunbiyi Community Development Association from one Engr. Aderibigbe Adewale of T & K Global Services Ltd who represented LG Mobile in the signage contract with the said association. Their action is contrary to and punishable under Sections 19 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The accused persons, if found guilty, shall on conviction be liable to five (5) years imprisonment without any option of fine. After a ‘not guilty plea’ by the accused during the arraignment, the matter was slated for 24^th January, 2017, for commencement of trial but did not hold due to the trial judge’s other engagements. The new date for the commencement of trial is now fixed for 9^th March, 2017.

Money for Job Scam: ICPC Witness Testifies Against Accused

icpcuser — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 11:03:26 +0000

‘I and many others have given her different sums of money at different times either in cash, or through cash deposits into her bank account for the purpose of securing employment for my son with the Nigerian Prisons Service.’ This was the testimony of Prosecution Witness 2 (PW2) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) at a resumed hearing in a case involving one Hassana Danladi of Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) who was standing trial for alleged job racketeering. The PW2, while being cross-examined, stated that she was introduced to Danladi by one Pastor Yakubu Wambai to help her son secure a job with the Prisons Service, who said that the accused had already helped his daughter in that regard. The PW2 further told the court how she and a few other unsuspecting job-seekers had paid large sums of money to the accused without gaining any employment. Sensing that the entire process was a scam, she quickly ran to ICPC to lodge a complaint which the Commission investigated. After the investigation, the defendant in a charge No: FCT/HC/CR/55/2015, had been arraigned on a 9-count charge before Honourable Justice C.U. Ndukwe of FCT High Court 37, Kuje, for violating Section 10 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which proscribes corrupt demand or receipt of any benefit by a public officer in the discharge of their official duties. This section of the ICPC law also stipulates that any public officer, who engages in the aforementioned act, shall be guilty of an offence of official corruption and shall on conviction be liable to seven (7) years imprisonment. The accused person had pleaded not guilty to all the charges and that set the tone for the trial to commence. After the testimony of PW2, the judge adjourned the case to 15^th March, 2017, to enable ICPC present more witnesses.

First ICPC Chairman’s Media Parley 2017 holds

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 14:38:17 +0000

For an improved and robust relationship with the media, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) hosted the cream of Nigerian media at the Commission’s headquarters recently. Addressing journalists at the event tagged “ICPC Chairman’s Media Parley”, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta said “Corruption is a global and cross-border problem that has far-reaching consequences on nations and societies and Nigeria is not an exception”. He argued that in order to reduce corruption, Nigerians must realise the importance of curbing opportunities that lead to corrupt activities in the society, and that the media had a crucial role to play in this regard. Nta further said that, although the Commission would continue to bring the full weight of the law against corrupt persons, ICPC would not fail to vigorously pursue public enlightenment through the media, while undertaking systems reform to deliberately and consciously shut the door against illicit activities of corrupt persons. The ICPC boss revealed that in 2016, the Commission made a recovery of N8.7 billion from multiple sources while a total of 124 vehicles were recovered from officials of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (Sure-P) and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. Out of the 124 vehicles, 40 had been handed over to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. Also in 2016, the Commission filed 70 cases in court, secured 11 convictions and still has 303 on-going cases. Nta told the journalists that ICPC’s preventive mandate led to collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Shippers Council and the introduction of various measures to curb corrupt practices in the operations of Nigerians ports. He added that the Commission had carried out system study and review exercises in several government establishments to put in place integrity measures that would help curb corruption while the number of Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with Anti-corruption and Transparency Monitoring Units (ACTUs) (a unit that serve as watchdog for ICPC) has risen to 427. Ethics and Integrity Compliance Score-card was also developed to encourage accountability and transparency in the conduct of business in the public sector, Mr. Nta also revealed. Besides reeling out the achievements of the Commission in 2016, the Chairman used the opportunity to introduce the Director of Public Enlightenment, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, mni, as the Spokesperson for the Commission. He encouraged the journalists to always seek clarifications from authentic sources rather than depend on speculations or unverified sources of news. The Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, who was also at the event said the Media Parley was necessary because “the business of combating corruption is the business of everyone and by everyone”. Oglafa maintained that the media was viewed as the fourth estate of the realm because of the critical role they play as agents of social justice in the society. He also said that, the media was saddled with the duty of informing the public of government policies as they affect the society in addition to being “a powerful medium to inspire the general public towards constructive change on a consistent basis”. In his conclusion, the Secretary to the Commission noted that the significance of ICPC’s parley with the media could not be over-emphasised because “It allows the Media to share in the anti-corruption vision of the Commission through knowledge-sharing”. In her vote of thanks, the Spokesperson for ICPC and Director of Public Enlightenment, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, mni, appreciated all the media houses represented for honouring the invitation of the Commission, and added that ICPC looked forward to a robust relationship with the media. Apart from media personalities, others who were part of the event included; Honourable Member of the Commission, Alhaji Abdulahi Bako; Head of Investigation Department, Mr. Kayode Adedayo; Head of Administration Department, Mr. Gad Bako; and other top management staff of ICPC. Click here to download full speech Click here to download Powerpoint slides

ICPC Headquarters SERVICOM Officers undergo Training

okon — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 15:56:40 +0000

No fewer than 15 officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), have begun a 3-Day intensive in-house training for Ministerial and Departmental SERVICOM officers at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. At the opening ceremony of the training exercise, the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, in his address, advised the participants to use the opportunity of the training to improve on the job given to them as SERVICOM officers. Mr. Nta also said he believed that SERVICOM would have little or no work to do in ICPC because the organizational structure of the Commission was already in line with the requirements of SERVICOM, adding that ICPC was 100 percent SERVICOM- compliant in terms of dedication, teamwork, integrity and commitment to duty. The ICPC boss further called for a change of orientation by all staff to present reality, alluding to the fact that the present administration required service delivery for national development. At the end of the opening ceremony, the Commission’s Chairman was decorated with a SERVICOM badge by the Acting. National Coordinator of SERVICOM Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli. Speaking at the occasion, Mrs. Akajemeli, attributed the growing trend of corruption to lack of service delivery. She added that, if every unit and department would truly serve and do the right thing, nobody would bribe for services. She thanked the management of ICPC for organizing the programme, describing it as apt and consistent with the change mantra of the present administration. The National Coordinator also lauded the SERVICOM unit of ICPC and charged them to be exemplary in service delivery in the Commission. She urged the participants to put into practice what they would learn, and also be better agents of change in order to rid the nation of corruption.

ICPC Declares David Kennedy Peter Wanted

okon — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 10:05:29 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. DAVID KENNEDY PETER, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on fraud. Mr. David, an indigene of Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, is dark in complexion and was born on 31st December 1986 (30 years old). His last known address was No. 55 Ifite Road, Awka, Anambra State. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department.

Absence of Trial Judge Stalls Case of TETFUND Official

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 11:57:21 +0000

The trial of an Assistant Chief Programmer/Analyst with Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Mr. Ahmed Yusuf Babangida, who was charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly collecting double emoluments from the Federal Government of Nigeria, was stalled due to absence of the trial judge. Babangida was charged before Justice Valentine Ashi of High Court No.29 of the Federal Capital Territory, Apo Abuja on allegation of fraudulent and corrupt receipt of double emoluments simultaneously from two government establishments. The accused person was alleged to have simultaneously collected the emoluments as a staff of TETFUND and the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN). Earlier in the course of the trial, ICPC Counsel, Gogodaye West had led three witnesses to testify in court concerning the case and the matter was adjourned to 2^nd February, 2017. However, when the matter came up in court for continuation of hearing of the testimonies of prosecution witnesses on the adjourned date, the trial Judge, Justice Ashi was unable to sit due to an engagement elsewhere. The matter was adjourned to 27^thMarch, 2017 for continuation of hearing.

ICPC Chairman Commends PCC’s Handling of Citizens’ Complaints

okon — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 12:23:06 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has commended the management of Public Complaints Commission (PCC) for its role in redressing complaints of aggrieved citizens. Mr. Nta, who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), gave the commendation recently at the inauguration of the new members of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of PCC in Abuja. The ICPC boss explained that he had received reports from citizens concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of PCC in solving problems of Nigerians who had brought complaints of having been wronged or victimized by the actions or policies of public institutions. Speaking on the need for ACTU, he said it was initiated by ICPC to help in the fight against corruption in the country, declaring that “…the war against corruption would be more effective with the involvement of all Nigerians”. In his words: “This Commission has contributed in several ways to guiding the country towards meeting her commitments to democracy, rule of law, and above all, human dignity, especially in the area of redressing complaints emanating from those who are either wronged or victimized”. The ICPC Chairman enjoined the newly inaugurated members to be sincere and dedicated in their duties; and gear up to the demands of their responsibilities. He also tasked the management of PCC to give full support to the Unit, noting that with their combined commitment and diligence towards enthroning transparency, they would go a long way in sanitizing their own “corner of the country”. In his remarks, the Chief Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, Chief Emmanuel Ogbile, who was represented by the Coordinating Director, Mr. Mohammed Abba Aliyu, expressed joy at the inauguration of the Unit and said that it would provide checks for all other units of the Commission. He assured ICPC that the management of PCC would provide all the support the Unit would need to function effectively and efficiently. In her acceptance speech, the new ACTU Chairman, Mrs. Helen Yusuf, promised that she and her fellow ACTU members would do their best to live up to expectations in the performance of their duties, while declaring that the Unit would not witch-hunt or victimize anyone.

ICPC Declares Mr. Kubiat Jones Wanted

okon — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:26:23 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. KUBIAT JONES, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Jones, an indigene of Rivers State, is dark in complexion and was born on 2nd March 1968 (48 years old). He is currently the Managing Director of Petroline Global Solution and Turner Construction Ltd. His last known addresses were No. 19 Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; 2 Market Lane, Rumumasi, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and No. 25, Parakou Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, FCT. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

IACA's Master in Anti-Corruption Studies (MACS) Earns Global Recognition

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 08:35:47 +0000

International Anti-Corruption Academy's Master in Anti-Corruption Studies (MACS), accredited under the EU's Bologna system, has (once again) been recognized by the Indian Government for a select and exclusive list along with long-term programmes offered by just five of the world’s leading universities: Harvard, Oxford, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Cambridge. I am thus most thankful to IACA’s staff, faculty, experts, visiting faculty, donors, and students for having gained (and maintained) this prestigious place of academic company! On a similar note, IACA was also once more recognized in December by the UN’s General Assembly in a resolution (A/RES/71/208; not published yet), when it reads in its op 65: “Welcomes the work of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, a centre of excellence for education, training and academic research in the anti-corruption field, including in the area of asset recovery, and looks forward to its continued efforts in this regard to promote the goals and implementation of the Convention [UNCAC]“. Here our expression of gratitude is extended also to all constituency members, supporters, and friends. With kind personal regards, Martin Kreutner Dean & Executive Secretary, IACA

How Operators Of Unapproved Private Varsities Rip Off Desperate Admission Seekers - ICiR

icpcuser — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 09:23:20 +0000

Poor funding of ICPC, Others Worries Senate

icpcuser — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 14:16:57 +0000

The Senate has observed that the fight against corruption in Nigeria may be scuttled by the growing underfunding of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria. Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Chukwuka Godfrey Utazi, who raised the concern during the budget defence of ICPC at the National Assembly Complex noted that poor budgetary allocation to the Commission would hinder ICPC from attaining its set targets. He said, “If we want to fight corruption, we must fund the fight. You want to fight corruption without funding? It won’t work. Agencies like ICPC need to get into the consciousness of Nigerians. They need to do enlightenment and educate the people on the ills of corruption. This will help us to look at the ‘cause’ which is less expensive than what we are doing now by running after the corrupt.” Senator Utazi assured ICPC that the Senate would ensure improved budgetary allocation to the Commission. His words, “There must be a total overturn in the budgetary process. We will make a case that you get what you deserve to do your work. We have done that for others before, so we will do it again. ‘We are going to see what the Committee will do. We will engage the relevant people concerned including our colleagues from the House of Representatives to look at the paltry sums being given to you.” Earlier, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, lamented that inadequate funding was hindering the performance of the Commission. He told the Committee that some operations of the Commission were delayed and others left unexecuted in 2016 because of insufficient funds even while they were captured in the budget. ICPC had submitted a budget proposal of N5.8 billion for 2017 to the National Assembly.

ICPC Docks PSC Director over N11.75m Fraud

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 10:42:41 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arraigned the Director of Finance in the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Emmanuel Ibe, over alleged mismanagement of N11, 750, 000 belonging to PSC. Mr. Ibe was arraigned by ICPC on a 9-count charge before Justice C.N. Oji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 21, Apo. Counsel to ICPC, Golden Iwuagwu, while pressing the charge against the Director averred that he fraudulently paid N11, 750, 000 to some selected staff of PSC in March 2015, as airfare and airport taxi allowances to travel from Abuja to seven states within Nigeria on official duties even while there were no connecting flights from Abuja to any of those states. He told the court that Mr. Ibe allegedly facilitated the payment of the money to the said staff of PSC to travel from Abuja to Bauchi, Niger, Benue, Kaduna, Kogi, Nassarawa and the FCT, thereby contravening Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under the same section. The charge sheet reads in part, “That you Emmanuel Ibe, in the month of March 2015, or thereabouts, at Abuja, being the Director of Finance of the Police Service Commission did use your office to confer corrupt advantage upon selected staff of the Police Service Commission by paying them the sum of N11, 750, 000 as return airfare and airport taxi fare for flights between Abuja and the FCT, Kogi, Bauchi, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Plateau, Benue and Niger states when there are no commercial flights between Abuja and these states thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.” Mr. Ibe pleaded not guilty to the charge when they were read to him by the trial judge, Justice Oji. His counsel, S. M. Nwosu, then asked the court to grant him bail on self-recognition, reiterating that the alleged offence was bailable. Justice Oji in his ruling on the bail application admitted him to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a Director in the Public Service of the Federation.

ICPC Tasks Clergy on Promotion of Integrity

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 13:20:34 +0000

A one-day interactive seminar for religious leaders, which was organized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has ended with an appeal to leaders of religious groups to promote integrity, honesty, transparency and accountability in messages to adherents of their various religions. The Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who made the appeal at the seminar held at Awka, Anambra State, said religious leaders are important channels of carrying the anti-corruption message to the grassroots since most Nigerians profess either the Christian or Islamic religion. The seminar with the theme; “Religion and its Institutions as Veritable Tools in Combating Corruption’ attracted many Christian, Muslim and traditional leaders. The Chairman who was represented at the occasion by Mr. Kingsley Obi, of Education Department, Abuja disclosed that the interactive forum was aimed at enlightening religious leaders on the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000; and the activities of ICPC; as well as to challenge them to identify their roles in the anti-corruption fight. He said ICPC adopts a holistic approach to combating corruption, through a combination of the enforcement, prevention and public education strategies while adding that the Commission, in order to achieve its prevention and public enlightenment functions, has embarked on several programmes to mobilize different segments of the society to join in the war against corruption. Mr. Nta thereafter expressed his optimism that the interactive seminar would stimulate vibrant discourse on the best way forward to win the war against corruption by institutionalizing integrity in all spheres of life. Also speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of Anambra State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Snr. Apostle Tim Okpala, advised Christian leaders and groups to use “the message of the Cross” to promote a modest and an austere lifestyle that would contradict the crass materialism and extreme economic liberalism of this age, which is responsible for the worsening plight of the poor and the high level of corrupt practices in the country. In the same vein, the Chief Imam of Yoruba Muslim community of Nnewi, Anambra State, Alhaji Sanusi Abdulrasheed, speaking on the theme of the seminar, said corruption is the dishonest and fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery but which can be eradicated through proper government funding of schools, equal treatment of citizens and employment generation. The programme also featured a lively interactive session.

Nigerian Law School ACTU get new members

okon — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 13:27:19 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in effecting its preventive mandate in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), recently, inaugurated and inducted the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Nigerian Law School, Bwari. Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of ICPC Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by Assistant Commissioner, Justin Kuatsea of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) said that the war against corruption would be more effective with the involvement of all critical stakeholders and indeed concerned Nigerians. Mr. Nta, added that ICPC got approval of the executive arm of Government to establish ACTU in all MDAs of government, to serve as a corruption prevention and monitoring mechanism. He said the directive was communicated to MDAs via the extant circular no OHCSF/MSO/192/94, dated 2^nd October 2001; and the Commission has so far established 427 of these units in MDAs in the public service across Nigeria. The ICPC Chairman added that, members of the newly constituted ACTU of Nigerian Law School “shall now form a microcosm of ICPC, to undertake the functions of the Commission as specified in section 6 (a) –(f) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, except in the area of prosecution.” He said, the job before members of the unit was enormous, and enjoined them to be prepared not only to offer selfless sacrifices, but to serve with honesty and dedication. Members of the unit were inducted immediately after the formal inauguration. Earlier, in his address the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. O.A. Onadeko, SAN, who was represented by the Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, Mrs. Elizabeth Max-Uba, assured of the management’s support to the unit saying that they took integrity issues very seriously. Onadeko, added that the appointed members would be equal to the task, having portrayed a good image that qualified them to be nominated for the responsibilities. In her response, the newly-appointed ACTU Chairman of the school, Dr. (Mrs.) Caroline Omochavue Oba, promised to ensure strict adherence to the mandate of the ACTU unit as provided by ICPC, while also, commending the Director-General for his commitment to transparency, accountability and integrity.

ICPC Compels Benue Polytechnic to Award Certificate to Student 7 Years after Graduation

okon — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 14:50:17 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has facilitated the release of the Statement of Result to a former student of the Benue State Polytechnic, Mrs. Monica Kyasamkombo, after seven years delay. Mrs. Kyasakombo who read Marketing at the Makurdi Study Centre of the Ugbokolo-based school in 2008, had her certificate wrongly withheld by the school management after completion of the programme. Mrs. Kyasakombo, in her petition to ICPC, disclosed that she had enrolled as a Higher National Diploma (HND) student in the institution in January, 2007. At the completion of her studies in December, 2008 the institution failed to issue her any evidence of having attended the school or completing her studies there. Her repeated efforts to get the school to release her Statement of Result or certificate failed, prompting her to petition ICPC. Acting on the petition, ICPC launched an investigation into the matter and directed the institution to issue the petitioner her statement of result pending the release of her certificate. Out of gratitude, Mrs. Kyasakombo wrote a letter of appreciation to the Commission, acknowledging the prompt attention her petition received which led to the issuance of her statement of result. Acting further, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta has advised that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) take steps to prevent such occurrences in the issuance of certificates to graduands in all polytechnics across the nation.

ICPC Declares Abdullahi Mohammed Wanted

okon — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 15:22:18 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. ABDULLAHI MOHAMMED, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on impersonation and fraud. Mr. Mohammed, a self-acclaimed indigene of Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, is dark in complexion, about 1.42m in height and is about 43 years old. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call any of the following telephone numbers: 08050576840 or 08123823030. You may also call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272). Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC: Corruption Not Only Physical Stealing, Abuse of Office Inclusive

icpcuser — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 08:29:55 +0000

We are committed to rid Nigeria of Corruption ― ICPC Boss

icpcuser — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 08:30:50 +0000

ICPC alleges diversion of funds for East-West Road into private pockets

icpcuser — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 08:31:38 +0000

ICPC Declares Musa Gawani Dagums Wanted

okon — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 14:42:08 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. MUSA GAWANI DAGUMS, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Dagums, an indigene of Bauchi State, is dark in complexion and was born on 15th December 1979 (37 years old). His last address is unknown. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272). Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

ICPC Presents System Study Report on National Hospital, Abuja

okon — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 11:11:34 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has presented a draft report of system study conducted at the National Hospital Abuja, to the management of the hospital. The Commission presented the report in an interactive session with the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Jaffar Mommoh and management staff to formally inform them of the findings of the system study, at its headquarters in Abuja. Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, in his remarks at the presentation, said that the significance of the study was the identification of the areas of loopholes in the system of the hospital and proffer solutions to them, and not to run down the organization. Mr. Nta explained that one of the core duties of the Commission was the study and review of corruption -prone systems in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). He said that the exercise was not meant to “run down anybody, institution or denigrate efforts made, but to review corruption prone processes/systems in order to strengthen the institution, and ensure improved service delivery”. He stated that findings in the report would serve as a model for studying other hospitals across the country. Nta concluded that although the exercise was a corrective measure and not a punitive one, he added that any negligence in addressing the noted gaps could lead to punitive legal actions. In his response, Dr. Mommoh expressed gratitude to the Commission for the invitation, and the conduct of the system study exercise. He assured ICPC that they would on their own part study the report presented to them and respond accordingly.

Youth Engagement: ICPC Plays Host to UNIBEN Students' Union Excos

okon — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 16:11:03 +0000

Further to its firm resolve to partner with the youths in its anti-corruption crusade, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) played host recently to executive members of the University of Benin Students’ Union Government. The students who paid a courtesy call on the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, in Abuja were led by the speaker of the Union, Rt. Hon. Aigbogun A. Lawrel. Explaining the purpose of the visit, the Speaker said that it was borne out of the high regard the Students' Union had for the Commission as an anti-graft agency. Hon. Lawrel maintained that the visit would enable his members gain more insight into the on-going war against corruption and learn more about the Commission’s operations and activities. In his response, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, commended the initiative taken by the students to keep themselves abreast with the happenings in the world of anti-corruption. Mr. Nta charged them to contribute their quota to the fight by shunning all forms of corruption: including cultism, examination malpractice and other vices that are common with the youths. He finally challenged them to carry over strong moral principles into their different professional fields, as leaders of tomorrow while emphasizing that their success would mean success for Nigeria.

NFF Seeks Collaboration with ICPC

okon — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 16:16:12 +0000

The General Secretary, Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC), to keep close watch on the cases involving corruption among the officials of NFF. Dr. Sanusi who led a three-man team on a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, made the call during an interactive session with the management of the anti-graft agency.He said that there was a need to forge a strategic alliance between the NFF and ICPC in order to achieve set objectives. Speaking further on the reason for the visit to ICPC, Sanusi said it was to inform the Commission about the Integrity Initiative Programme of the NFF, and to also establish collaboration with ICPC especially on issues of anti-corruption. Explaining the activities carried out in NFF, the National Integrity Officer, Dr. Christian Emeruwa, said that the federation is carrying out a crusade against corruption in the area of match fixing to enable officials work properly. He said “The integrity initiative activities are as usual centered on monitoring of operations within and at the Sports Terminals to ensure smooth operations by removing bottlenecks that usually occur during matches”. Dr. Emeruwa stressed the importance of establishing a strategic analysis framework with ICPC and other anti- corruption agencies, adding that these would make them more focused and effective in their quest for a corruption-free Nigeria. The ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who received the NFF team in the Commission’s Boardroom, stated that the Commission was willing to collaborate with NFF on any aspect that would enhance the campaign against corruption in Nigeria, adding that ICPC would offer maximum cooperation to ensure the success of the Integrity Initiative.

Alleged Sexual Gratifiation: Court Okays ICPC Investigation of UNICAL Prof

icpcuser — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 18:33:32 +0000

A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has ruled that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has the right to investigate a former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Professor Cyril Ndifon, over an allegation of abuse of office. Justice I. E. Ekwo who delivered judgment on Thursday 2^nd March, 2017 in a suit brought against ICPC by the Professor of Law, in which he sought to restrain the Commission from investigating the alleged offence of demanding for sexual gratification from a female student of the University, maintained that it was within the purview of ICPC to investigate the case in accordance with the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The trial judge held that the police report which exonerated Ndifon had no bearing on the Commission's investigation of an allegation of abuse of office against him. He added that the offence of sexual gratification was contrary to Sections 8, 9, and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which refer to any public officer who receives benefit of any kind in the discharge of his duties or uses his position to confer corrupt advantage upon himself. It would be recalled that a final year law student had petitioned ICPC alleging that the Professor had sex with her in his office without her consent, after inviting her to the office to rewrite an earlier cancelled test.

ICPC, NANTS, ECOWAS to strengthen cross border trade

icpcuser — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 09:16:25 +0000

Bill to strengthen anti-corruption agency passes second reading

icpcuser — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 09:08:36 +0000

ICPC, Traders to Combat Corruption Along NIG-ECOWAS Trade Routes

okon — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 13:35:03 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Ekpo Nta, has expressed the willingness of the Commission to collaborate with the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) to strengthen the integrity of border controls and customs administration. The ICPC chairman, who was represented by the Director, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), Mr. Akeem Lawal, made this declaration recently in Abuja at an event tagged: Policy Dialogue with Stakeholders on Combating Corruption along ECOWAS Border Routes. The Chairman’s declaration was in response to a call made by the President of NANTS, Mr. Ken Ukoha, to ICPC and other anti-corruption and security agencies to help ensure security of lives, property and free movement of goods along the Nigeria-ECOWAS trade routes. The ICPC chairman remarked that the Nigerian Government and relevant agencies were aware of the importance of ensuring smooth trade facilitation which would contribute to job creation and economic growth. He added that it was on account of this that ICPC had conducted Corruption Risk Assessment in Nigeria Seaports of Apapa, Tincan, Warri, Onne and Calabar as well as the international airports at Lagos and Abuja, with the objective of identifying corruption-prone processes as well as loopholes and providing workable solutions to them. He explained that the exercise entailed strategic engagement and partnership with key ports stakeholders that included the Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, and Ministry of transport etc. to create a Ports Service Support Portal (PSSP) and to develop a Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) document in order to minimize or eliminate corrupt practices at the ports. Earlier in his address, the President of the NANTS, had stated that as part of the nation’s strategy for economic transformation and development, Nigeria had adopted the Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) and the Common External Tariff (CET) at the West African regional level to promote intra-regional trade, free movement of goods, services and capital for the overall benefit of her citizens. According to him, presently the ultimate benefits and opportunities of free trade have been dwindling and are completely eluding the country in a gradual manner as they are not being maximized due to challenges and risks along border routes. The challenges, Mr. Ukoha says, are cases of corruption involving various law enforcement agents and border officials on the one hand, and traders, transporters and clearing agents etc. on the other hand who constantly distort trade flows thereby inhibiting the attainment of the overall benefits of free trade to Nigeria.

ICPC Arraigns Ex-banker over N78.5m Fraud

icpcuser — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 13:59:14 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged a former staff of Skye Bank, Mr. Yemi-Aris Olaniran, to court for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of N78.52 million. The Commission, in a 24 count-charge preferred against the ex-banker before Justice Babatunde Quadri, of the Federal High Court 10, Maitama, Abuja, accused him of allegedly transferring N78, 521, 431.61 from the Federal Government Pension funds into private accounts held by non-pensioners in contravention of Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering Act 2011. The alleged offence is punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act. Counsel to ICPC, Mr. Adesina Raheem, told the court that Mr. Olaniyan, while working as a staff of Skye Bank, Gwagwalada-Abuja, between October 2011 and March 2013, surreptitiously opened 50 bank accounts into which he made several transfers of funds. The alleged funds ranged from N1 million to N11. 2 million. The Commission had earlier arraigned Mr. Olaniyan before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court 7, Maitama-Abuja, but had to seek for the transfer of the case to another trial judge due to the criminal charges preferred against Ademola by the Federal Government. Mr. Raheem held that the ex-banker, in one instance opened an account in the name of Ibrahim Nurudeen, and transferred the sum of N11, 248, 439.52. He was also alleged to have in another illegal transaction, wired N9.58 million from the Federal Government pension account into a Skye bank account in the name of Umar Abdullahi who was not a registered pensioner. The charge sheet reads in part, “That you Yemi-Aris Olaniran, between October 2011 and March 2013 at Gwagwalada Abuja whilst being a staff of Skye Bank Plc directly transferred the sum of N11, 248, 439.52 belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria to an account opened in the name of one Ibrahim Nurudeen when you reasonably ought to have known that such funds were the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the Money Laundering Act 2011 as amended.” Mr. Olaniran pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him as his counsel, Mr. Ojo Olugbemiga, urged the court to allow his earlier bail to remain. The trial judge, in his ruling, ordered that his bail should continue and adjourned the matter to 11^th April, 2017 for hearing.

ICPC Puts Smile on Pensioner’s Face

okon — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 15:25:11 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s resolve to provide redress to vulnerable Nigerians has continued to give succour as a retiree whose pension was stopped for over 6 years has begun enjoying her money through the intervention of the Commission. The petitioner, Adenrele Agbeke Kehinde had forwarded a petition to the Commission alleging that her Federal Share Pension was abruptly stopped in June 2010 by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD). ICPC’s intervention in the matter led to the payment of pension arrears of N551, 049.05 to Mrs. Kehinde in December 2016, and subsequent regularisation of her pension payments. In her letter of appreciation, Mrs. Adenrele, thanked ICPC for ‘bringing smile to the faces of the poor people who have nobody to fight for them’.

ICPC trains Abia LG Council Members on Ethics & Integrity

okon — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 22:53:55 +0000

The Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), recently organized a two-day workshop on Anti-Corruption, Ethics and Integrity for members of the Abia State Local Government Councils at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja. The main objective of the workshop was to promote zero tolerance for corruption in the workplace for the Local Government officials. Declaring the workshop open, the Chairman ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said that the essence of the workshop was to showcase the new anti-corruption paradigm of ICPC. According to him, “corruption like cancer adapts itself to the host and kills off healthy cells as it has to feed on them for survival” and therefore needed to be surgically removed through holistic strategies. Nta added that early detection and prevention helps to prevent the spread of corruption, and therefore commended the step taken by the Abia State Government to curb corruption at the local government level. Mr. Nta noted that the local government is the closest tier of government to the people, so ICPC and Abia State must join hands together to work towards prevention of corruption. He said the training was organized to help show the local government council members the right steps to take by exposing the participants to various anti-corruption tools, such as principles of good governance, transparency and accountability; proper procurement processes; and how to handle corrupt demands; etc. Mr. Nta added that ICPC would want to see all the participants go home with clean records at the end of their tenure. According to him, “The best way to fight corruption or corrupt demand is by good governance and the provision of basic infrastructure for the people. With these the stress of ‘stomach infrastructure’ will be reduced.” The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Sam Hart, reaffirmed the commitment of Abia State to backing the anti-corruption fight, stating that corruption was common with officials at the local government level, which was why the state sent all its Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen, Heads of Service and Treasurers to undergo such training at ICPC. He expressed the hope that as they leave office they would not have cause to be called back to ICPC as suspects. Mr. Sam urged the participants to take the training seriously for it would help the fight against corruption and used the opportunity to thank ICPC for keeping to its word’s in promoting as well as using “Made in Aba” products as training materials. In his remark, ACAN Provost, Professor Sola Akinrinade, called on the participants to contribute their own quota to the process of tackling the problem of corruption at the level of government closest to the people.

Women should aid in the current anti-corruption drive: ICPC Spokesperson

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 08:54:48 +0000

`If you Educate a woman, you have educated the entire society because through her effort, her children will be educated and it will become a spiral that will multiply. It is very important for the society to acknowledge the roles of women and give them due acknowledgment`. These were the words of the spokesperson and the Director Public Enlightenment, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mrs. Rasheedat Adunni Okoduwa mni, who spoke on the 2017 World International Women`s Day with the theme ; `Be Bold For Change` at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja. Similary, Mrs Rasheedat noted that women are the bedrock of everything that the society stands for, thereby role of women in the society should not be ignored. “Without women there will be nothing like procreation and it is from procreation that we have the continuation of the human race. Women have also contributed positively to the economy of nations, especially in Nigeria as many of them have been applauded with their laudable achievement in the formal Economic sector. Politically women are there at the grassroots to marshal grassroots power making the needs of the community to be known through peaceful protests and agitations thereby striking against inequality and injustice in the society” Also, she noted that women must come out fully to continue to drive the anti-corruption agenda of the Present government because they are being victimized mostly and their children when their husbands are found culpable of any corrupt act. Corruption triggers poverty and the women are worse off when such situation occurs. Women must be bold for positive change and be able to drive for anti-social behaviours.

Court Refuses to Stop ICPC From Investigating Cross River House of Assembly Member

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 10:24:23 +0000

A Member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, (CRHA), Dr Mrs Itam Virginia Abang has failed in her bid to get the Federal High Court, Calabar to stop the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), from investigating her for alleged corrupt practices and abuse of office. Dr. Abang, had filed for an injunction to restrain ICPC from investigating an allegation of receiving double salary simultaneously from both the Federal Government of Nigeria through the University of Calabar and the Cross River State Government through the state’s Rural Development Agency where she was holding an appointment as Director, Health Infrastructure. In a ruling, Hon Justice I. E. Ekwo held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit and directed that the case be transferred to the High Court of Cross River State for hearing and determination.

ICPC to Launch Journal of Anti-Corruption Studies

okon — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 10:39:32 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to launch the first edition of the Nigerian Journal of Anti-Corruption Studies. Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the research and training arm of ICPC, Professor Sola Akinrinade, made the revelation recently in Abuja during a courtesy call to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru. Professor Akinrinade said that the first edition of the journal is expected to be published by middle of 2017, and it is hoped that it would enhance policy-oriented research and publications which would in turn help in the formulation of knowledge-based policies. Speaking on ACAN, Akinrinade stated that apart from the training of ICPC staff and staff of other anti-corruption agencies, the academy has the mandate to provide training for public officials and the general public on matters relating to good governance, accountability, transparency, integrity, ethics and all issues relating to anti-corruption and corruption prevention. He added that the Academy was in the first phase of its activities with the principal focus on generating attitudinal change in the society on matters relating to corruption and mobilizing support for the anti-corruption war. Akinrinade called on NNPC to partner with ICPC to fight corruption, pointing out that “the war against corruption cannot be won by ICPC alone. The war against corruption is something which we need a lot of people on board, we need stakeholders to join us, it is not something that ICPC can do on its own; it is something all of us together can do.” The Provost further noted that ACAN was still new and young. He therefore called on the support of critical public sector agencies to enable the Academy go far in achieving its objective of becoming a model manpower development institution in the anti-corruption effort. In his response, the GMD of NNPC expressed the willingness of his organisation to partner with ICPC. “We will surely partner with you to ensure that corruption is stamped out of Nigeria and in our processes, which is very much in line with the principal drivers of this government where Mr. President has continuously reminded the populace that fighting corruption is cardinal and needs to be sustained,” he stated.

Akwa Ibom State Attorney General fails to stop ICPC’s investigation

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 11:30:06 +0000

Justice Festus Ntong of Akwa-Ibom State High Court sitting in Ikot Ekpene has declined an application to stop the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) or any other Federal anti-corruption agency from investigating allegations of corruption involving the finances of the Government of Akwa Ibom State. The Akwa Ibom State Attorney General (AG), Mr. Uwemedimo Thomas Nwoko, had filed a suit before Justice Ntong, seeking the court to restrain ICPC or any other Federal anti-corruption agency from investigating the government of the state for alleged corrupt practices without prior authorisation by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. The Akwa Ibom State AG had argued in the suit that a federal agency would be acting beyond its powers if it investigated a matter involving an official or agency of the Akwa Ibom State Government. He therefore joined the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and the Akwa Ibom State Government as respondents in the matter because, in his opinion, they were not exercising their power and rights to prevent a federal agency from encroaching on their jurisdiction. Others joined as respondents in the suit included the Inspector General of Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and some banks. Upon a preliminary objection filed by ICPC disputing the competence of the court to entertain any claim against the Federal Government or any of its agencies, the trial court ruled that the State High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain such a claim and therefore struck out the case. It may be recalled that in a similar case brought before the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt by all the 23 Local Government Councils of Rivers State in suit number FHC/PH/CS/432/2010, Hon Justice Tijani Abubakar by a ruling dated 31 May, 2012 dismissed the plaintiff’s claim and held that the issue of the constitutional authority of ICPC to investigate any person or authority in Nigeria for alleged corrupt practices had been decided with finality by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Attorney General of Ondo State vs Attorney General of the Federation (2002).

FCE Eha-Amufu gets Students Anti-Corruption Vanguard

icpcuser — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 21:07:18 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has inaugurated Students Anti-Corruption Vanguard (SAV) at the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, Enugu State with a plea to students to shun all forms of social vices and corrupt practices. This appeal was contained in the keynote address by the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, which was delivered on his behalf by Mr Ezeh Anselm, Chief Superintendent, ICPC Enugu Zonal office. Mr. Nta explained that the Students Anti- Corruption Vanguard (SAV) is an initiative of the Commission conceived to ensure and sustain active youth participation in the fight against corruption at the tertiary education level. According to him, the Vanguard operates purely as an agent of corruption-prevention by civil actions, stressing that “waging a successful war against corruption requires not just our competence as a law enforcement agency but the resolute effort and support of all stakeholders” The ICPC Chairman charged the members of SAV to complement the efforts of the Commission by educating fellow students on the ills of corruption; participating actively in social auditing; engaging in whistle blowing; and mobilizing fellow students to stand against corruption. He also assured the SAV members that ICPC would continue to offer necessary support to them to aid them in carrying out their lawful assignments in operating as undercover agents while warning them against using their office to intimidate, victimize or oppress other students. Earlier in his welcome address, the Provost of the College, Prof. Benjamin Mba, applauded the efforts of ICPC in curbing corruption in Nigeria through its initiative of targeting the educational sector which, according to him, deals with the only factor that can liberate man from ignorance and evil practices. According to the Provost, corruption exists in every human organization and it takes dedication, honesty, fear of God as well as determination for people to shun the monster in its entire ramifications. He pointed out that the college has zero tolerance for social vices and corruption which necessitated the establishment of Anti-corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit in the school and now, the students Anti- Corruption Vanguard. Prof Mba promised that the management of the college would continue to support and sustain both the ACTU and SAV to ensure that corruption was wiped out of the school. In his presentation, the club adviser, who is also the ACTU Chairman of the College, Mr. Aneke H.C., stated that the students’ active involvement in the crusade against corruption should take the form of persuasion, enlightenment of fellow students, enlisting their support, whistle blowing and living exemplary lifestyles. He added that they had been given training on how to carry out their responsibility of combatting corruption in the school without molesting, intimidating or antagonizing anyone. While commending the Provost for his support, zeal and determination to eradicate corruption from the institution, Aneke disclosed that members of the Vanguard were selected based on their track record of honesty, integrity, intelligence and general good conduct. The president of the SAV, Mr. Ojiabor Elijah, in his acceptance speech, promised to work diligently with other members, to ensure that corruption was reduced drastically in the school. He promised that they would not hesitate to report all forms of corruption – bribery, sex abuse, ‘sorting’, examination malpractice, gratification, forgery of certificates and other vices to the appropriate authorities. The high point of the occasion was the administration of the oath of membership to the members of the Vanguard by Miss Chinwe Nwozor, with the members pledging to be loyal, faithful and committed to the ideals of the vanguard by upholding the virtues of integrity, honesty and transparency in their conduct.

ICPC Takes Anti-Corruption Crusade to NURTW, RTEAN

okon — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 08:35:23 +0000

In its effort to bring the anti-corruption crusade to various sectors of the Nigerian society, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), through its National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) organized what it tagged: “Grassroots Anti-Corruption Campaign” for members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Cross River State recently. The objective of the campaign was to strengthen the NURTW and RTEAN members through information sharing, training and education on the ills of corruption while cultivating their active participation in the fight against corruption. In attendance at the event also were officials of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Ministry of Transportation. The ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented at the event by the South-South Zonal Commissioner of the Commission, Mr Henry Emore, described corruption as the “breaking of rules for personal benefit”. He also observed that corruption was a criminal and corrosive worldwide epidemic found in every facet of people’s lives which deprives them of their fundamental human rights while increasing poverty. Mr. Nta regretted that the extortion of money from motorists on the roads by law enforcement agents seemed to be on the increase and advised that it should be stopped forthwith. He also called on members of the NURTW and RTEAN to ensure that they follow due process to obtain their driver’s licence and vehicle particulars while observing that most of those documents in the possession of motorists were fake. On his part, the representative of the Commissioner of Transport, Cross River State, Mr. Chris Haij Ajong, stated that corruption on Nigerian roads was a menace that should be tackled. He said that there were many identified corrupt practices on the roads which everyone was aware of, and that was the reason for organizing the campaign to fight against such practices. He advised everyone present to steer clear of corrupt acts to make the country better. Also at the event, Mrs. Florence Osang of National Orientation Agency(NOA), pointed out that corruption manifests in different forms, not solely in money matters, explaining that it could also be in the form of perverting a system or policy of government. She further called on the participants to go back to the society’s core values of integrity and uprightness which are captured in stanzas of the National Anthem of the country.

FHA, ICPC in N236b eight cities’ diaspora housing scheme - The Guardian

icpcuser — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 09:12:15 +0000

In what could be the most ambitious public sector- led initiative to tackle the overwhelming housing crisis facing the country, two top federal agencies are driving a major new residential scheme targeted to yield a total of 15,680 housing units by 2018. Up to N2.5 trillion in sales revenue is expected as inflow from Nigerians abroad and project is estimated to cost N236billion. Facilitated by the office of the Vice President with Federal Housing Authority (FHA) as developer/owner; the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) serves as promoter. If the scheme christened FHA Diaspora City project eventually seen through to completion, it will probably rank among the most visible fall-outs of the Buhari administration’s move to provide a non-oil window for sustainable flow of foreign exchange of at least $10 billion annually to the economy. With the paucity of foreign exchange in the country and remittances from Nigerians in diaspora are seen as huge opportunities for banks and developers. Statistics show that individual remittances stood at $21billion in 2013, $25bn in 2015 and such secured housing programme in place, it can be as much as $35billion. Essentially, the pilot project would commence in four Nigerian cities, namely, Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt and Lagos in this year while the second phase of the project would start in Enugu, Kaduna, Asaba and Ibadan in 2018. FHA Managing Director, Prof Mohammed Al-Amin who confirmed the development in Abuja, observed that there are over 15 million Nigerians in the Diaspora. He said that the project is designed to provide a secured and sustainable home ownership for Nigerians living and working outside the country as well as workers of Nigerian Diplomatic Missions. Al-min said that ICPC has the responsibility to strengthen systems to enable them work efficiently, adding that a Project management TSA has been opened and construction mortgage finance account would be domiciled at FHA Mortgage Bank. He explained that the Office of the Vice President has promised to facilitate a quick allocation of 200-1,000 hectares by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in favourable locations for the pilot project in Abuja and also facilitate free and secured remittances of installment payments from Diaspora off-takers through a specialised account approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, observed that ICPC plans to do a security check on the project beneficiaries said, “If the total foreign reserves of Nigeria as of last month was $30 billion for the whole country, and a group of persons are sending $25 billion, you don’t ignore that kind of group”. According to Nta, “ When you break down these monies that they sent home, its generally to secure accommodation for themselves either by building through relations or developers, to give allowances to their parents, or to start up businesses and in all three, the findings I had through my organisation was that their aspirations were not met”. “Most of the monies meant for building, if they wanted a duplex, the people would deliberately build stores and when they come, they say it’s not what they want and those who built it will take it away just like that. And sometimes these people create artificial security problem so that those in diaspora don’t even come home to ask about the monies they sent. For the brave ones that decided to come home, they were kidnapped and when released they didn’t come back home again.” Culled from The Guardian

Andy Spalding: Brazil`s New Enforcement Leadership

icpcuser — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 10:51:03 +0000

I almost lost $11,550 to dubious PhD degree – JAMB chief

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 08:10:08 +0000

FG Moves To Safeguard $20 Billion Remitted Home By Nigerians

icpcuser — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 08:13:17 +0000

Education commissions, ICPC to brainstorm on ways to tackle exam malpractice

icpcuser — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 08:23:30 +0000

ICPC, NYSC Sensitize Students of Methodist Secondary School, Ibadan

okon — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 16:26:21 +0000

In furtherance of the duty of public mobilization, the Oyo State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in collaboration with NYSC CDS Group recently organized a sensitization programme at Methodist Secondary School, Ibadan. In her speech, the leader of the ICPC team, Mrs. Babatunde Tayo, expressed her appreciation to the Youth Corps members for organizing the event noting that indeed, children were the leaders of tomorrow. In his Paper titled “Children the Leaders of Tomorrow and the Fight against Corruption” Mr. Kunle Balogun, of the Oyo State Office of ICPC, explained the purpose of the programme saying that the Commission believes in utilizing the catch- them-young strategy and as such, establishes anti-corruption clubs in secondary schools so as to encourage students to cultivate good virtues and values in themselves. Mr. Balogun elucidated on the role of children in combating corruption, citing example with Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist, and many others who were engaged in activities for the betterment of the society. He further called on the students to make personal commitment to be honest, responsible and upright in their day-to-day activities so that in the end, there would be a better society.

Ten ICPC Kano Staff Receive ICT Training

okon — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 16:31:07 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has organized a one-day ICT training for 10 staff of its Kano State office. The training which was in conjunction with DIP- Info Tech Incubation Centre, Kano was aimed at boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of staff performance for better productivity. Mr. Gabriel Igwe Bike; the Marketing Manager of the Centre delivered a paper titled: “ICT a Tool for Increasing Job Productivity, Self Empowerment and Nation Building”. The entire training comprised capacity-building in areas such as Software Development, Networking, Project Development, Database Management, Audio and Visual Production, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), Entrepreneurship and Management Training. The training also had a robust interactive session component that entailed questions and answers by the participants and presenter respectively.

ICPC’s N468m Corruption Case: Accused pleads lack of Legal Representation

okon — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 13:56:13 +0000

The trial of one Mr. Adeolu Adeyanju, owner of Detwinx Global Service Limited, who was brought before Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on a 10-count charge by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been stalled due to non-appearance of the defence counsel. At a resumed hearing of the trial, the accused informed the court that due to financial constraints, he could not pay for the services of his former counsel or hire a new one to represent him. He also said that he had been in detention in Kuje prison since May 2015 on the orders of court. The defendant was charged for alleged forgery and fraudulent receipt of the sum of N468, 794, 613.76 from the account of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja, an offence contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The prosecution team from ICPC had appeared in court with witnesses for cross-examination but. Mr. Adeyanju sought the relief of the court to afford him the opportunity to secure another lawyer to represent him during trial. In his ruling, Justice Yusuf granted the defendant his request for time to engage the services of a lawyer. The matter was adjourned to 29^th June, 2017 for continuation of trial.

Concerted Effort Needed To Reduce Corruption - ICPC

okon — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 14:15:28 +0000

The Kano State office Commissioner of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Yahaya Shehu has urged employees of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), to reduce corruption to the barest minimum through their collective effort. The ICPC State Commissioner, who was represented by Suleiman Muhammad Maishanu of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of the Kano State office, in a Keynote Address delivered at a one-day sensitization workshop organized by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of NPHCDA to sensitize staff of the organisation, advised that they “should not give corruption breathing space in your workplace.” He further urged staff of NPHCDA to abide by the ethical standards of their organization and maintain a culture of integrity while performing their duties. Mr. Yahaya further implored the participants to be steadfast in the fight against corruption and thereby contribute their quota to nation-building. While delivering a paper titled, “Corruption and Its Effects on the Public Service”, Mrs. Zainab Sani Nass of ICPC Legal Unit, Kano State office, advised that public servants should serve with a high sense of responsibility, integrity and absolute loyalty. She stated that public servants were major players in implementing government’s programs and policies; hence the need for them to render their services with diligence and dedication. Mrs. Sani further called on the participants to shun all forms of fraudulent acts and unethical practices that compromise effective service delivery bearing in mind the mandate of their organization. In a vote of thanks, the Zonal Coordinator of NPHCDA, represented by Head of Admin, Mrs. Wasilat Oladunjoye, commended ICPC for its effort and pledged that her organization would continue to support the fight against corruption. In another development, the Kano State Head of ICPC, Mr. Shehu Yahaya has charged corps members serving in Katsina State to make integrity their watchword. Mr. Shehu made the charge during an advocacy visit by members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) ICPC/Community Development Service (CDS) Group Katsina State to the Kano State office of ICPC. He explained that ICPC/CDS Group was created nationwide to afford youth corps members the opportunity to join in the fight against corruption and also act as positive change agents amongst their colleagues. In his lecture on integrity, he advised the corps members to dedicate themselves to disseminating anti-corruption messages throughout their service year and beyond. Earlier in his opening remarks, the president of the ICPC/CDS Group, Mr. Victor Aderonmu Olusegun, stated that, he believed that the visit would strengthen the relationship between the group and ICPC. He pledged the commitment of the group to the Commission’s anti-corruption campaign.

ICPC Declares Sunday Akintola Wanted

okon — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 15:29:03 +0000

The person whose picture appears above, Mr. SUNDAY AKINTOLA, is hereby declared WANTED by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with issues bordering on fraud. Mr. Akintola is an indigene of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State, and is dark in complexion. He is currently the Managing Director, Sovereign Micro Finance Bank. His last known address was No. 45, Isolo Road, Mushin, Lagos. Anyone who has useful information on his whereabouts should report to ICPC Headquarters Abuja, any of the ICPC State Offices or the nearest police station, or call ICPC Toll-Free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272) Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni Spokesperson/Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department

Corruption Case: ICPC asks Court to Remand Civil Servant in Prison for Evading Trial

okon — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 11:59:38 +0000

The Honourable Justice Salisu Garba of FCT High Court 2, sitting in Maitama, Abuja has ordered that one Mr. Oluwole Fayiga, an employee of the Federal Ministry of Health be remanded in Kuje Prison for evading trial. The order was premised on an oral application made by counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Iliya Ashom, for the revocation of a bail that had been granted to the accused, because he had jumped bail twice. Mr. Fayiga was earlier granted administrative bail by ICPC, but disappeared into thin air until the Commission’s investigating team re-arrested him somewhere in Remo, Ogun State. Thereafter, he was arraigned in court but could not meet the conditions of the court’s bail as spelt out by the judge and was remanded in prison. Subsequently, his counsel applied for a variation of the bail conditions, which was then granted by the court. At the commencement of trial, the defendant, Fayiga, claimed his supposed voluntary statement was made under duress. Consequently, the case was stood down for a trial-within-trial by the judge. In spite of that, the defendant and his counsel refused to appear in court on two occasions, sending letters only on the morning of one of the adjourned dates claiming to have been bereaved. In view of this apparent disregard for the court, ICPC’s counsel made an oral application for the revocation of the accused person’s bail, which the judge graciously granted and issued a Bench Warrant for his arrest before the case was further adjourned to a later date. However, before the new adjourned date, the defense filed a motion seeking to restore his client’s bail but, in a swift reaction, the prosecution filed a counter-motion for the status quo to be maintained, noting that the defendant had jumped bail twice. On the new adjourned date, the defendant and his counsel attended court, and having heard the submission of each counsel, the judge ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody while the case was adjourned with accelerated hearing in mind It is noteworthy that Mr. Fayiga had earlier been arraigned by the Commission for criminal conspiracy, fraud, forgery, false representation and abuse of office, thereby violating Sections 12, 16 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. He, allegedly, had conspired with others and through impersonation of some members of staff of the Federal Ministry of Health, fraudulently obtained loans with forged documents from Messrs Credit Direct Limited, (a subsidiary of First City Group), thereby defrauding the company to the tune of Two Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand Naira (N2,968,000.00).

Integrity Pays: Security man returns $10,000 he found at UBA, gets very huge reward

icpcuser — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 08:16:53 +0000

Achievers University: Odebode Emerges the Overall Best Graduating Student

icpcuser — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 15:59:42 +0000

Miss Success Oluremi Odebode was at the weekend the star graduand at the 5^th Convocation of the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State. She won three awards, including the Graduating Student with the Best Overall Performance for achieving CGPA 4.97. She also got prizes as the Best Graduating Student of College of Natural and Applied Sciences and Best Graduating Student of the Department of Geological Sciences. Speaking on behalf of her colleagues, Miss Odebode said, ‘’While we were undergraduates in the school, there were ups and downs – it wasn’t really a bed of roses but through perseverance and dogged determination, we were able to stand strong till the end…’’

Corrupt Persons Are Ethically Deficit and Morally Bankrupt – ICPC Boss

icpcuser — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 13:28:51 +0000

‘’Apart from those caught in the web of criminal negligence or foolhardiness, most of the persons investigated and prosecuted by ICPC have a common strain running through them. They are generally ethically deficit and morally bankrupt and had manifested some of these attributes as teenagers in school or home’’. The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mr. Ekpo Nta, made the declaration weekend at a convocation lecture he delivered at the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, with the title: Ethical Deficit, Corruption and Crisis of National Identity: Integrity of Termites Mr. Nta posited that, ‘’Our environment shapes us’’, saying ‘’society and government must pay serious attention and consciously manipulate our environment for positives outcomes’’. ‘’We are aware that a high dosage of ethical values can also attract resentment for an upright individual operating within a morally bankrupt and corrupt society. The university staff who is known to be a stickler for ethical and moral uprightness and academic discipline is sometimes discriminated against for ‘being heartless’ and for not ‘letting my people go’’, Nta lamented. Nta said that the Commission and other anti- corruption agencies in the country could not curb the menace of corruption in the country on their own. ‘’The victims of corruption are the ones who will drive the curbing of corruption because they are the ones paying for it’’, he added. He solicited the support of members of the public in combating corruption, stressing that the Federal Government would only succeed if the masses supported it. The ICPC Chairman commended the whistle blowing policy of the federal government, saying that the policy has led to increased number of petitions received by the Commission unlike previously when people were not encouraged to give out information to the organisation. He however warned against the sending of malicious petitions to the ICPC in the name of whistle-blowing. In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor of the university, Honourable Bode Ayorinde, said the management of the institution would set up an ICPC Anti-corruption Club to further entrench discipline in the campus. Honourable Ayorinde, currently representing Ose/Owo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives urged the ICPC Chairman to come back to the institution to inaugurate the ICPC club. Achievers University commenced operation in 2008 and is graduating its 5^th set of students.

Strengthening Democracy, Key to Nigeria’s Progress – ICPC Boss

okon — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:31:58 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Barr. Ekpo Nta stated that, “if we must move forward as a nation, we must strengthen our democratic institutions to enable them deliver on their mandates”. Mr. Nta gave the advice in Kaduna while delivering a welcome address at the opening ceremony of a five-day management retreat aimed at reviewing the performance of the Commission under its 2013-2017 Strategic Action Plan (SAP). The ICPC boss informed the participants that assessment of past performance was part of the Commission’s organisational culture for building a promising national anti-corruption development process. He further said that, after five years of steadfast implementation, the lifespan of the present SAP would end in December 2017. Mr. Nta added: “Incidentally, this is coming at a time and year when Nigeria had painstakingly approved a National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2017-2020) that takes seriously Anti-Corruption Agencies Framework for Monitoring and Evaluation”. Continuing, he said. “It is on this premise and conviction that the Commission takes, with commitment, this self-appraisal retreat in order to establish the connection between where we were, where we are presently, and where we are most likely to be in the foreseeable future”, he added. Earlier, the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis E. Oglafa reminded participants of the fact that, every knowledge-based organisation was expected to assess its performance over time while making adjustments into future. Oglafa stressed that, it was even more important that the organisation interrogate itself in order to know whether there are connecting dots between established vision, mission, goals and values to ensure their alignment. He added, “... there is no doubt that the Commission is practically conscious of the significance of connecting dots in strategic planning and implementation, that is why the leadership and the management are working effortlessly to drive the Commission into the future”. In his remarks at the opening ceremony of the retreat, the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai who was represented by his Deputy, Architect Barnabas Yusuf Bala commended the Commission for ensuring integrity in public institutions. He stated that, ICPC as an anti-graft agency has been carrying out vital functions that are helping the nation to strive towards greatness. In his vote of thanks, the Honourable Member representing North-East Geo-Political Zone at the ICPC Board, Alh. Abdullahi Bako expressed the Commission’s appreciation to donor agencies such as DFID, Justice for All (J4A) and other development partners who had been supporting the Commission in the discharge of its duties and to remain one of the leading anti-graft agencies in the country. The participants at the retreat included all heads of departments (HoDs), heads of units (HoUs) and top management personnel of the Commission.

Tolerance of Corrupt Practices, Driving Force for Corruption – Chairman ICPC

okon — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 15:30:32 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has identified tolerance for corrupt practices as a driving force for endemic corruption in the country. Mr. Nta, who was represented by the Head of ICPC office in Edo State, Mr. Olukile Olusesan, said this recently at a one-day anti-corruption workshop for religious leaders in Asaba, Delta State with the theme “Religion and its Institutions as Veritable Tools in Combating Corruption”. He told the participants that the dream of achieving a stable and prosperous Nigeria might not come to be unless there were positive attitudinal transformation of people at all levels of society. Nta stressed the need for religious leaders in the country to be role models for the citizenry, saying, ‘’this is where the leaders of Christian Fellowship and Muslim Ummah come in, … this forum is to draw ideas from both bodies on how best to achieve the fight against corruption, using their positions of influence with various congregations’’. The ICPC Chairman went further to explain the duties of the Commission, and how they are grouped into the three areas of enforcement, prevention and enlightenment of the citizens. While declaring the workshop open earlier , the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Delta State University, Abraka, Professor A. E. Anigala, described corruption as a “chronic societal ulcer that infects, infests and destroys the nation”, saying that ‘’corruption is a sin against God and humanity’’. He commended ICPC for the initiative and urged the participants to take the fight against corruption seriously. Delivering a paper titled “Religion and its Institution as Veritable Tools in Combating Corruption’ “The Christian Perspective” Mrs. Awani Ighoroje from the University of Benin identified religion as belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny, adding that, a true Christian should not dwell in carnality, and that it was therefore the duty of the church to teach its members to emulate Christ. Mrs. Ighoroje noted that corruption is a vice and not a virtue, and that the manifestation of corruption in Nigeria today stems from the attitude of people with a mindset of immoral disposition. She concluded that a holistic approach which includes both religious and non-religious strategies should be adopted in order to prevent corruption in the country. Presenting the second paper with the topic “Religion and its Institution as Veritable Tools in Combating Corruption’ “The Muslim Perspective”, Prof. Waziri Oseni from the University of Ilorin, noted that the main objective of the workshop was to enlighten the public on the adverse effects of corruption, adding that, all the acts defined by the ICPC law as corruption are also described as “haram” from the Islamic point of view. Speaking further, he warned all those who engage in corrupt practices to desist because there is retribution for wrong-doing. The workshop ended with contributions and suggestions from representatives of the religious bodies among which was the call for anti-corruption clubs to be formed in primary and secondary schools in the country to inculcate good morals in children from their early days. In his vote of thanks, Mr. Olusesan expressed his gratitude to the participants for attending, and said he hoped to see changes in their attitude as they go about their duties, while urging them to adopt a speak-out attitude against corruption in whatever form it might be presented.

N11.75m Fraud: Court Refuses to Strike-out Case against PSC Finance Director

icpcuser — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 15:38:55 +0000

Justice C.N. Oji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 21, Apo, has dismissed the plea by the Director of Finance, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Emmanuel Ibe, to strike-out the alleged N11.75 million fraud case brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Mr. Ibe was arraigned by ICPC before Justice Oji, on a 9-count charge that borders on fraudulent payment of N11, 750, 000 to some selected staff of PSC in March 2015, as airfare and airport taxi allowances to travel from Abuja to seven states within Nigeria on official duties even while there were no connecting flights from Abuja to any of those states. ICPC said that the alleged offence contravenes Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under the same section. The alleged offence was committed when Mr. Ibe opted to facilitate the payment of money to some staff of PSC to travel from Abuja to Bauchi, Niger, Benue, Kaduna, Kogi, Nassarawa states and the FCT, thereby violating provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. His counsel, S. M. Nwosu, while pleading the innocence of his client prayed the court to quash the charge brought against him by ICPC. The prayer was opposed by ICPC through Mr. Paul Bassi, who argued that Section 396 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act empowers the court not to nullify the case. He said, “By the provision of Section 396 (2) of the ACJA 2015, the court can only entertain this type of application alongside the substantive issues in the case.” Justice Oji in his ruling dismissed the application on the grounds that the timing for the prayer was too early and can only be entertain at the conclusion of the prosecution’s case.

92% Stolen Funds Recovered As NHIS Moves To Fish Out Fraudulent HMOs - Leadership

icpcuser — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 07:44:49 +0000

With about N350 billion allegedly mismanaged by the Health Management Organizations (HMOs), the administrator of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has initiated plans to cleanse the institution of all fraudulent practices. LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt that with the help of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the HMOs have returned over 92 per cent of looted funds back to NHIS. It was also gathered that since 2005 when the scheme was established, the institution has failed to discharge its statutory responsibility, as only five per cent of Nigerians are presently covered by the scheme, as against 60 per cent from neighbouring countries. With the way and manner the implementation of the NHIS had been mired in corruption, irregularities among HMOs and the ill-treatment enrollees face in receiving services at the hospitals have, over the years, marred the progress of the institution. Despite its failings, stakeholders in the health sector still believe that the NHIS in Nigeria is one of several useful mechanisms through which the country could make progress towards achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The executive secretary of NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf, said since he assumed office, he has left no stone unturned in the fight against corrupt practices by some HMOs. Yusuf said some of the HMOs have corrupted the healthcare financing system as they are involved in misappropriation of funds and other scams in the scheme. The NHIS boss who likened the corruption in health financing to that of fuel subsidy said, “There is no healthcare financing in Nigeria but healthcare subsidy. HMOs have corrupted healthcare financing system in NigeriaThe mandate of Mr. President is crystal clear. ‘Go and make NHIS work for all.’ We must make NHIS work for all Nigerians. We cannot do that unless we look at ourselves. Yusuf said he launched a campaign to rid the scheme of corruption, inefficiency and impunity and that with the help of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the HMOs have returned over 92 per cent of the money owned to NHIS. He urged the ICPC to continue probing the activities of NHIS and HMOs who in one way or the other had defrauded the system and short-changed enrolees. He stressed that there is no way Nigeria could achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) if it continued to give resources to people who do not deserve them. Meanwhile, the chairman, Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN), Dr. Tunde Ladele, said while the NHIS is fighting corruption in the system, there is need for the administrator to address other issues that have marred the scheme. Ladele said for more than half of the period it has been operating, the NHIS administrator has been without the governing council that would control the scheme in accordance with the provisions of the decree that set up the scheme. This situation, according to the chairman, has seen successive executive secretaries who were supposed to be in subjection to the general direction of the council turn themselves into sole administrators. The implication of this, according to Ladele, is that the NHIS for most of its life is likely to have been managed by the impulses of the persons occupying the position, adding that the core objective of the scheme aimed at protecting families from financial hardship of huge medical bills, suffers from the lack of effective public policy execution and poor corporate governance. Speaking on other issues that needed to be addressed, he said, “There are still lots of ongoing implementation challenges, which among others include lack of organisational capacity in the management of an insurance-based healthcare service at all levels of operation-health facilities (providers), HMOs (pre-paid schemes) NHIS administrator (regulator)”. He listed others as “poor knowledge about health insurance both among policy/decisions makers (as a tool for rapid national economic growth) and in the general population (as a financial instrument that can significantly improve healthcare access), unresolved ambiguity on the roles and responsibilities of the major players- NHIS administrator, HMOs, providers, employers, employees and ordinary consumers”. Ladele said settling these issues is critical to ensuring that the NHIS survives now and thrives in the coming years ahead, especially as the fact that health insurance can work in Nigeria has been proven. He said what is needed is to bring all these approaches up to scale to achieve UHC, adding that this would require concerted efforts by everyone ‘working together’ to attain this laudable national health goal”. He however advocated that there is need for the two parties to dialogue and find a lasting solution as the scheme is the only gateway towards achieving the goal of UHC. Culled from Leadership News

We don’t Violate Suspects’ Rights– ICPC Boss

okon — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 08:25:58 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has stated that the rights of suspects under the Commission’s custody are not violated as stipulated in the constitution. Mr. Nta said this during a courtesy visit by the Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Anthony Ayine and his team to the ICPC Headquarters recently. He was responding to a complaint by the visiting Auditor-General that when some of his staff are invited as witnesses by the Commission, they are eventually treated as suspects. Mr. Nta said the Commission treats its witnesses and suspects with utmost dignity and respect. He explained that before suspects are detained they are subjected to medical checks in a nearby hospital where the Commission has a retainership and that its comfortable detention and interrogation facilities are continually upgraded. He also said that he receives a notification alert on his mobile phone wherever he is in the world within 5minutes of a suspect being detained which ensures that no suspect is unfairly detained. He added that the Commission goes to great lengths to protect the identity of both its informants and suspects until the matter has gone beyond investigation and is in court. Mr. Nta however assured the Auditor-General that if there were specific reports of mistreatment of witnesses or suspects by ICPC operatives, they would be dealt with appropriately. The ICPC boss stated that the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation was very important in the prevention of corruption and that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) considered it as an anti-corruption institution. Mr. Nta also revealed that the Commission was conducting Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) on the nation’s electronic payment platforms such as IPPIS, GIFMIS, TSA etc to identify corruption loopholes and pre-empt their exploitation by crooked officials. Earlier, Mr. Ayine had said that his visit was to seek collaboration with ICPC given that both organisations were focused on reducing corruption in Nigeria and that his office had recently set up a stakeholders’ committee to advance the anti-corruption campaign. He added that contact persons would be appointed from his organisation to constantly interface with the Commission to smoothen their working relationship. The Auditor-General went further to commend the Commission for what he considered the great work it was doing, especially in its public enlightenment campaign.

NFIU commends ICPC’s Commitment, donates ICT Equipment

okon — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 16:19:21 +0000

The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has donated Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in appreciation of its commitment and hard work in the fight against corruption. The Director of NFIU, Mr Francis Usani, made the presentation of the equipment which included: HP computer, a scanner, and a printer on behalf of The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and the European Union (EU) at the Commission’s headquarters recently. According to Mr. Usani, while making the presentation, the Commission’s approach to the fight against corruption is holistic, meticulous and sustainable; therefore it needs to be encouraged and supported by all stakeholders. The Chairman of ICPC, Mr Ekpo Nta, who received the equipment on behalf of the Commission, expressed his profound gratitude to the NFIU for the gifts, and promised to deploy them in improving the operations of ICPC. GIABA is an institution of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) responsible for facilitating the adoption and implementation of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism policies in West Africa.

ICPC Recovers N.42m Dividend for Varsity Staff

icpcuser — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 08:38:46 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has helped a senior staff of University of Jos, Mrs. Abisola Titilayo Oluwadare, to recover N420,000 being proceeds from her Skye Bank Plc. shares which First Bank of Nigeria Limited had failed to remit to her. Mrs. Oluwadare, a Chief Technologist in the University, had purchased N350,000 worth of Skye Bank shares through First Bank in 2008, but was not issued any share certificate. Worried by the non-issuance of the certificate, the complainant contacted First Bank to claim her accumulated interest on the shares but was turned away by the bank. She said, “I was not issued a share certificate after one year of purchase. I later enquired from First Bank through a lawyer, and then a N72,000 interest which was 15% on the shares was offered instead of the initial 23% interest agreement upon purchase after eight years.” She reported the matter to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the apex bank referred the case to ICPC for further investigation. The Commission’s intervention led to the complainant being paid her money. A cheque of N420, 000 was handed over to Mrs. Oluwadare by Mr. Mike Agboro, Head of Financial Investigation Unit, who represented the Chairman of ICPC at the Commission’s headquarters. Oluwadare expressed gratitude to God and the Commission for its prompt intervention which resulted in the recovery of her money with interest. “I am greatly impressed and I have been telling people about ICPC. I thought ICPC was only for politicians,” she said.

ICPC inaugurates Students Anti-Corruption Vanguards in 6 Sokoto and Kebbi Tertiary Institutions

okon — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 15:36:15 +0000

In a bid to boost the participation of youths in the crusade against corruption, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), recently inaugurated Student’s Anti – Corruption Vanguards (SAVs) for six tertiary institutions in Sokoto and Kebbi States. The inauguration of the SAVs took place at a forum organized in Sokoto recently to ensure active participation of the youth in the fight against corruption. Speaking at the event, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, represented by the Head of Youths Education and Mobilization, Mr. Kingsley C. Obi, said that corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of our society, including the education sector, where vices like examination malpractices, sexual harassments, marks-for-money and others were rife. According to him, “….the greatest challenge to our nation and indeed the strong cog in the wheel of our nation’s socio-economic development is corruption”, adding that ICPC alone could not rid the nation of corruption, hence the need for SAVs in tertiary institutions. The ICPC boss explained that SAVs operate as agents of corruption- prevention in their respective institutions. He said “waging a successful war against corruption requires not just our actions as a law enforcement agency, but the resolute effort of all stakeholders including students”. Nta stressed that members of the SAVs were therefore expected to complement the efforts of ICPC by educating fellow students on the ills of corruption; actively participating in social auditing and whistle-blowing as well as mobilizing fellow students to stand against corruption at all times. He maintained that the challenges of ensuring that transparency and integrity become a culture in Nigeria can be achieved through the cultivation of principled men and women whose footprints of uprightness would be indelible over time. According to him, “the youth that is imbued with a reformist mission will see himself as a whistle-blower against vices and corruption. As we launch a collective onslaught on corruption, we must bear in mind that corruption lingers on and becomes such a huge and lucrative industry in Nigeria because it has taken many years to condition our minds to it, imbibe, nurture, sustain and even defend it as a virtue as long as it helps us to achieve our selfish ends”. “Corruption has debased the worth and integrity of Nigerians and our educational sector both at home and abroad, we must therefore do everything we can to tackle it”, he concluded. In his remarks, the Head of ICPC, Sokoto State, Mr. Bulus Jimmy, represented by the Chief Legal Officer, Wada Ahmad Muhammad, urged members of the anti-corruption vanguards to be role-models because membership of the vanguard was based on dedication, integrity and good conduct exhibited by them in their respective institutions. He also challenged them to be above board in discharging their assigned responsibilities. The institutions that participated in the programme included: Sokoto State University; Shehu Shagari College of Education; Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto; Kebbi State University of Science and Technology Aliero; Umaru Waziri Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi; and Adamu Augie College of Education.

ACTUs must do utmost to eliminate corruption from MDAs - ICPC Chairman

okon — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 15:38:26 +0000

Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has said that the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units in Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) are expected to do their utmost as corruption watchdogs in order to help eliminate corruption from the systems and procedures of government institutions and establishments. Mr. Nta gave this charge through Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) at the inauguration of ACTU members in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in Abuja. He said, “The unit serves as an in-house check mechanism within the ministry to monitor, identify and address lapses in processes and procedures where unethical practices could be found.” The ICPC Chairman stressed that the Commission was given the mandate to ensure that corruption was reduced to the barest minimum in the country through the entrenchment of transparency and accountability in the way business is conducted in government establishments. He further advised the Management to make sure the unit was given the maximum support it required for effective service delivery. Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Belema Wakama, represented by Director, Information and Communication Technology Unit (ICT), Mr. Leo Aliboh commended ICPC for its efforts in checkmating corruption-prone systems in agencies of government. She said, ‘Transparency and accountability are key elements in delivering good governance; while its lack breeds corruption and retards economic growth. ‘The Ministry is therefore ready to partner with ICPC through the ACTU members to ensure those moral values are put in place to entrench anti-corruption ethos in the agency.”

Multi-billion dollar Japanese Company Seeks ICPC’s Advice on Investment in Nigeria

icpcuser — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 15:46:28 +0000

A Japanese conglomerate, Mitsui Company Limited, has asked for the advice of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) regarding Nigerian laws and other security matters as it seeks reinvestment in Nigeria. General Manager, African Strategy and Promotion Department, Mitsui, Mr. Shusaku Okamura, who led top management of the company to ICPC, said that the visit was meant to help the company invest appropriately in Nigeria without running foul of the laws of the land. Mr. Okamura told ICPC that Mitsui was in Nigeria until 2006 before closing down its operations in the country due to some harsh business environment, but now sought to return to the country to take advantage of the economic policies of the present administration and investment opportunities that abound in the country. ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, at the meeting expressed the readiness of the Commission to partner with Mitsui, noting that ICPC adheres strictly to ethics and compliance, and as such would support the company by carrying out diligent checks to ensure strict compliance with Nigerian investment laws. He promised to conduct a workshop to help the company identify relevant laws and avoid possible infractions as well as initiate Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) to assist businesses requiring such intervention from the Commission. Mitsui with total assets of $96.6 billion, already have offices in Accra Ghana, Casablanca, Nairobi, Cairo, Johannesburg and a host of other countries around the world, with about over 43, 611 employees. The company is into machinery and infrastructure, energy, chemicals, metals, lifestyle and corporate development.

ICPC urges Accountability among Public Servants

icpcuser — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 15:28:21 +0000

…inaugurates NITT ACTU The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has called on public servants to imbibe the culture of transparency and accountability in discharging their duties. Mr. Nta, who was represented by the Zonal Commissioner, North-West of ICPC, Mr. Olusegun Adigun, made the call at the inauguration of members of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria. He explained that ICPC was established to carry out a three- pronged mandate which comprises enforcement, prevention, education and public enlightenment as enshrined in the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences act 2000 and as such, ACTU is expected to carry out all the functions of the Commission except prosecution. Earlier, the Director General of the Institute, Aminu Musa Yusuf, who was represented by the Registrar, Mallam Sule Bello, expressed the management’s readiness to support the unit in its effort to curb corruption and other related offences in the institute. In his remarks, the ACTU Chairman, Mr. Mantoe M. Mainasara said that the unit under his leadership would ensure compliance with due process and other extant laws in the institute. Mainasara commended the management for finding him and other members worthy of appointment to the unit. He also called on the management to accord the ACTU all necessary support to enable them discharge their duties effectively.

ICPC, UNODC Partner on Corruption Prevention

icpcuser — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 15:29:27 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta, has charged staff of the Commission to rid themselves of all preconceived beliefs held over the years and open up to new ideas in order to enhance the preventive effort of the Commission in the fight against corruption. He gave the charge Wednesday at a one-day workshop organized in Abuja for Heads of Departments and Units of the Commission by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on corruption prevention. The aim of the workshop was to take a critical look at the Commission’s corruption prevention mandate so as to address essential requirements for establishing an effective preventive approach to fighting corruption. Mr. Nta also pointed out that there was need a to redefine the reportage of corruption prevention, saying, “I have looked at the process of reporting prevention and that has been a major problem for ICPC because reporting corruption prevention does not get front-page attention, so we need to redefine the reporting system.” In his remarks at the workshop, the Country Representative of European Union (EU), Christin Albertin, who was represented by Jesse Wachanga, said that the workshop tagged, “Boosting ICPC’s Prevention Efforts” was part of a series of activities that UNODC was implementing in corruption prevention of the EU support to Anti-corruption in Nigeria Project. Also, speaking on the workshop, the facilitator, Victor O. Ayeni, stated that one of the expected outcomes was to enhance synergy amongst relevant departments and units through sharing of experiences and better strategic coherence. He also said that participants were expected to bring up ideas on how the Commission could improve current practices geared towards preventing corruption and, thus made a sustainable impact on the overall national effort. Declaring the workshop closed, Head of Public Enlightenment Department and spokesperson of the Commission, Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni, praised UNODC for their continuous support through technical assistance, provision of equipment and training.

US Government offers Support to ICPC

okon — Tue, 02 May 2017 10:47:16 +0000

Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice of the United States of America (USA) have offered to provide relevant support to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to help it improve its operations. This offer was made when a team of US government officials visited the Commission recently. The team included: Special Agent Pamela Bergren of the FBI; Scott Thorley of the US Department of Justice; Special Agent John Wilson of the FBI and Legal Attache, US Embassy, Nigeria; and Jim Oscar of the FBI. Speaking during the visit, Mr. Wilson said the team would like to organize a mentorship programme for investigators and prosecutors of the Commission. He emphasized that the involvement of prosecutors in the investigation process of a case from start to finish would greatly improve the chances of successful prosecution. The Special Agent, while noting that the team had been working with other anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria, also added that the mentorship would help the officers of the Commission to achieve timely case management and save resources that would have been otherwise wasted. In his remark, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, told the delegation that the Commission was interested in any form of assistance that the US could render to ICPC. He however requested the visitors to be more definitive about the nature of the mentoring assistance they were proposing while adding that the Commission would welcome any ideas that would lead to improvements in its prosecutorial and investigative processes as well as the various preventive strategies being adopted by the Commission in its anti-corruption campaign.

“Whistle-Blowing Policy: Road-map to Success in Anti-corruption Campaign” - ICPC

okon — Tue, 02 May 2017 11:08:11 +0000

The Zonal Commissioner, North-Central Zone of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Patrick Chilezie Ogwuegbu has said that, the whistle-blowing policy introduced by the Federal Government was a roadmap to greater success in the anti-corruption campaign. Mr. Ogwuegbu stated this at a one-day symposium recently organised to sensitize staff of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Kogi State. According to him, “The policy’s objective was to ensure corrupt persons and officials in government that loot public funds are exposed and prosecuted.” He added that the policy was put in place to ensure that corruption, financial crimes and other related offences were brought to the barest minimum through the reward system put in place to compensate whistle-blowers. “Utilise the system and report any unethical act by any employee even at the top management level of the institution,” the Commissioner charged. Speaking on the protection and reward system of whistle-blowers, the ICPC Zonal Head, assured that the identity of whistle-blowers shall be protected as provided under the Whistle-Blower Protection Policy. “The policy provides that if the government is able to recover stolen or concealed assets through information provided by a whistle-lower, he/she may be entitled to between 2.5% to 5% of amount recovered”, he added. He further stressed the need for the staff to be transparent and accountable in discharging their official duties in the workplace. He mentioned that NOA as a major stakeholder in the whistle-blowing policy could also rely on the Commission to disclose any information bordering on corruption and financial crimes.

Shun Corruption, ICPC Tells Health Workers

okon — Tue, 02 May 2017 15:26:01 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called on the staff of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan to shun corruption and other practices that were inimical to the health profession. The call was made by the Commissioner, ICPC Oyo State Office, Mr. Stephen Pimor, at the inauguration and induction of new members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of UCH in Ibadan. According to him, “Corruption is one of the biggest challenges confronting humanity which requires a collective effort to eradicate,” saying that health connotes life and therefore corruption cannot be allowed to thrive in the health sector. Mr. Pimor who expressed appreciation to the management of the hospital for providing an enabling environment for ACTU in UCH, noted that the induction and sensitization was in line with one aspect of the three-pronged mandate of the Commission. Earlier, in his opening remarks, UCH Chief Medical Director (CMD) Professor Temitope Oluwagbenga Alonge, who was represented by the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Clement Okolo, lauded the Commission for establishing ACTUs in Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), saying the initiative would serve as an internal check mechanism. The CMD therefore called on the newly inaugurated ACTU members to always live above board and be change agents in the hospital. Professor Alonge further enjoined all the staff to be transparent and accountable in their day to day activities and eschew all forms of corrupt practices. Some of the out-gone ACTU members who spoke at the event expressed delight at the training and capacity building they received from ICPC during their tenure, stating that they have benefitted immensely from the gesture. The new members who were sworn in had Dr. Adebusoye Lawrence as chairman, Mrs. Adesokan Oluwatoyin as secretary and Mr. Joshua Awe, Barrister Ekanem Idara and Mrs. Makinde Adeniyi as members.

ICPC Secures 6-Year Jail Term for Visa Racketeer

icpcuser — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:13:18 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a 6-year jail term for a visa racketeer, Mr. Victor Charles Ndubueze. Mr. Ndubueze was charged to court by ICPC on a 3-count charge bordering on impersonation and forgery under Sections 132 and 363 of the Penal Code and punishable under Sections 132 and 364 of the 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja . The defendant was convicted on all the three counts by Hon. Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja and was subsequently sentenced to 2 years imprisonment on each of the counts which would run concurrently. ICPC Counsel, Ekoi Akponimisingha, had told the court that Ndubueze had posed as a Director in the Consular and Immigration Service Department (CISD) of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja to commit the offences. The convict was said to have sent false documents via email while posing as Mr. Akinkumi Rockson, who is CISD Director II, Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the intention to hoodwink the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to offer him entry visas for 5 applicants via the Trade Mission of Taiwan in Abuja. The convict had also forged a letter of introduction from the Federal Ministry of Foreign affairs in the name of Mr. Rockson, to introduce the 5 applicants as journalists going to Taipei for a Computer expo, whereas they were all automobile spare parts dealers resident in Aba, Abia State. On receiving a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the criminal activities of the convict, ICPC swung into action and investigations were carried out which established to the Commission that the suspect had indeed committed the offences.

Sokoto Governor Commends ICPC for Entrenching Integrity at the Grassroots

icpcuser — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:15:16 +0000

The Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has commended the effort of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), at entrenching integrity and institutionalizing transparency at the local government level in the country. Governor Tambuwal, who was represented by the Sokoto State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Alhaji Munir Muhammad Dan’iya, made the commendation recently in Sokoto at a 3-day sensitisation workshop for principal officers of the 23 local government councils in the state. The workshop was organized by the Sokoto State office of ICPC in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government Ministry for Local Government and Community Development. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the governor charged the participants to make the best use of the training, saying that his administration placed a premium on the “training of local government functionaries on attitudes and orientations needed to inculcate in them the spirit of integrity and accountability in public service for national development.” He therefore praised the Commission for coming up with initiatives that are helping to entrench anti-corruption at various levels and sectors. Earlier in his remarks, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, represented by the Zonal Commissioner North West, Mr Olusegun Adigun, lamented the fact that the quality of life of the generality of Nigerians was low because of corruption. He said, “Nigerians are living in abject poverty because of corruption despite huge deposits of natural resources as well as the presence of highly-skilled human resources in the country”. Mr. Nta therefore tasked the Local Government officials to shun corruption, saying it was evil and that they would each account for their actions or inactions some day. He further noted that the local government was the closest tier of government to the people, and so called on the Sokoto State Government to collaborate more with the Commission to work towards corruption prevention.

ICPC Arraigns 2 Civil Servants for Forging Visa Documents

icpcuser — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:17:12 +0000

In an attempt to secure a United Kingdom travel visa using forged documents, two civil servants, Shitu Afeez and Babatunde Oluyemi Bamgbade, have been arraigned before Honourable Justice H.O. Oshodi of Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, on a seven-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, criminal conspiracy and possession of false documents by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) The two civil servants were accused of conspiring to obtain a forged letter of introduction from the Lagos State Government as part of an application for a British visa to attend a 3-day training programme of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management and Governmental Services Association in the United Kingdom between May 31^st and June 2^nd 2016. Afeez and Bamgbade’s action is contrary to and punishable under Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. While taking their plea separately, the accused persons entered a “not guilty” plea to all the charges preferred against them. In view of this, counsel to both the 1^st and 2^nd defendants, Faith Ajomale and Olalekan Bolaji respectively prayed the court to grant their clients bail. In his ruling on the bail application, the trial judge granted bail separately to both accused persons in the sum of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) each with a surety in like sum. The sureties must be blood relations of the accused persons and residents of Lagos with evidence of three years tax clearance from the Lagos State Government. The case has been adjourned to 13^th May 2017 for commencement of trial.

Govt Policies Should be Research-Driven – Nta

okon — Mon, 08 May 2017 10:25:56 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mr. Ekpo Nta, has made a case for policies of government to be research-driven to enable them achieve their objectives. Mr. Nta, while receiving the Acting Provost of the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS), National Defence College, Dr. Gani Joses Yoroms, who was at the Commission on a courtesy visit, explained that policies of government should be research-driven so as to avoid unintended consequences. He also added that where problems arise in the implementation of policies, they should be reviewed and fine-tuned. The ICPC Chairman cited the example of the whistle-blowing policy which addresses recovered funds but could benefit from an operational approach that plugs the loopholes that allowed the funds to be stolen in the first place. The ICPC boss said that the Commission was very interested in research aimed at studying loopholes of corruption and proffering long-term solutions to them. He mentioned the recently launched harmonized National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), the first of its kind in Nigeria which is a 5-year strategic plan aimed at presenting a blueprint for all stakeholders in the fight against corruption as one that is likely to achieve its objectives. Speaking on the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the Commission, Mr. Nta said it was well-equipped and positioned for all kinds of anti-corruption training that includes distance-learning with flexible study time for participants’ convenience. He expressed the Commission’s willingness to partner with the Centre to further educate people on important security and anti-corruption issues. In his remarks, the Acting Provost of the Centre, Dr. Yoroms, expressed the desire to build a good working relationship with ICPC as one of the security agencies in the country. He said that part of the proposed partnership would be capacity-building on the security implication of ICPC’s work for middle and senior cadre staff of the Commission.

ICPC Presents System Study Report on Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Abuja

icpcuser — Mon, 08 May 2017 10:49:59 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has presented a draft report of system study conducted on the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Abuja. The Commission presented the report in an interactive session with the Director-General of the Bureau, Mr. Alex A. Okoh and his management staff. Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, in his remarks during the presentation, said that the essence of the meeting was to present the extract of the findings of the study conducted to the Bureau. Mr. Nta, who was represented by a Board Member, Alhaji Bako Abdullahi, explained that the objective of the study was to advance the Commission’s preventive mandate and make recommendations based on the findings to prevent corruption in BPE. He said that the exercise was meant to identify system vulnerabilities in the operations of the organization in order to strengthen and make it adopt international best practices in line with anti-corruption processes. The system study on BPE indicated several areas of its operations that were vulnerable to corruption. It also recommended measures to be taken by the organization to remove such vulnerabilities within a certain timeline before the Commission’s follow-up inspection. In his response, Mr. Okoh, expressed gratitude to the Commission for the exercise conducted and promised 100 percent compliance with the recommendations. It is noteworthy, that one of the duties of ICPC as stipulated in section 6 (b-d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Act 2000, is the power to carry out system Study of MDAs in order to find out corruption loopholes and to also direct the adoption of measures to block such loopholes.

ICPC Trains 40 Staff on Effective Public Education Campaign against Corruption

okon — Mon, 08 May 2017 11:18:40 +0000

Pursuant to an aspect of its tripartite mandate, “to educate the public on and against bribery, corruption and related offences; and to enlist and foster public support in combating corruption,” the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has organized a training retreat for 40 of its education officers. The retreat which was held at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of ICPC, focused on skills, strategies and stakeholders, and was aimed at coaching education officers on the implementation of an effective public education campaign against corruption. The main thrust of the retreat was to familiarize officers with the objectives and goals of the Education Department; to discuss how to improve on work schedule for greater impact; and to discuss experiences and challenges of the participants as education officers for effective mass mobilization. Declaring the training open, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, charged the participants to carry out a self-appraisal of their performance over a period of time to sustain areas of high performance while improving on areas of weakness. He also called on them to get more committed to the anti-corruption crusade, saying that they had a task of educating over 150 million Nigerians on the ills of corruption. It is worthy of note that since its inception over a decade ago, ICPC has carried out its duties of tackling corruption in the country through the strategies of enforcement, system studies, as well as education and public enlightenment. To carry out this statutory mandate effectively and efficiently, the Commission has always recognized the fact that its members of staff require constant training and cutting-edge capacity-building.

ICPC Ends 6 Years Suffering Of Octogenarian Retiree

okon — Tue, 09 May 2017 12:06:17 +0000

For six years, the payment of the pension arrears of Mrs. Olaopa Deborah Olaremi, a retiree of the Federal Civil Service, was delayed by the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) for reasons that were not stated. All efforts made by the retiree to have her benefit paid met a brick wall until she decided to report the matter to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). In her petition to the Commission, she alleged that PTAD had refused to pay her federal pension arrears for six years for “reasons best known to them “. Investigation into the matter by ICPC did not reveal any infraction of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by PTAD; nevertheless, the Commission’s intervention, as part of its policy of giving succor to the weak and the voiceless in the society, yielded a positive outcome for Mrs. Olaremi. The sum of N2, 154,810.84 (Two Million, One Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ten Naira, Eighty Four Kobo), owed the petitioner for six years was computed and paid into her Skye Bank account by PTAD. In a telephone conversation with an ICPC official, Mrs. Olaopa Olaremi praised the Commission for coming to her rescue, saying that she had not expected the matter to be resolved so quickly. She stated that her faith in Nigeria had been rekindled by the level of professionalism and efficiency displayed by ICPC operatives on the matter.

LG Workers require Anti-Corruption Training to curtail Corruption – ICPC Chairman

okon — Thu, 11 May 2017 19:57:00 +0000

Integrity training and capacity-building of officials of local government councils can go a long way in stemming the tide of corruption in local government administration in the country. The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, stated this recently while declaring open a one-day training tagged: “Anti-Corruption, Ethics and Integrity,” organized for Yobe State Local Government officials in Bauchi by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training and research arm of ICPC. The ICPC Chairman who was represented at the opening ceremony of the event by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, noted that corruption remained a big problem bedeviling the nation because, among other factors, many local government officials lacked the requisite knowledge of the ethics that would drive a corruption-free administration of local councils in the country. He therefore noted that training and capacity-building sessions for the workers were necessary for ICPC to entrench anti-corruption ethos in the local government system. Mr. Nta said such sessions would also provide an opportunity for local government workers and ICPC to discuss issues bordering on anti-corruption. He drew attention to the importance of transparency and accountability in the operations of the third tier of government and the danger of allowing corruption to thrive at that level. “You must understand that you are carrying a big responsibility, therefore, you should not allow loopholes in the system. You must also understand that local government councils are critical, because if you fail, the entire communities will fail, the state will fail and the nation at large will fail,” the ICPC Chairman warned. The training event featured paper presentations by ICPC resource persons and discussion sessions. In a paper titled: “Leadership and the Fight against Corruption at the Local Government Level,” by Dr. Elvis Oglafa, participants were charged to always have it at the back of their minds that the only reason they were in leadership positions in the various local government councils of Yobe State was for them to bring about meaningful development and improve on the welfare of those at the grassroots. In another paper presentation titled: “Fostering Ethics and Integrity in Local Government,”Mr. Abdul Ahmed of ACAN stated that expected ethical values for local government officials include loyalty, punctuality, discipline, professionalism, honesty, integrity among others. He called on participants to develop a firm moral fibre that can resist pressure to do wrong and always abide by the Public Service Rules and Financial Regulations in the management of government finances. In a similar presentation titled: “Types, Risks and Consequences of Corruption at Local Government Level,” ICPC’s Head of Administration, Mr. Gad Bako, identified some risks associated with corruption in the local government to include inflation of prices of items, ghost-workers syndrome, over-estimation of costs of projects, etc. He called on the participants to shun such sharp practices and make integrity their watchword. Another presentation featured “The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 at the Local Government Level”. Its presenter Mr. Abubakar Jibrin of the Bauchi office of ICPC highlighted the various provisions in the Act that local government officials were prone to violating. Earlier in his welcome address, ICPC North-East Zonal Commissioner, Alhaji Sule Yahaya, told participants that corruption in any form was unacceptable, saying that corruption can only be minimized if public officials at the grassroots imbibe the culture of integrity in all their dealings.

ICPC tasks Students of Catholic, IDP Schools to stand up against Corruption

okon — Fri, 12 May 2017 19:40:32 +0000

Pupils and students of two schools in Abuja; Praxis Catholic E-School and the Special School for Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Vulnerable Children, have been charged to stand up against corruption and uphold the virtue of integrity. The charge was given by the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, to the students who were on an excursion to ICPC to learn more about the Commission and the fight against corruption. Mr. Nta, who was represented by the Head of International Cooperation Unit, Mr. Demola Bakare, at a reception held for the students, advised them to eschew examination malpractices and other forms of corruption in order to realise their dreams of a great future. He described the youth as major stakeholders in the anti-corruption campaign and said he wished to provoke their consciousness against corruption as many youth have been denied a good education because of the scourge. The ICPC Chairman added that if they could imbibe good moral values from the home, school and the society at large, there would be hope for a greater Nigeria. The students were also treated to a PowerPoint presentation on the Commission and its core functions by the Acting Head of the Education Department, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua. She explained the work of ICPC to include investigating and prosecuting corrupt persons; introducing measures to prevent corruption; and mobilising the people to join in the campaign. Mrs. Ogugua urged the Management of the schools to declare their premises “corruption-free zones” by setting up anti-corruption clubs (ACC) as a preventive measure. ‘’Corruption is a dream-killer and an evil that deprives citizens of good social welfare they deserve from the government’’, she concluded. In his address, the Proprietor of the Schools, Mr. Ben Onwudinjo, commended ICPC for working hard towards achieving its mandate of fighting corruption, thereby promoting national security, and pledged the support of the schools to the Commission’s efforts. The Praxis Catholic E-School and Special School for Internally-Displaced Persons and Vulnerable Children, Abuja are private institutions run on Catholic principles and non-religious principles respectively under the same management.

TETFund projects: FG sends EFCC, ICPC after defaulting contractors - Nigerian Tribune

icpcuser — Tue, 16 May 2017 08:10:07 +0000

THE Federal Government has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate some contractors handling its intervention projects in some tertiary institutions.

Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, who made this known at a news conference during the weekend in Abuja, vowed to recover every fund allocated for projects in tertiary institutions and was misappropriated. He said the agency would blacklist such contractors in addition to ensuring that all funds stolen by them or beneficiary institutions were recovered. He disclosed that the fund in the last five years disbursed about N1 trillion as intervention fund to public universities, colleges of education and Polytechnics, out which over N175 billion has not been accessed by some benefitting institutions as a result of several encumbrances. Baffa, noted that from the Access Clinic organised recently for beneficiary institutions, it was discovered that after receipt of first tranche of money from the Fund, some beneficiaries unduly delay payment to contractors. He disclosed that some contractors refuse to mobilise to site after receiving mobilisation fees, adding that in some cases a greater part of the project cycle is spent on the beneficiary pursuing the contractors to mobilize to site. “In some cases, the contractors delay execution of the projects on the ground of price changes due to foreign exchange fluctuations despite signing fixed contracts with their clients,” he said. While answering a question on if the agency would blacklist defaulting contractors, Baffa, said the agency has directed all the beneficiary institutions to provide the list of all defaulting contractors for it to be circulated to all tertiary institutions in the country, so that no institution would accept to give such defaulting contractor TETFund project. “Also, there are institutions that we have advised, some we have directed that they should report certain contractors to EFCC or ICPC. And quite a number of them have complied and written to us that EFCC or ICPC has started coming to the institutions for investigations. “Some have agreed on a period within which defaulting contractor has agreed under the influence of ICPC, to complete all the abandoned projects, and we are happy about this because we want all our projects to be completed. “We want public funds allocated to these institutions, disbursed by this fund to be judiciously utilised. Where any penny is diverted, we are not going to rest on our oars; we will follow it and recover it,” he said. He assured Nigerian public that TETFund under his watch would allow money released from the agency for execution of projects get missing. Baffa, disclosed that the total un-accessed from 2011 to 2015 including 2016 which the projects are still ongoing in universities, colleges of education and Polytechnics was N175 billion at the time he appointed as the Executive Secretary of TETFund. He, however, noted that in the last nine months when he assumed leadership of the agency, more than half of that amount has been accessed by the benefiting institutions. He explained that main aim of the Access Clinic was to discuss, diagnose and remedy all encumbrances so as to enable the institutions fulfill the requirements to access funds. He added that the exercise also enabled the Fund to reconcile financial records between the Fund and the beneficiaries which was a challenge in the past, saying in the process, timelines were extracted from the institutions for concluding the process of access. “We are hoping that after this Access Clinic the remaining half, will be accessed within the timeline that we have agreed with the beneficiary institutions. We as a fund, would not want any penny allocated to beneficiary institution to still be with the fund. “We want to money to be disbursed and to be used for the purposes intended. That is why we conducted the Access Clinic and that is why are going to institutionalised the Access Clinic.

N39m Fraud: ICPC Arraigns 1st Class Emir

okon — Wed, 17 May 2017 11:51:45 +0000

The Emir of Birnin Magaji, HRH Alhaji Ahmed Umar Birnin Magaji, has been arraigned before Honourable Justice M.T.M Aliyu Tukur of Kaduna State High Court 7 sitting in Kaduna by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for alleged inflation of the costs of procuring items and award of contracts to his personal company. Alhaji Magaji, who was a procurement officer with the Kaduna Polytechnic but is currently a First-Class Emir of the Zamfara State Emirate Council was arraigned on a 7-count charge bordering on holding a private interest in the award of contracts, fraudulent acquisition of property, abuse of office, conferring corrupt advantage upon himself and inflation of the costs of procuring goods to the tune of N39,461,027.50 Alhaji Magaji is accused of jacking up the price of an executive conference table from N350,000 to N1,250,000 and the cost of a Chinese carpet from N567,600 to N2,017,600. The defendant is also said to have used his office as a procurement officer to award the contract for the rehabilitation of a road and vehicle parking lot worth N12,662,590, and the procurement of 1,277 two-seater classroom chairs worth N22,459,237.50 to his personal company, Skylight Nigeria Limited. The accused person’s actions are contrary to sections 12,19 and 22, sub-section 3 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and on conviction shall be liable to a term of imprisonment ranging from 5 to 7 years. When he was admitted in court, the monarch entered a “not-guilty plea” to all the charges leveled against him. Counsel to the accused then prayed the court to grant his client bail based on self-recognition on the grounds that the emir was a recipient of the National Award of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR), and promised that he would ensure the presence of the traditional ruler in court throughout the duration of trial. The accused was therefore granted bail in the sum of N2 million with a surety in like sum who must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 14 with evidence of having been residing in Kaduna for the past 5 years. The case was adjourned to 29^th June 2017 for the commencement of trial.

ICPC arraigns Ex-Deputy Speaker

okon — Wed, 17 May 2017 11:53:23 +0000

A former Deputy Speaker and current member representing Jos-North state constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Honourable Ibrahim Baba Hassan, has been docked before Honourable Justice J.U.A Musale of High Court 31 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Jabi, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly submitting a forged academic qualification to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest in the 2015 State Assembly elections. The lawmaker, who is presently a 3-time member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, was said to have forged a Diploma in Business Administration of the University of Jos, dated November 1996, and falsely inserted his name as one of the graduands in the “Order of Proceedings of the 19^th Combined Convocation Ceremony” of the said university held on 26^th and 27^th April 2002 which he presented to ICPC investigators. Hassan who contested the 2015 Plateau State House of Assembly election again and won, was arraigned on a 5-count charge of offences bordering on forgery, lying under oath, intent to cause damage to the public and making false statement with the intention to mislead. In a Charge No: CR/136/17, the defendant was accused of committing offences contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, sections 157, 164, 363,366 of Penal Code Laws of the FCT and punishable under Section 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and sections 158 and 364 of the Penal Code. The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him and in view of this, counsel to the accused, Solomon E. Umoh (SAN), via an oral application, sought the relief of the court to grant his client bail based on self-recognition. He averred that his client did not show any recalcitrant attitude throughout the course of investigation. However, ICPC’s counsel, Agbili Ezenwa Kingsley, opposed the relief sought by the defence, arguing that the accused, as a political office-holder, could be recalled by his constituents at any time and would lose his privileged status. Kingsley therefore prayed the court to grant the accused stringent bail conditions that would compel him to appear for hearings no matter the circumstances. Having listened to the submissions of both parties, the trial judge ruled that the administrative bail which was granted to the accused person by ICPC should subsist. The case has been adjourned to July 3^rd 2017 for commencement of hearing.

ICPC Arraigns Firm, Businessman for Forging Tax Clearance Certificate

okon — Wed, 17 May 2017 11:54:50 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arraigned the Managing Director (MD) of an investment company and his company before Honourable Justice A.S. Adepoju of High Court 30 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Wuse for alleged forgery, making false statement and submission of fake documents in a bid to secure a contract from the Federal Government. The accused person, Engineer Olayiwola Ayeni, who is the owner of Joma Investment Limited was alleged to have submitted forged tax clearance certificates for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 with false figures which according to him were purportedly issued by the Federal Inland Revenues Service (FIRS), to scale a pre-qualification bid. As part of the bidding process for a contract to be awarded, all bidding companies must indicate their turnover figures for previous years as evidence that they have the capability to carry out such a contract. In the light of this, Engineer Ayeni, jacked up the turnover figures of his company because it did not meet the threshold. The defendant and the company were therefore charged on 3 counts for submitting false documents to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing. Their actions were contrary to and punishable under sections 17 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against them and were granted bail in the sum of N5 million with a surety in like sum who must be an officer not below Grade Level 15 in the Federal Civil Service.

NIPOST, ICPC Unveil Anti-corruption Stamps

okon — Wed, 17 May 2017 11:56:38 +0000

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other anti-corruption agencies in Kano has unveiled postal stamps bearing short anti-corruption messages to promote awareness among Nigerians. The Post-Master General of the Federation, Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi who was represented by the Director, Human Resources, NIPOST, launched the postage stamp in Kano recently, said it was to further drive the anti-corruption fight to a higher height as the usage of the stamps on a daily basis cuts across all strata of society. “We are of the firm belief that the stamps will be effective as an instrument for creative mental symbolism and a means to further mobilize popular consciousness in support of the anti-corruption war,” he explained. The Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in his remark said the fight against corruption was indispensible as no society could develop without fighting corruption among its citizenry. “Because of the on-going fight against corruption embarked upon by President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian’s image abroad has tremendously improved.” said the governor. The Chairman of ICPC Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by Zonal Commissioner, North West, Mr. Shehu Yahaya, expressed the belief that the stamps would raise the consciousness of Nigerians against corruption and aid the Commission in educating the people on and against corruption as well as enlisting and fostering their support in the fight against corruption.

ICPC Zonal Commissioner Advocates More Emphasis On Corruption Prevention

okon — Thu, 18 May 2017 08:58:59 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) North Central Zonal Commissioner, Mr. Patrick Ogwuegbu has stressed the need to lay emphasis on corruption prevention in order to minimize the scourge in Nigeria. The Zonal Commissioner, represented by Alhaji Yahaya Ali of Asset Tracing and Recovery Management (ATRM) Unit of the Commission, said this at a one-day sensitization workshop for staff of Kogi State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; and the Budget and Planning Office. Mr. Ogwuegbu informed the participants that it was in furtherance of prevention that the workshop was organized. It had the purpose of re-orienting and equipping staff of the ministries with required skills to identify and tackle corruption issues in their various offices, adding that the Commission has a three- pronged mandate of enforcement, prevention and mobilization/education of members of the public against corrupt practices. In his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Engr. Abubakar Ohere, lauded the effort of ICPC in embarking on the sensitization, noting that the workshop would put the participants on their toes in respect of integrity, accountability and transparency while performing their official duties. According to Ohere, the state government had given full autonomy to Administrators of local governments to operate, not only on finance-related matters, but also on general administration. The Special Adviser then called on ICPC to organize similar workshops for local governments in the state in order to get the grassroots acquainted with the demands of the fight against corruption. Also speaking at the event, the State Commissioner, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Hon. Paul Z. Maiwada, represented by the Permanent Secretary, A .F. Ejims, said that ICPC had acted “profoundly” by bringing the anti-corruption message to the people and that the workshop was the first of its kind in the state. In his paper titled: “An Overview of Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and Other Integrity Laws in Nigeria”, Mr. Suberu Abdulhakeem, also of ICPC, explained the duties of the Commission as spelt out in section 6(a-f) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. He further enumerated the offences which are punishable by the law establishing the Commission among which are: accepting gratification by an officer, giving or accepting gratification through an agent, corrupt demands by persons, fraudulent acquisition of property, deliberate frustration of investigation by the Commission, using office or position to gratify or confer unfair advantage on oneself, relation or associate and more.

N84m Fraud: ICPC Witnesses Testify against Civil Servant, 2 others

icpcuser — Fri, 19 May 2017 14:12:21 +0000

The trial of Johnson Kolawole, a staff of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ayodele O. Omolayo, Head of Operations, First Bank Plc, Ikorodu Branch, and one Adeniji Bisiru Adekunle, continued recently before Honourable Justice Uthman Musa of High Court 18 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Jabi, Abuja. The accused persons are facing prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for criminal conspiracy, abuse of office and use of forged documents. The defendants had been arraigned on 11 counts in a charge No: FCT/HC/CR/18/2008 for furnishing a false return to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) by concealing the receipt of a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cheque No: 00001902 and a Zenith Bank cheque No: 0000468 issued by the National Population Commission for unspent funds for the year 2007 which were to be paid back to the Federation account, and cloning as well as clearing the said cheques to defraud the Federal Government of the sum of N84,499,636.99. They were accused of withdrawing various sums of money at different times and purchasing 11,800 bags of rice from Olam Nigeria Limited with the cloned cheques. Two witnesses, referred to as Prosecution Witness 7 and 8 (PW 7 & 8), gave testimonies as trial resumed on the matter. PW8 was led in evidence via examination-in-chief by ICPC’s counsel, John Paul Okwor, while PW 7 gave his evidence when he was being cross-examined by the defence lawyer, Mr. A.O. Amao. The testimonies of the witnesses corroborated the allegations in the charge that the money was stolen in tranches using the CBN and Zenith Bank cloned cheques issued by the National Population Commission in favour of the Sub-Treasurer of the Federation. The accused persons’ actions are contrary to sections 13, 16, 17, 24, 26 and punishable under sections 13, 16, 17, 19, 24 and 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.They had pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them and that set the tone for the trial to commence. After the testimonies of the witnesses, the trial judge adjourned the case to 26^th June, 2017 for cross-examination of PW8 by the defence counsel.

ICPC has recovered funds and properties worth N30.7bn

icpcuser — Wed, 24 May 2017 10:41:20 +0000

ICPC has recovered funds and properties worth N30.7bn. See list http://ow.ly/DOyA30bZSE4, http://ht.ly/aSbF30bZSJ1, & photos http://ht.ly/hFo930bZT5p, http://ht.ly/k9aL30bZTaa

ICPC Academy to Commence Post-Graduate Studies Soon

icpcuser — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 14:23:52 +0000

Driven by the need to re-focus attention on a comprehensive preventive approach to combating corruption in Nigeria, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is set to commence post-graduate professional programmes in corruption prevention. This was disclosed recently during the formal presentation of a proposed curriculum for the programme of study developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Adviser on Corruption Prevention, Professor Victor O. Ayeni, at ACAN in Keffi, Nasarawa State. The main thrust of the curriculum which would be known as the Post-Graduate Programme in Corruption Prevention (PGPCP) is to move focus away from purely enforcement and moralizing approaches to a preventive approach to combating corruption and related crimes. The proposed PGPCP which would be a three-phase course, covering a Certificate, Diploma and Masters Degree package, would offer potential benefits not just for Nigeria but other developing countries as well. Prof Ayeni said that, “the curriculum is boldly conceived to cover all the essential elements of Chapter II of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and to help redress progressively the current dearth of quality expertise in the prevention field. Thus, it will provide a comprehensive and focused programme aimed at developing first-rate professionals who understand and can competently implement the wide-ranging and integrated interventions required in organisations and governments to prevent and contain corrupt behaviours.” He added that the programme, as it takes off, will also offer options of a set of specialization-tracks and would be run as an integral part of the annual training portfolio of the academy thereby bridging the huge gap in anti-corruption training and education. Speaking during the presentation, ACAN Provost, Professor Sola Akinrinade, revealed that the academy is in discussion with some universities to have its Masters Degree affiliated. The diploma programme, with 9-month duration, would be flexible in a way that participants could undertake it in, say, 5 months and finish the rest at their convenience. It should be noted that since the inception of ACAN, the academy has been hosting basic and applied research on anti-corruption in Nigeria and has now proposed a fellowship study which would lead to the certification of fellows. Against this backdrop, the UNODC National Project Officer for Capacity Building, Mr. Femi Ajayi, pledged the agency’s technical support for the successful take-off of the programme. The proposed PGPCP is expected to be residential and would comprise of classroom teaching, compulsory and elective courses, field attachment and specialization-tracks.

ICPC to train local citizens on Inclusive Budgeting

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 08:35:49 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has concluded plans to train people at the grassroots to actively engage in budget processes as a tool for socio-economic development. The project which will kick off this June, is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and will cut across the six geo-political zones of the country. ICPC’s Spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, mni, who revealed this at the pre-execution meeting with Civil Society Organisation (CSO) in Abuja, said that the purpose of mobilizing the grassroots was for them to be able to take actions that can impact on the progress of their communities and to ensure that the budget responds to the needs of the people. She added that the aim was to de-mystify the budget process to engender development at the grassroots level. In her words, “The outcome should be a citizenry empowered with confidence, skills, knowledge to recognize their rights and accept responsibility to demand those rights through constructive engagement”. Okoduwa, who also heads the Public Enlightenment department of ICPC, acknowledged the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to anti-corruption programmes in Nigeria. In her address, the Country Director, UNDP, Mrs. Mandisa Mashologu, who was represented Mr. Segun Olusola, UNDP, told CSOs to recognise their role as very crucial in nation-building. He reminded the participants that the project was approved based on the previous success stories that the ICPC/UNDP partnership on training the grassroots on their engagement in budget processes had produced.

ICPC arraigns Engineer, Firm for Fraud

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:19:40 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arraigned one Engr. Innocent Roland Ogu and his company, African Legacy International Media Services before Hon. Justice Maryann E. Anenih of Federal High Court 12 sitting in Maitama for deceiving and fraudulently collecting the sum of N1, 488, 000 (One Million, Four Hundred and Eighty-Eight Thousand Naira Only) from 5 public officers. The Commission in a 2-count charge alleged that the accused had made a false statement, thereby contravening Section 25 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 25 (1) (b) of the same Act. The accused was alleged to have cheated the Director-General of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Mrs. Joy Bob-Manuel, and 4 other members of staff by deceiving them to deliver to him the money as conference registration, accommodation and visa processing fees for 5 of them to attend a bogus African-European Leadership Summit in Berlin, Germany, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code, Act, CAP 345. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and the trial Judge, Justice Anenih granted them bail in the sum of N 1million with a surety in like sum, who must be a responsible Nigerian, resident in Abuja and must submit two passport photographs as well as a valid international passport or driver’s license. The matter was adjourned to 28^th September, 2017 for hearing.

ICPC Docks Auditor-General Ex-Staff

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:24:47 +0000

A former official of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, Melah O. Agabus, has been docked before Hon. Justice Maryann E. Anenih of the FCT High Court 12 sitting in Maitama by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for defrauding 2 job-seekers. Agabus, who was dismissed from service in 2009, was alleged to have fraudulently collected monies amounting to the sum of ₦2,500,000.00 (Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Polycarp Onwubuya and Okwanuzor Enebeli for the purpose of securing employment for them with the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Communications Commission respectively. In a 12-count charge filed by ICPC, counsel to the Commission, Mr. Idoko Denise, averred that the offences were contrary to Section 320 and were punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law Cap.89. The accused was further alleged to have, at one time, forged an Authorization Letter, using the letter-headed paper of the Auditor-General of the Federation and the forged signature of the then Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. O.R. Ejenavi, and used it to carry out an unauthorised audit of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta. The offence contravenes Section 363 and is punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law Cap.89. Agabus was also alleged to have collected the sum of ₦874,000 (Eight Hundred and Seventy Four Thousand Naira) from the Chief Medical Director of the psychiatric hospital while carrying out the illegal audit, an offence that contravenes Section 366 and is punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law Cap.89. Agabus pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him. His counsel, Mr. C.O. Ogar, asked the court to grant his client bail. The trial judge, after listening to the submission of both counsel granted the accused person bail in the sum of ₦2m, and a surety in like sum who must be a “responsible citizen” of Nigeria and resident within its jurisdiction. The surety must also submit 2 passport-size photographs, international passport or driver’s licence, and the title document of a landed property in Abuja. Justice Anenih thereafter adjourned the case to 19^th July, 2017 for commencement of hearing.

Corruption Trial: Public Servant denies ICPC’s Charge of Abuse of Office

icpcuser — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 14:06:08 +0000

As hearing continued in the trial of a staff of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) Abuja, Mr.Pius Omosehwofa, who was charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for abuse of office and conferring undue advantage upon himself, the accused person has denied the allegations preferred against him. The Commission had filed a 2-count charge against Omosehwofa at the Federal Capital Territory High Court 4, Maitama before Justice Hussaini Baba Yusuf. In the charge sheet, Mr. Omosehwofa is accused of being a Director and shareholder in a private company known as Multi –link Computer System Limited while also working as a Computer Analyst with NCCE. He is accused of having influenced the award of a contract by NCCE to Multi-link Computer for the repair of obsolete computers which contravenes the provision of Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Omosehwofa is also charged with contravening Section 19 of the same Act for recommending to NCCE to award computer repairs to Multi-link Company at the rate of N847, 537, 19, thereby conferring corrupt advantage upon himself. In his defence, the accused denied being a Director and Shareholder of the company, insisting that he had relinquished his shares, and resigned as a Director from that company since 2002 before the offence was purported to have been committed. The judge, however, adjourned the matter to 28^th July, 2017 for continuation of defence.

Corruption Monitoring: Ex-World Bank Official Commends ICPC

okon — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 15:49:55 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has been commended by former World Bank Monitoring and Evaluation official, Mr. Samson Bamidele, for having established a Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) in the Commission. Mr. Bamidele who is now the Resident Monitoring and Evaluation/Technical Advisor for MEASURE Evaluation, a global project monitoring and evaluation organisation, made the commendation while delivering a lecture at a 3-day training on Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation organized for ICPC staff at the Commission’s training institute in Keffi, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN). Mr. Bamidele explained that a lot projects in the country failed due to the fact that most agencies of government either lacked monitoring and evaluation departments or such departments did not live up to their responsibilities. He added that for ICPC to have such a functional department, it was a bold statement on the effort of the Commission to rid the nation of corruption through all available legal means. Mr. Bamidele therefore called on the participants to make the best use of the training, saying, “Monitoring and evaluation is an emerging tool for responsibility and accountability in the course of project or programme implementation.” The Resident M&E Technical Advisor focused his lecture on the implementation of monitoring and evaluation in the public sector, saying that no project or programme can succeed without a monitoring and evaluation plan. Also, speaking during the training, one of the guest lecturers and Provost, College of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Adesegun Fatusi, said that it was “unethical not to have the skills and knowledge required to carry out a research” because the findings would not only be misleading to the organisation but the entire nation. Professor Fatusi advised the participants to make integrity and honesty their watchword in the course of their duty as corruption monitors so that their findings may not be compromised.

ICPC recovers N.325m for Job-Seeker

okon — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 15:53:24 +0000

It was incredible excitement for a job-seeker, Innocent Okpanachi, who had been defrauded of his money by a job racketeer when he finally got his money back with the help of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Okpanachi beamed with smiles and his eyes lit up with joy as he received the cash sum of N325, 000.00 which was handed back to him by Mr. Tunji Jabaru of the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Unit of ICPC on behalf of the Commission. One Mohammed Abdullahi Habib posing as a senior officer of the Nigeria Customs Service had collected the said amount of money from Okpanachi, through a third party who is now at large, with the promise to secure a job for him with the Service. After receiving the money, Habib was alleged to have issued Okpanachi an employment letter with which he approached Customs authorities to verify its authenticity and discovered that it was fake. Having found out that the appointment letter was not genuine and their go-between had disappeared into thin air, the job seeker tried to get Habib to refund his money for over 4 years without success, he then wrote a petition to ICPC. The Commission promptly swung into action and investigations revealed that the suspect had indeed fraudulently obtained the money from his victim. The said amount was recovered from the suspect, Mohammed Habib, and then handed over to the petitioner. After the handing over ceremony, Mr. Innocent Okpanachi expressed his profound appreciation to the Commission for the assistance he had received. In his words, “Even though I had lost hope, ICPC did a wonderful job of ensuring that justice was restored”.

N113.6m Fraud: JAMB Registrar Testifies against Alleged Fraudster

icpcuser — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 12:50:03 +0000

The Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board [JAMB], Professor Ishaq Oloyede recently appeared before Justice A. R. Mohammed to testify in the case against an alleged fraudster, David Iornem, who is standing trial for allegedly defrauding various people of N113, 590, 000. Oloyede who appeared before Justice Mohammed of the Federal High Court, 8, Maitama, Abuja said that he had been approached by the accused to pay $11,550 for the award of Professional Doctorate Degree of Commonwealth University of Belize.He told the court further that he contacted the National Universities Commission (NUC) to verify the claim which turned out to be fraudulent. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in a 14-count charge, had arraigned Iornem for allegedly conspiring with one Bruce Ducan to publish an advertisement that offers admission to applicants into Commonwealth University, Belize which was neither accredited nor authorized thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and Section (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. The charge sheet reads in part, “That you, David Iornem, on about 4^th day of July, 2012 at Abuja, by false pretense and with intent to defraud, attempted to induce one Professor Ishaq Oloyede to pay you a total sum of $11, 550 for the award of academic doctorate degrees of Commonwealth University, Belize which you falsely represented to be a foreign university based in Belize when you know that the said Commonwealth University Belize, is neither accredited nor authorized to operate as a university in Belize and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (1)(a)(ii) and punishable under Section 15 (2)of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011. ‘That you, David Iornem, between July to December 2012, and on various dates thereafter in Abuja, transferred the sum of $307, 000 derived from racketeering in the award of academic and honorary degrees of Commonwealth University, Belize which you falsely represented to be a foreign university based in Belize to acquire a two-bedroom flat at No. 9 Oxford Close, London, with the intention to disguise the illicit origin of the funds and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (1)(a)(ii) and punishable under Section 15 (2)of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.” At the end of Professor Oloyede’s testimony, the trial judge adjourned the matter to a future date to be communicated to all parties to the case due to the on-coming court vacation.

ICPC Working Hard to address Weak System - Spokesperson

icpcuser — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 13:13:57 +0000

The Spokesperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, has declared that corruption was a recurring problem in Nigeria because of a weak and faulty system which the Commission is working assiduously to address. Okoduwa, who spoke at a training programme for Chairmen and Secretaries of Anti-corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) on Data Gathering and Investigation Skills, held at the ICPC training academy, Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, Nassarawa State, said that Nigeria’s challenge with corruption was not primarily due to bad people but a bad system. She said, “The problem with corruption is usually with the system. If you take out the bad people now without reforming the system, corruption will still thrive.” Okoduwa explained that the training was therefore designed to equip the participants with the right tools to combat corruption in their workplaces in order to correct and improve the system. According to her, “This training has been designed for ACTU members to go back to their respective MDAs with a view to helping them strengthen and prevent the system from abuse.” The Spokesperson while delivering her paper titled, ‘Public Sector Corruption: Mapping out Corruption Risk Areas,’ said that the ACTU members were being encouraged to identify weaknesses within the system in their MDAs that allow corruption to thrive. She stressed that it had become very important for everybody, especially public officials, to join the fight against corruption because of its grave consequences on Nigeria, notably, the country’s poor image, institutional breakdown, poor basic facilities and lack of other essentials meant for the common good. Earlier, Provost of ACAN, Professor Sola Akinrinade, who was represented by the Head of Programmes in the academy, Mr. Richard Bello, emphasized the need for ACTU members to be well-skilled in data gathering processes to aid the anti-corruption fight. His words: “Gathering data to advance anti-corruption efforts, particularly evidence to prosecute corruption cases has no doubt been a herculean task and this is not limited to Nigeria. However, with our concerted effort, the work of the anti-corruption agencies, particularly ICPC, would be much easier when data on corruption and related issues are readily available.” Akinrinade charged them to employ the knowledge gained in the course of the training for the good of Nigeria, saying, “As members of ACTU, your role is supposed to complement the work of ICPC. Whether in enlightenment, investigation, or systems study activities, the need for readily available data cannot be over-emphasized. I therefore challenge you to use the knowledge gained to enhance your performance as ACTU members in your various organizations. Over 217 ACTU members drawn from various government agencies participated in the three-day training workshop.

Be responsible, ICPC Boss charges State House ACTU Members

okon — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 16:13:29 +0000

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has advised newly-inaugurated ACTU members of the State House, Abuja, to be responsible in discharging their ACTU duties. Mr. Nta, who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), made the statement during the inauguration of the new members of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the State House in Abuja. He solicited the cooperation of all Nigerians in the anti-corruption campaign. Mr. Nta said, “ the task of making public systems corruption-free and efficient requires sincere commitment and diligence from all citizens, especially public servants who occupy sensitive positions in public institutions.” The ICPC Chairman noted that the State House had already keyed into the initiative of a corruption-free system through the deployment of ACTU to serve as a corruption-prevention and monitoring mechanism. He told the newly-inaugurated ACTU members to brace up for the task ahead, saying that the job before them was enormous and required them to be prepared to give their best in terms of individual sacrifice, sincerity and dedication to the cause of anti-corruption. Mr. Nta further stated that the State House ACTU which hosts the key drivers of the anti-corruption philosophy of the present administration will continue to undertake the functions of the Commission as stated in Section 6 (a-f) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, except in prosecuting cases of offenders. Nta also added that “The fight against corruption would be more effective when the cooperation and involvement of our numerous stakeholders are secured.” In his remarks at the event, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Jalal A. Arabi, represented by the Director of Administration, Muhammad Abubakar, said the inauguration of the members was a continuation of the existing ACTU in the State House. Mr. Arabi also noted that the State House ACTU had gone a long way in mobilizing and sensitizing staff on the ills of corruption, which is geared towards a corruption-free State House, the civil service and the nation in general. He therefore advised civil servants especially those working in the State House to aspire to be corruption-free in line with the change mantra of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. The Permanent Secretary further affirmed his support for the ACTU to carry out their duties with assurance of non-interference from management, even as he charged the new members to ensure that they justify the confidence reposed in them by ICPC and the State House.

ICPC Arraigns former Kogi Commissioner for N35.5m Fraud

okon — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 14:25:50 +0000

A former Commissioner of Agriculture in Kogi State, Hon. Zacchaeus Atte, has been arraigned before Hon. Justice Josiah Joe Majebi, of a Kogi High Court sitting in Okene, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly defrauding the state government of N35.5 million. The Commission in an 8-count charge accused Atte of diverting the money to his personal use thereby contravening Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. ICPC’s counsel, John-Paul Okwor explained to the court how the accused used his office as the Commissioner of Agriculture to convert the sum of N11, 937, 000 for himself under the pretext of purchasing and distributing 200,000 oil palm seedlings to Kogi State oil palm farmers in February, 2015. Atte was also accused of diverting the sum of N350, 000 on the pretext of distributing 100,000 cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers in the state in August, 2015; and also converting the sum of N8, 873, 766.85k to personal use under the pretext of purchasing oil palm sprouted nuts in May, 2015. The accused was also said to have, in January, 2015, corruptly enriched himself with the sum of N2,849, 958.75k which was meant to purchase two units of Sharp Photocopiers. Mr. Okwor further told the court how the accused had siphoned various amounts of public funds meant for other projects he had earlier got approvals for. The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him. While ICPC’s counsel told the court that they were ready for the trial and asked for a date to present witnesses, the defense counsel, Mr. Adebayo Eniwaye quickly asked for bail for his client. The trial judge however, held that the bail was not ripe for hearing and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody. The matter was adjourned to 20^th June, 2017 for hearing.

Corruption Case: Prof Julius A. Okojie testifies for ICPC

okon — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 10:05:15 +0000

As hearing continued in the forgery trial of Mr. Adedeji Charles Taiwo, a Protocol Officer with the University of Ibadan, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Professor Julius A. Okojie, had testified that Taiwo forged his signature on an application letter for a travel document. Taiwo is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before Honourable Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi of High Court 20 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Apo, Abuja, for various offences. Prof. Okojie who is Prosecution Witness 2 (PW2) presented by the prosecuting counsel, Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha testified before the court that his attention was drawn to a request for Note-Verbale reference NUC/ES/439/VOL.10/152 of 12^th July, 2016 in favour of one Mr. Jegede Lukmon Adeyemi to travel to Seoul National University, South Korea but that on close examination, he noticed that though the signature on the request letter was similar to his authentic signature, the colour of the ink used was however different. He stated that the ink was purple rather than the red he uses for endorsing official documents, and that for this reason, the letter was forged. A second witness, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunbanjo, an Officer of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja working under the Director, Consular and Immigration Department, who was tagged Prosecution Witness 3 (PW 3) equally testifying against Mr. Taiwo, corroborated the Prof’s testimony. According to her, she met the defendant on the day he came to submit a request for Note-Verbale reference NUC/ES/439/VOL.10/152 which was later discovered to have been forged. She noted that upon being queried on the authenticity of the signature on the document, the defendant confessed that it was forged in a business centre. Mrs. Ogunbanjo added that following Mr. Taiwo’s confession, security officials were alerted and the case was handed over to ICPC for further investigations. In addition to allegations of document fraud and forgery of signature, Taiwo is also being prosecuted by ICPC on a 4-count charge for making false statement and conferring undue advantage on the said Mr. Jegede Lukmon Adeyemi, which actions are contrary to and punishable under Section 363, 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja 2006 and Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 respectively. After listening to the testimonies, Justice Adeniyi adjourned the matter to 5^th 0ctober, 2017 for defence opening. The defendant had been arraigned July, 2016 by ICPC but had taken a not-guilty plea to the allegations levelled against him.

ICPC secures 15 Years Imprisonment for 3 Tai Solarin College of Education Staff over N6.6m Fraud

icpcuser — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 13:30:08 +0000

Three members of staff of Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE) have been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by an Ogun State High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, for embezzling N6, 577, 903.4 belonging to the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of the school. The convicts; Mr. Samuel Adeyemi, Mr. Amuludun Tosin and Mrs. Temilade Yusuf who were Chairman, Acting Secretary and Treasurer respectively of NASU in the college were sentenced to jail terms of five years each by Justice A. Akinyemi following the establishment of guilt in a fraud and abuse of office case brought against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). ICPC, in a 5-count charge, told the court that the trio conspired to commit fraud by converting the money kept in First City Monument Bank by NASU for personal use contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section. Counsel to ICPC, Enosa Omoghibo, in his final address convinced the court that the offence committed by Adeyemi, Amuludun and Yusuf amounted to stealing which contravenes Section 388 of the Criminal Code Act, Chapter 77 Laws of the Federation 1990, and punishable under Section 390 of the same Act. He further told the court that the trio, after obtaining a loan from the bank on behalf of the members of NASU, fraudulently disbursed same among themselves. Adeyemi was also accused of paying N1, 331, 250 to Mr. Soetan Femi Ayoolu non-staff member of the college. Adeyemi as Chairman kept N3.3 million, while Amuludun and Temilade got N1.88 and N1.3 million each as Secretary and Treasurer respectively. The charge sheet reads in part, “Mr. Adeyemi Alaba Samuel (m); Amuludun Tosin (m) and Yusuf Temilade (f) all public officers of Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State, on or about 26^th January, 2012, at Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State, conspired among themselves to use their positions as Chairman, Treasurer and Ag. Secretary respectively of Tai Solarin College of Education Non-Academic Staff Union (TASCE NASU) to confer unfair advantage upon one Mr. Soetan Femi Ayoolu, a public officer; by approving and advising First City Monument Bank , Omu-Ijebu to pay to him the sum of N1, 331, 250.00 which was part of the loan obtained from First City Monument Bank, Omu-Ijebu by Tai Solarin College of Education Non-Academic Staff Union for disbursement to its members, when the said Mr. Soetan Femi Ayoolu is not a member of the Union nor a staff of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State. ‘Adeyemi Alaba Samuel (m) a public officer of Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State, on or about 26^th January 2012 at Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State, used his position as Chairman Tai Solarin College of Education Non-Academic Staff Union (TASCE NASU) to confer unfair advantage upon himself by approving and advising First City Monument Bank , Omu-Ijebu to pay into his account the sum of N2, 693, 203.14 which was part of the loan obtained from First City Monument Bank, Omu-Ijebu by Tai Solarin College of Education Non-Academic Staff Union for disbursement to its members, when he was not entitled to the said amount.” The three accused were earlier arraigned on 8^th October, 2015 and had pleaded not guilty to all the allegations leveled against them by ICPC, which set the tone for months of legal battle between them and the Commission. Omoghibo convinced the court that the accused persons’ actions were a breach of trust and pleaded with the court to mete out appropriate punishment in accordance with the provision of the law, to serve as a deterrent to other public office holders and people in positions of trust. Justice Akinyemi in his ruling found them guilty as charged and therefore sentenced them to five years imprisonment each without an option of fine.

ICPC Chairman becomes Youth Ambassador for Peace

okon — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 09:33:22 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has been honored with an “Imperial Ambassador for Peace” award by the Nigeria Youth Peace Assembly (NYPA). The leader of the group, Comrade Michael Yakubu, while presenting the award to Nta during a courtesy visit to the Commission recently said that it was befitting for the Chairman given his contributions to youth and student empowerment as well as service to humanity for equity and justice. In his words: “The role that you have played in Nigeria towards our much needed national development particularly in the recovery of huge monies and properties looted by various government officials and ensuring easy interaction between members of the public on the fight against corruption is commendable”. While receiving the award on behalf of the Chairman, the Head of the Planning, Research and Review Department, ICPC, Mr. Bala Mohammed, declared that the Commission was encouraged when youths come together to participate in nation-building especially as ICPC was actively engaged in mobilising youths to stand up against corruption. In her remarks, the Acting Head of Education Department, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, charged the youths to imbibe all the qualities they saw in the Hon. Chairman which have made them to honour him.

ICPC Academy (ACAN) Trains State Officials on Anti-Corruption, Fraud Prevention

okon — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 09:46:17 +0000

Senior government officials consisting mainly of state commissioners for finance, accountants-general and auditors-general have undergone a 3-day intensive training on Anti-Corruption and Fraud Prevention at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, the research and training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The training for the officials was aimed at entrenching probity and accountability in all facets of state governments’ operations. It also was in line with the academy’s vision of becoming “a model manpower development institution, sustainably providing the necessary connection between theory and practice to drive the fight against corruption and related crimes in Africa and beyond.” The training exposed the participants to the workings and functionalities of government anti-corruption payment platforms and processes such as the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the Treasury Single Account (TSA) among others. The capacity building session empowered them to design integrity management systems in financial administration and it developed their skills aimed at safeguarding their states against corruption and internal fraud. While declaring the programme open, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, called on the participants to desist from unethical behaviours, saying “corrupt practices cannot be completed if accountants and lawyers are not complicit.” Earlier, in his remarks, Provost of the Academy, Professor Sola Akinrinade, who was represented by the Deputy Provost, Mr. Matthew Ameh, stated that one major purpose of the training was to sensitise and build the capacity of critical stakeholders in states across the country to become viable partners in the war against corruption. “Given the situation in which we have found ourselves as a country, especially our corruption-induced arrested development, the war must be fought at every level if we are to achieve lasting and sustainable results. For the efforts of the Federal Government to achieve the full effect, they must be complemented by interventions and initiatives at the other tiers of government. In this wise, we must acknowledge that states and local governments represent critical layers of governance and administration in our country’s federal system of government,” the Provost explained. In his goodwill message, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris, who was represented by the Director, Revenue and Investment, Dr. Bakari Wadinga, pleaded that the fight against corruption should not be seen as an individual or federal government affair but rather a collective responsibility. Similarly, the Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Anthony M. Ayine, described the training as timely, saying: “there is need for specialised training for ‘dedicated staff’ to understand corruption prevention strategies, develop strategic thinking and build capacities with specific focus.” He also added that there was a need for a sustained moral rebirth to enhance fiscal discipline, integrity and accountability regime of government activities. Some of the issues the training addressed included: the implementation of e-government and e-transactions in Nigeria; integrity imperative in the workplace; standardizing internal control mechanisms; and financial reporting system and understanding fraud, corruption and corrupt practices in governance. Some participants who spoke at the training expressed satisfaction with the programme saying that awareness was key in the fight against corruption even as others called on the Commission to extend its system studies initiative to local government councils. The high point of the training was the award of certificates to the participants at the end of the programme.

3 ICPC Officers Bag Forensic Accountants of Nigeria Certificate

okon — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 11:37:59 +0000

Three officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have successfully completed the qualifying examination leading to the award of certificates as Certified Forensic Accountant (CFA). The officers who have bagged this certificate include, Adedayo Adeyinka Kayode, CFA, HOD, Investigation, Mbang Okon Esu, CFA, and Joseph Obey Bana, CFA, both of Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). With this certification the staff are now properly equipped with the requisite knowledge to detect white collar crimes in any organisation. They have also acquired the skills to conduct forensic investigation for successful prosecution of economic crimes, particularly with regard to fraud, which will help in the anti-corruption crusade. While informing the Commission of their successful completion of the course, Mr. Kayode who spoke on behalf of the officers expressed his gratitude to the Honourable Chairman for making it possible for them to undergo the study, and promised to bring the expertise they acquired to bear on their job. It is noteworthy that ICPC recognises the importance of specialised skills for the effective execution of its anti-corruption mandate, as such the Commission continually encourages and provides opportunities for staff to acquire such specialised skills.

Pension Fraud: ICPC Secures Jail Term for 68 Year Old Man

icpcuser — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:29:36 +0000

A 68 year old man, Mr. Deemua Increase, has been convicted by Rivers State High Court 12 sitting in Port Harcourt, for using forged documents to get himself enrolled on the Rivers State Government pension payroll. Mr. Increase was sentenced to a jail term of 1 month by Justice M. O. Opara with no option of fine after the accused pleaded guilty to the charge that had been preferred against him. The accused had earlier been arraigned before the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 1-count charge bordering on fraudulent receipt of property which is contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 68 of the same Act. Mr. Increase was accused of collecting pension payments from Rivers State Government using forged documents for 9 years before he was picked up by ICPC operatives during one of the pension verification exercises in Port Harcourt. At his arraignment, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge because according to him, the weight of evidence garnered against him was overwhelming. After Increase`s guilty plea the Judge adjourned the matter for hearing where the prosecuting counsel, Agada Akogwu, established his case beyond reasonable doubt, and prayed the court to mete out an appropriate sanction on the convict to serve as a lesson for those engaged or may wish to engage in such a criminal act. The trial judge then adjourned the case for conviction during which the accused pleaded for leniency, telling the court that his wife had died leaving him with 9 children. The judge therefore convicted him and adjourned the matter for sentencing, ruling that the convict be remanded in prison custody until then. During sentencing, the judge taking cognizance of the convict’s guilty plea and family circumstances, decided to lower his punishment to 1 month imprisonment out of a maximum 2 years prescribed by the relevant section of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

ICPC can investigate Corruption Allegations against any Person or Authority, Court rules

icpcuser — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 09:42:44 +0000

The Federal High Court, Ikoyi Lagos, presided over by Hon. Justice Rilwan Aikawa has affirmed the powers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate allegations of corrupt practices made against any person or authority in Nigeria, even if the allegations arose in civil disputes. This was a fall-out of the ruling of the judge when he dismissed a suit filed by seven persons against the Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation challenging their invitation by ICPC during the investigation of a matter involving them and one of Nigeria’s notable legal practitioners. In the suit with number FHC/L/CS/1315/2015 between High Chief Waheed Gbadamosi Eletu, S.B. Joseph, SAN, A. A. Agbojuaje, Esq, Mr Ashimi and 4 others vs ICPC and Attorney General of the Federation, filed by Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, Esq the claimants, four members of the Eletu Family of Lagos, two lawyers and a surveyor had sued to challenge their invitation, the freezing of bank accounts and investigation by ICPC over an alleged dispute with Chief Afe Babalola, SAN on payment of professional fees of $10m in respect of his legal services which led to the recovery of a vast expanse of land for the Eletu family in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State at the Supreme Court. The applicants were claiming a total of N600m damages for alleged breach of their fundamental rights. In a judgement dismissing the claim, Hon. Justice Rilwan Aikawa held that following the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Attorney General of Ondo State vs Attorney General of the Federation and 36 Others (2002), that ICPC had a statutory duty to investigate allegations of corrupt practices made against any person or authority in Nigeria and that neither the claimants nor the court has the discretion to stop a statutory agency of government from performing its duties. Hon Justice Aikawa further agreed with the submission of ICPC’s counsel, E. A. Shogunle, Esq, that the 1st Respondent, ICPC, had established that there were reasonable grounds to suspect that certain high-ranking public officials and lawyers acted in abuse of their offices to facilitate a breach of contract with Chief Afe Babalola in order to confer corrupt advantage upon themselves in violation of sections 19 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The judge further held that paragraph 10 of the counter affidavit of the 1st Respondent established that there were reasonable grounds to invite the applicants to assist in the investigation, noting also that ICPC was not at liberty to disclose the identity of the petitioner and suspects until investigation was completed. He however cautioned that the investigation “should not last till eternity”.

Administration of Criminal Justice: ICPC receives Public Enlightenment Poster Frames

okon — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 15:34:02 +0000

The Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) has made a formal presentation of framed posters in support of criminal justice institutions in Nigeria to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently in Abuja. The posters which have pictures and messages depicting various themes and elements of the Nigerian criminal justice administration were designed to create awareness on the obligations of law enforcement agencies in the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria and aid effective dissemination of information. Speaking during the presentation, the Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, said the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 (ACJ Act) was one of the measures put in place by the Federal Government of Nigeria to modernize and reform the criminal justice system. He explained that if the provisions of the Act were properly applied and implemented by stakeholders in the criminal justice sector, it would go a long way in ensuring criminal cases were speedily and expeditiously heard and determined by the courts. In his remarks after receiving the materials, the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said the Commission was already doing a lot in ensuring that the rights of suspects in ICPC custody were protected. This, he said, the agency does by putting suspects through medical checks when brought into its custody. He recommended to ACJMC that medical checks be included for all suspects as this would go a long way in preventing deaths in detention facilities. Mr. Nta advised the Committee to partner with relevant government agencies to infuse some of the outcomes of their work into the curriculum of law faculties and social studies in the nation’s various institutions respectively. He added that the world had gone global, hence, any information should be available at the click of a finger. “For corruption eradication to work, we need to look into the system and invest in making it work, with arresting agencies going electronic,” Mr. Nta said. He advised that all heads of organisations with detention facilities be kept abreast with the status of suspects in custody no matter where they were. The Chairman also praised the Committee for bringing to public attention things that had been kept away from them, especially in regard to the obligations of the authorities that hold arrested persons in custody.

ICPC, UNDP, Anti-Corruption Stakeholders devise new Anti-Corruption Initiative

icpcuser — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 21:06:55 +0000

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in collaboration with other anti-corruption stakeholders, have devised a new initiative to curb the menace of corruption in Nigeria. The initiative tagged Accountability and Transparency Support Project (ACTs) is aimed at implementing anti-corruption measures in Ministries, Department and Agencies in relation to integrity plans developed during Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) conducted earlier by ICPC. It is also designed to help the delivery of quality service in local government councils as well as to support Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in policy and knowledge replication and advocacy. Speaking at the Local Project Appraisal Committee meeting (LPAC) of the initiative which involved ICPC, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), UNDP, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Technical Unit for Governance and Anti-corruption Reforms (TUGAR) and CSOs at the Commission’s headquarters, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta stated that having gone through the project document, he was convinced that the initiative would impact significantly on the efforts to rid the country of corruption. Mr. Nta advised the representatives of the stakeholder organizations present to work diligently as the product will make an impact and effect the needed change in the country’s systems. He further stressed the need for concerted action among the stakeholders. His words: “See yourselves as partners and also hope that, as you work together, your success story will be acknowledged by all including the international community.” The ICPC Chairman also lauded the various past interventions of UNDP in the country’s anti-corruption campaign saying they have been invaluable. In his address, the representative of UNDP’s Deputy Country Director of Programmes, Dr. Bolaji Kehinde, commended ICPC for being in the forefront of corruption prevention by working with an array of stakeholders cutting across educational institutions, CSOs and civil servants. Dr. Bolaji said: “In order to put in place robust strategies for corruption prevention in Nigeria, ICPC is the major institution to partner with.” He added that ICPC was the lead collaborating agency in its new project because UNDP had successfully collaborated with the Commission in the past with regard to Corruption Risk Assessment of the ports sector, airports, and ministries of water resources, health and education. Dr. Bolaji further stated that the new project was also aimed at promoting fiscal transparency and access to information which are key in the anti-corruption fight. He reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to the vision of fighting corruption in line with ideas from previous interventions.

Be Anti-Corruption Crusaders, ICPC tells Staff of BPE

icpcuser — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 09:39:50 +0000

The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has urged members of the newly inaugurated Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), to own the anti-corruption campaign rather than leaving it for government alone. Mr. Nta gave the advice recently through the Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) Mr. Akeem Lawal, during the inauguration ceremony of the Bureau’s ACTU. He said “the presence of ACTU in BPE was necessary to promote integrity and transparency in the privatisation processes given that the organisation is saddled with the responsibility of privatising government enterprises as well as giving secretarial support to the National Council on Privatisation.” He added that the presence of ACTU serves as a corruption prevention mechanism in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), in addition to enshrining ethical compliance by staff. The ICPC boss further advised that there should be timely sensitisation of staff on and against corruption, and also on issues bordering on integrity and ethical compliance in the work place. In his address, the Director General of BPE, Mr. Alex A. Okoh said the inauguration of ACTU in the organisation was a demonstration of a resolve to lend their weight to the fight against the menace of corruption which has bedevilled Nigeria, resulting in stunted national development. Mr. Okoh maintained that, establishing ACTU in BPE was one of the ways of keying into the renewed transformation strategy that would reposition the Bureau. In his words, “We are living witnesses to the effects of corruption on our dear country. The Nigerian society expects that privatization should not only reduce the scope of perpetrating corrupt practices in Nigeria, but should also ensure the availability and accessibility of better and affordable services.” He continued, “To achieve this, we are obliged to ensure that processes are devoid of corruption and due process is observed, thereby upholding integrity and transparency to ensure long-term success of our transactions.” The DG further solicited support of the Commission to build the capacity of its staff with relevant training on how to effectively function as an anti-corruption watchdogs in the Bureau.

Propose Legislation for E-Government Platforms - Rep urges ICPC

okon — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 09:46:52 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been urged to propose a legislation to the National Assembly that will give a legal framework to the e-government platforms operational in the country. The House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Finance, Hon. Babangida Ibrahim, made this plea recently in Abuja during the Validation Meeting of Report of the Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) of Nigeria’s E-Government Systems conducted by ICPC. Hon Ibrahim, who was represented by the Member, representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Dennis Nnamdi Agbo was speaking against the backdrop of the finding that the e-government platforms were not backed by any act of the parliament to guide implementation. He showered praises on government for the adoption of e-government platforms which are: Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Treasury Single Account (TSA). The House Committee Chairman said the introduction of the e-payment systems has saved the country huge resources that would have been fraudulently diverted by corrupt individuals. He revealed that prior to the innovation, the cost of governance in Nigeria, especially recurrent expenditure, had been disproportionally high and therefore appealed to ICPC to ensure the sustainability of the platforms by sending a bill to the National Assembly, pledging the support of the law-makers in the speedy passage of the bill. Earlier, in his welcome address, ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, pointed out that the conduct of CRA on Nigeria’s electronic financial and personnel governance systems was in “pursuit of the Federal Government’s effort to entrench transparency and accountability in governance.” “CRA is a corruption prevention tool that examines corruption vulnerabilities in systems, in this case, Federal Government’s financial management and budget execution processes, with a view to blocking identified loopholes and leakages and strengthening the accountability mechanisms. The Commission had earlier successfully conducted CRAs of the Nigerian Ports and Aviation sectors, reports of which are being implemented in the sectors concerned,” ICPC Chairman explained. Mr. Nta also stressed that for the nation to make significant progress, it was imperative for management and employees to embrace the e-system to mitigate the dangers of doing things manually. In her presentation on the Overview of the CRA of Nigeria’s E-Government Platforms, ICPC Spokesperson and Director Public Enlightenment, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, mni, explained that CRA was neither a criminal investigation nor an indictment but a corrective exercise aimed at assessing the weaknesses in policies, procedures, processes etc. of a system which may create opportunities for corrupt practices. Some of the risk factors she alluded to in her findings include: lack of any specific legal framework governing the operations of the platforms; the conceptualization of platforms without the input of some critical stakeholders; and resistance among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as some commercial banks to the full adoption of the new system, among others The Commission’s Spokesperson also observed that in spite of the successes of the e-government platforms, there were still challenges which could present a new corruption opportunity through the monopolisation of access and control by those with information technology skills. Representatives of other critical stakeholders such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, etc. allayed the fears hitherto entertained by MDAs and individuals that there were hidden charges associated with the operations of the platforms even as they all called for more awareness to be created among stakeholders.

ICPC revives National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps

okon — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:36:15 +0000

The National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC), a citizen’s mobilization platform for anti-corruption volunteers initiated by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been revived. NAVC which was conceived as the corps of a critical mass of volunteers who would be the foot soldiers nationwide in the fight against corruption had to be disbanded several years ago when some state chapters of the initiative began to engage in unwholesome activities. Speaking at the re-inauguration of the Delta and Abia State chapters in line with the revival of the Corps, the Chairman of ICPC, represented by the National Coordinator of NAVC, Mr. Mike Sowe, explained that ICPC, had to disband the structures because rather than pursue the ideals of NAVC, some state chapter coordinators turned it into a para-military organization, carrying out indiscriminate arrests; interrogating and even putting people in detention for allegedly engaging in corrupt practices when they were not empowered to do such by any law or ICPC. He said the volunteer corps, as one of the anti-corruption tools aimed at giving Nigerians interested in the anti-corruption campaign the opportunity of joining as volunteers, has been re-branded and restructured in such a way that there would be checks and safeguards at the local government, state and national levels. According to Mr. Nta, “The Commission has come out with modalities that would serve as the new operational guidelines for volunteers. They will go a long way in re-positioning NAVC to help ICPC play its pivotal role in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, thus paving the way for a corruption-free society”. “The mission for establishing the Corps was to create opportunities for partnership with individuals and groups towards the eradication of corruption in Nigeria”, he added. Mr. Nta listed the following criteria for the enlistment of interested members of the public saying “Individuals belonging to professional bodies, organized groups and faith-based organizations are qualified for membership of the Corps. Applicants are eligible if they possess the following; must be literate and have a minimum of a Senior School Certificate, gainfully employed with verifiable source of income, and at least 25 years old”. The inauguration of executive members of the NAVC in the states was done immediately after elections were conducted in both Abia and Delta states. On their part, the new state coordinators for Delta and Abia chapters, Comrade Frank Omoile Onyeka and Rev. Blessed U. Amalamba, respectively assured the Commission of their readiness to work according to operational guidelines of the new NAVC.

“We’ll ensure Corruption finds no Room in this University”, NOUN VC tells ICPC

okon — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 15:26:06 +0000

The Vice Chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu has declared that he will ensure that corruption finds no room to thrive in the university. Prof. Adamu made this declaration during the inauguration ceremony of new members of the institution’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) at its headquarters in Abuja recently by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). While commending ICPC for its drive in the fight against corruption, the V.C remarked that the institution had for a long time started the fight against corruption before the ACTU was inaugurated. “We are more ICPC than ICPC in the fight against corruption because we have entrenched openness in the academic and admissions systems of this university”, he said. Prof. Adamu advised the ACTU members to investigate reports of corruption, and also encouraged other staff members to shun corruption while blowing the whistle on any corrupt act they observe in the university’s system. In his address at the event, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of the Commission charged the newly inaugurated ACTU members of NOUN to ensure that unethical practices did not occur in the institution and where they did, appropriate measures should be taken to deal with them. He told the ACTU members that it was also their duty to carry out preliminary investigations on corruption allegations brought before them by staff members while working hand-in-hand with the management of the institution to promote best practices. The ICPC boss further stressed that, for the university to achieve its goal of providing functional, cost-effective and flexible learning for all who seek knowledge, accountability and transparency must be put in place in its processes. ACTU is an initiative of ICPC set up in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government through a Federal Government circular to curb unethical practices that make corruption thrive at the workplace.

ICPC Arraigns whistle-blower over False Information on Ex-VP Sambo

icpcuser — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:07:34 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged one Mr. Abubakar Sani Chindo to a Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna for allegedly providing false and misleading information to the Commission that former Vice President Namadi Sambo stashed huge sums of money in his house.

In a two-count charge filed before Justice M. T. Aliyu, ICPC accused Mr. Chindo of misleading the Commission as a whistle-blower, an action that contravenes Sections 64 (3) and 25 (a,b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same sections.

The information provided by the whistle-blower had led to the unwarranted raid of the residence of the ex-vice president located at Alimi Road, Kaduna.

The accused, who appeared in court without a defence counsel, pleaded not guilty to the charge when read to him but however prayed Justice Aliyu to grant him bail.

The trial judge refused his bail application noting that the accused needed a lawyer to perfect his bail conditions, and therefore remanded him in prison custody to perfect the conditions.

If convicted, Mr. Chindo faces a prison term of ten years or a fine not exceeding N100, 000 as provided by Section 64 (3) of the Act.

No good governance without poverty eradication – ICPC boss, Nta

icpcuser — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:26:16 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Barr. Ekpo Nta has said that no good governance can be reasonably achieved without poverty eradication. Ekpo Nta stated this during the launch of the Cross River State Anti-corruption Summit on Wednesday in Calabar, Cross River State.

The summit tagged; “Institutionalization of good governance for sustainable development,” was held as part of ICPC’s effort to take the anti-corruption war to the states, which the anti-graft chairman said, was a way of preventing, rather than fighting corruption. According to him, if the States properly chart an anti-corruption agenda, it will lead to the “promotion of integrity, transparency and accountability through exploring innovative solutions and new technologies and by strengthening international cooperation.” He said the State had enjoyed the goodwill of donor partners and can attract more if it believed and actually see transparency in its operations and use of donor funds. “ICPC firmly believes in strengthening institutions as a prerequisite for sustainable development, good governance and the rule of law. “We want to eradicate the ‘I didn’t know’ excuse for promoting corruption in this country to the one of ‘consequences for what you are aware of”, he said. On his part, the Provost of the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria, Prof. Sola Akinrinade said the promotion of anti-corruption values at the level of state government, including the local government, represented a critical step in the move to enthrone transparency, accountability, integrity and ethical values. “The past two years plus has witnessed a new commitment to vigorously prosecuting the war against corruption. “However, for the war to have the desired impact nationally, the role of states in complementing the efforts cannot be ignored,” he explained.

FCMB Donates 40 Computers to ICPC

icpc — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 10:38:25 +0000

First City Monument Bank, FCMB, has donated forty (40) units of new computer systems to the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training and research arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The FCMB Regional Director, Abuja and North, Mr. Lukman Mustapha, who made the presentation of the items consisting of Desk-tops, Central Processing Unit, Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems said that the donation was to assist the Commission in its anti-corruption effort. He disclosed that FCMB had “over the years provided support in various forms to numerous private and public sector institutions.” Mr. Lukman commended ICPC for taking the bold step to prioritize the training and equipping of staff with the appropriate skills that would enhance the performance of their duties through the setting up of ACAN. He also noted that FCMB was pleased to support the Commission and would continue to collaborate with it in the discharge of its responsibilities. “The donation of these computers is part of our contributions to the overall success of this Commission as this gesture will go a long way in enhancing the capacity and competencies of your personnel in the discharge of their duties,” Mr. Lukman said. While receiving the equipment on behalf of the Commission, Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, expressed gratitude to the entire management of FCMB for the donation. He said: “The gesture you have made today will go a long way in helping us fight corruption, and we will make sure that this donation impacts significantly and positively on our work.” “Corruption is a very serious crime and combating it requires concerted action. We, therefore, call on all stakeholders to join in this fight”, the Chairman added.

ICPC, Cameroonian Anti-Corruption Body seek African Cooperation against Corruption

icpc — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 10:50:32 +0000

Two anti-corruption bodies on the continent, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Anti-Corruption Commission of the Republic of Cameroon (NACC) have called for cooperation among African countries to tackle the problem of corruption on the continent. Heads of the two agencies, Mr. Ekpo Nta (ICPC) and Rev. Dr. Dieudonne Massi Gams (NACC) jointly made the call recently in a parley at the ICPC’s headquarters, Abuja, noting that Africa was ripe to come up with its own collaborative mechanism that would help solve the menace of corruption across the continent. Rev. Massi Gams, who was on a visit to ICPC with the top management of his organisation spoke first and said he was in Nigeria to understudy the work of ICPC with a view to improving on the operations of his organisation back home in Cameroon. He explained that the achievements of ICPC in the war against corruption were good enough to be replicated in other African countries. Gams said, “I think is it useful for us to learn what you are doing to combat corruption because the fight against corruption is global. But we need to first centralize it on the continent if we must go on to make our lives better. We used to look beyond to the West before this time for solutions, but now we have the options to learn from one another by creating a southern bloc. We need to see if it is possible to sign a convention of cooperation by African countries against corruption. South-South cooperation is not very well done in Africa. We used to think abroad out of the continent but we have many things that we can share here on our continent. That is why I think we must begin inside Africa.” Mr. Nta, in his remarks, told his Cameroonian colleague of his willingness to collaborate with other African countries in the war against corruption, adding that the continent needed to pull her resources together to tackle one of the biggest problems facing it. He lamented that only a few African countries (Algeria, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria) were members of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) which he said was a drawback for Africa and promised to help Cameroon join the academy. The ICPC Chairman described in details the various preventive initiatives the Commission was deploying to rid the country of corruption. He spoke about the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) domiciled in government establishments; the System Study and Review tool; the Corruption Risks Assessment initiative as well as a host of others. Nta spoke further on assistance to the Cameroonians: “On the issue of collaboration, I do not see any problem. It will go into my handing-over note. I will assist you to have your country join IACA. We have few African countries as members at the moment which is not good for us.” The ICPC boss who pointed out that he was on his last official assignment because his tenure was drawing to an end, also promised to sign an agreement with NACC that would allow for staff exchange between the two bodies. The Rev. Massi Gams and his entourage were taken on a tour of ICPC’s training academy, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, Nasarawa State. The Reverend was impressed at the state-of-the-art facilities at ACAN and promised to send his staff there for training as soon as he returned home.

ICPC Prosecutor appointed Judge of Industrial Court

okon — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 20:19:02 +0000

A staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Paul Ahmed Bassi has been appointed as a Judge of the National Industrial Court. Mr. Bassi was one of the 19 Judges that were sworn-in by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, in Abuja. Hon. Justice Paul Bassi who hails from Borno State, attended the University of Maiduguri and was called to bar in 2000. He joined ICPC in 2005 and had until his appointment served as a Senior Prosecutor in the Prosecution Department of the Commission. Hon. Justice Bassi has to his credit several prosecutorial successes of the Commission. While swearing in the newly-appointed judges, Justice Onnoghen, who is also the President of the National Judicial Council (NJC) charged them to always be guided by their oath of office, the ethics of the Bench, and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which they had sworn to protect and defend. He explained that impunity can only be checkmated by the law, while urging them to adhere strictly to the tenets of the constitution. “Be on the side of the law and posterity will always judge you right”, he enjoined them.

ICPC inaugurates NAVC in Ekiti State

okon — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 10:11:03 +0000

As part of plans to ensure that interested person take active part in the anti-corruption campaign, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently inaugurated the Ekiti State Chapter of the National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC). Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the National Coordinator of NAVC and the representative of the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Mike Sowe, explained that NAVC was established by ICPC as one of the preventive measures against the spread of corruption in Nigeria. Mr. Sowe explained further that ICPC was inaugurating a rebranded NAVC in Ekiti State, because the old structures of the corps had been disbanded some years ago due to the illegal activities of some state coordinators who had deviated from the ideals behind the establishment of the corps. According to him “As a matter of fact, some state coordinators had turned the NAVC into a para-military organisation, arresting, interrogating and even putting people in detention cells for allegedly engaging in corrupt practices”. The National Coordinator lamented that the situation became so bad that one of the coordinators who engaged in such activities was even charged to court for corruption by the Commission. He informed members of the rebranded NAVC that new operational guidelines and structures to ensure checks and balances at the local governments, states and national levels of the corps had been established. He emphasised that in order to forestall a repetition of past mistakes, requirements for membership of NAVC were now strict, “NAVC is no longer for all-comers. Among other requirements to be eligible for membership, an applicant must be gainfully employed with a verifiable source of income and must be literate and have a minimum of Senior School Certificate”, he explained. Mr. Sowe added that, a mandatory training programme would be organised for members of the corps while cautioning that ICPC would not hesitate to withdraw the membership of and prosecute any member who errs. Also speaking at the event, the representative of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Ekiti State, Mr. Omotosho Rotimi noted that corruption affects the development of the society. He urged members of NAVC to take the task of fighting corruption seriously and see themselves as agents of a great and positive change in the society. The Coordinator of the newly inaugurated state chapter, Mr. Francis Agbaje, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues promised to do their best in intensifying the anti-corruption campaign in the state.

Integrity: Panacea to Examination Malpractice - ICPC Chairman

okon — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 13:51:15 +0000

Lack of integrity, discipline and sincerity among students, parents, teachers and officials of examination bodies have been identified as some of the factors responsible for the rampant cases of examination malpractice in the country. This was the position held by the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta in his address at the 2^nd Phase of Anti-Corruption Sensitization Workshop for Examination Bodies and other Stakeholders in the Education Sector in Nigeria, which was held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, recently. Participants were drawn from the National Examination Council (NECO), West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Principals and Examination Officers of Government Secondary Schools, Civil Society Organisations such as Exam Ethics and Marshals International amongst others. Mr. Nta who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, explained that it was not possible to speak of quality education without workable integrity and competence, saying “without multi-stakeholder integrity, examination malpractice will be rampant.” According to him, examination malpractice poses a serious challenge to quality of education by churning out unqualified manpower which constitutes a serious hazard to every sector of the country’s life. Against this backdrop, the ICPC Chairman charged all stakeholders in the education sector to imbibe the culture of integrity as a panacea to deal with examination malpractice in the nation’s institutions of learning. “Can we really speak of quality education for our children without workable integrity and competence? And you know that without multi-stakeholder integrity examination malpractice will be rampant. ‘Those of us here, do we consider this as a serious challenge, and what role do we play to enhance the quality of education that we expect and cherish for our children. ‘Thus, how can we make integrity and capacity building for excellence be the utmost concern in our education as a panacea to deal with examination malpractice in our schools?” he asked rhetorically. Earlier in her welcome address, the Acting Head of Education Department, ICPC, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, stated that the workshop which was a follow-up to the first phase that held in November, 2016 was focused on the causes and prevention of exam malpractice before, during and after examinations. She said that participants were expected to “brainstorm and bring up a working template which would be used in monitoring and eventual eradication of examination malpractice in the sector”. Discussions during the workshop centred on the causes of examination malpractice and ways to curb the unwholesome trend. Participants were also divided into groups, brainstormed and came up with a draft working template for monitoring examinations by ICPC. The template seeks to ensure, among others, the Integrity of Examination Centres, Supervisors, Handling of Question Papers, Process, Worked Scripts, Reports, etc. A participant from NAPPS, Mr. Charles Umekwe, expressed optimism at the expected result of the workshop especially with the fashioning of a monitoring template which he said “would surely aid in reducing examination malpractice to its barest minimum”. As a stakeholder, he said “NAPPS would step-down the sensitization to all their members to actively join in the vanguard against examination malpractice in Nigeria”.

ICPC Secures 2 Years Imprisonment for FERMA Staff over N60m Road Funds Theft

okon — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 13:53:06 +0000

A Sokoto State High Court has sentenced a staff of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr. Anthony Mbanefo, to two years imprisonment for embezzling N60 million Federal Government money approved for the repairs of two federal roads in Sokoto State. Mr. Mbanefo who was charged before Justice Bello Duwale by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was accused of holding private interest in a Federal Government contract, which led to the diversion of the money. ICPC in a 4-count charge said his actions violated the provisions of sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The Commission told the court that the crime was committed in the months of September and October, 2013, when Mbanefo, who was a Senior Technical Officer 1, collected N20 million on three different occasions from contractors handling the road repair projects. He was said to have collected N40 million from Crest Code Nigeria Limited and N20 million from Dewlands International Limited, the companies handling the road projects. The money was meant for the emergency maintenance repairs of Jabo-Kajiji Kummi and Rimawa-Sabon Birni roads, all in Sokoto State. Part of the charge sheet reads, “That you Anthony Mbanefo, on or about the month of September, 2013 thereabouts whilst being employed in the public service serving as Senior Technical Officer 1, Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Abuja knowingly acquired an indirect private interest in a contract for the emergency maintenance repairs between KM. 1+950---KM.3+400 at Jabo along Kajiji Kummi Road, Sokoto State emanating from the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Abuja, the office in which you are employed when you collected the sum of N20 million from Crest Code Nigeria Limited, a company on which the contract was awarded by FERMA for the purpose of executing the said contract on behalf of the said company and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. ‘That you Anthony Mbanefo, on or about the month of October, 2013 thereabouts whilst being a public officer as Senior Technical Officer 1, Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Abuja, used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself when you collected the sum of N20 million to execute the contract for the emergency maintenance repairs between KM.183+300---KM.184+400 at Sululu along Rimawa- Sabon Birni, Niger Republic Road, Sokoto State, on behalf of Messrs Dewlands Int. Limited awarded to it by FERMA for a contract sum of N40 million which contract you failed to execute and converted the said sum to your own use and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.” His counsel, Mr. Y. Gwazawa, before the ruling, pleaded with the court to show his client mercy for being a first offender. Justice Duwale, in his ruling, sentenced the accused to two years imprisonment without an option of fine.

ICPC Chairman urges Sokoto Varsity Students to Cultivate Integrity

okon — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 09:24:42 +0000

The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has urged students of Sokoto State University to cultivate the qualities of integrity, accountability and honesty as future leaders. Mr. Nta, who was represented by Mr. Ahmad Muhammad Wada, of the Legal Department of ICPC, gave the advice during the induction and inauguration of new executive members of the Students Anti-corruption Vanguard (SAV) of the institution recently. He charged the students to be good ambassadors of the anti-corruption campaign in their individual capacities in order to reduce corruption in the university. Also in a paper presented at the occasion; the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin) of the University, Professor Nasirudden Ibrahim Dole, stated that fighting corruption was everybody’s responsibility. According to him “we should all stand and fight the monster or it will destroy us’’. Professor Dole also urged the new executive members of the vanguard to expose corruption wherever it exists in the university so as to ensure that there is no hiding place for corrupt -minded people. In his paper presentation titled “Corruption in Educational Sector: A perspective in Examination Malpractice” the Chairman, Committee on Examination Malpractice, Sokoto State University, Malam Anas Tukur Balarabe, lamented that “corruption in many forms has insidiously eaten away the integrity of the educational institutions and damaged the educational system to an extent that one does not even know who to blame”. Malam Balarabe emphasized the need for students to always abide by examination rules and regulations; while urging lecturers to understand that preventing students from committing such evil acts is a collective responsibility of all in the university community and not just for the members of SAV. On his own part, the new president of the Anti-corruption Vanguard, Mr. Mohammed Olusegun Dauda in his inaugural speech, promised to run a transparent leadership and urged the members to join hands with him in the fight against the scourge of corruption in the university. Students Anti-Corruption Vanguard is an initiative of ICPC which enlists voluntary students of tertiary institutions into the campaign against corruption.The vanguard promotes wholesome values of integrity, hard work and discipline in the institutions’ communities.

ICPC, Cameroonian Anti-Corruption Body seek African Cooperation against Corruption

okon — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:00:12 +0000

Two anti-corruption bodies on the continent, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Anti-Corruption Commission of the Republic of Cameroon (NACC) have called for cooperation among African countries to tackle the problem of corruption on the continent. Heads of the two agencies, Mr. Ekpo Nta (ICPC) and Rev. Dr. Dieudonne Massi Gams (NACC) jointly made the call recently in a parley at the ICPC’s headquarters, Abuja, noting that Africa was ripe to come up with its own collaborative mechanism that would help solve the menace of corruption across the continent. Rev. Massi Gams, who was on a visit to ICPC with the top management of his organisation spoke first and said he was in Nigeria to understudy the work of ICPC with a view to improving on the operations of his organisation back home in Cameroon. He explained that the achievements of ICPC in the war against corruption were good enough to be replicated in other African countries. Gams said, “I think is it useful for us to learn what you are doing to combat corruption because the fight against corruption is global. But we need to first centralize it on the continent if we must go on to make our lives better. ‘We used to look beyond to the West before this time for solutions, but now we have the options to learn from one another by creating a southern bloc. We need to see if it is possible to sign a convention of cooperation by African countries against corruption. ‘South-South cooperation is not very well done in Africa. We used to think abroad out of the continent but we have many things that we can share here on our continent. That is why I think we must begin inside Africa.” Mr. Nta, in his remarks, told his Cameroonian colleague of his willingness to collaborate with other African countries in the war against corruption, adding that the continent needed to pull her resources together to tackle one of the biggest problems facing it. He lamented that only a few African countries (Algeria, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria) were members of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) which he said was a drawback for Africa and promised to help Cameroon join the academy. The ICPC Chairman described in details the various preventive initiatives the Commission was deploying to rid the country of corruption. He spoke about the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) domiciled in government establishments; the System Study and Review tool; the Corruption Risks Assessment initiative as well as a host of others. Nta spoke further on assistance to the Cameroonians: “On the issue of collaboration, I do not see any problem. It will go into my handing-over note. I will assist you to have your country join IACA. We have few African countries as members at the moment which is not good for us.” The ICPC boss who pointed out that he was on his last official assignment because his tenure was drawing to an end, also promised to sign an agreement with NACC that would allow for staff exchange between the two bodies. The Rev. Massi Gams and his entourage were taken on a tour of ICPC’s training academy, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, Nasarawa State. The Reverend was impressed at the state-of-the-art facilities at ACAN and promised to send his staff there for training as soon as he returned home.

FCMB Donates 40 Computers to ICPC

icpcuser — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 16:41:50 +0000

First City Monument Bank, FCMB, has donated forty (40) units of new computer systems to the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training and research arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The FCMB Regional Director, Abuja and North, Mr. Lukman Mustapha, who made the presentation of the items consisting of Desk-tops, Central Processing Unit, Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems said that the donation was to assist the Commission in its anti-corruption effort. He disclosed that FCMB had “over the years provided support in various forms to numerous private and public sector institutions.” Mr. Lukman commended ICPC for taking the bold step to prioritize the training and equipping of staff with the appropriate skills that would enhance the performance of their duties through the setting up of ACAN. He also noted that FCMB was pleased to support the Commission and would continue to collaborate with it in the discharge of its responsibilities. “The donation of these computers is part of our contributions to the overall success of this Commission as this gesture will go a long way in enhancing the capacity and competencies of your personnel in the discharge of their duties,” Mr. Lukman said. While receiving the equipment on behalf of the Commission, Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, expressed gratitude to the entire management of FCMB for the donation. He said: “The gesture you have made today will go a long way in helping us fight corruption, and we will make sure that this donation impacts significantly and positively on our work.” “Corruption is a very serious crime and combating it requires concerted action. We therefore call on all stakeholders to join in this fight”, the Chairman added.

ICPC Puts an End to 2 Years Arbitrary Billing by AEDC

okon — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 17:04:49 +0000

Arbitrary billing, incessant harassment and fraudulent demands by some officials of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) of an electricity consumer has been put to an end by ICPC. Mrs. Mojisola Yinka, who is a resident of Apo district of the FCT had petitioned the Commission alleging that she had been a victim of this harassment for 2 years saying that even though the distribution company had not been supplying them electricity, she was being billed between N20, 000 to N47, 000 on a monthly basis. According to her, in less than 16 months she had paid not less than N100, 000 as bill to AEDC for electricity which she never consumed. Mrs. Yinka further alleged that she had made repeated efforts to bring the injustice to the attention of the management of the AEDC in Apo, but that resulted in more harassment and disconnections of her electricity supply. She explained that after she had exhausted all other avenues of redress without any positive result, she decided to write to ICPC. Upon the intervention of the Commission, AEDC reconnected her electricity supply immediately and also installed a pre-payment meter at her home at no cost to her. In her appreciation letter to the Hon. Chairman, she recommended that the Commission should look into the activities of AEDC as “a lot of Nigerians are groaning under their oppression”.

ICPC arraigns Akwa Ibom Ex-Council Boss for Embezzling N55.8m

okon — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 17:23:59 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged a former chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ephraim Sunday Akpan, to court for allegedly embezzling N55.8 million belonging to the local government. The Commission, in 24-count charge, filed before Justice Archibong Archibong of Akwa Ibom State High Court 4, sitting in Uyo, accused Mr. Akpan of abuse office while acting as Chairman of Mkpat Enin local government area, contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section. The ex-council boss, who was Chairman of the local government from June 2012 to June 2015 and later Caretaker Chairman of the same council from June 2015 to June 2016, was also accused of collecting a bribe of N3 million from a contractor in violation of Section 8 of the same Act and punishable under the same section. The Commission, while acting on a petition on alleged fraudulent activities of Mr. Akpan from a Non-Governmental Organisation called Centre for International Peace and Development in Nigeria, found out that the former local government Chairman allegedly used N55, 670, 000 of the council’s funds between June and October 2014 to build the ‘Godswill Akpabio Gas and Oil Academy’ which has been abandoned. ICPC in the charge sheet told the court that Mr. Akpan allegedly offered bribes to some selected village heads in his local government to buy their support for the abandoned academy. It further alleged that Mr. Akpan, in his statement confessed to have awarded a contract for the construction of 14 solar-powered boreholes in 14 wards of the local government at the cost of N42, 500, 000 to a company called One Billion Trade, owned by his friend, Mr. Sebastine Essien, without the approval of the council. He also confessed to have paid N36, 500, 000 to the said company for the project which has been abandoned without following due process. The Commission accused Mr. Akpan of paying N21 million without approval of the council, as first instalment to the contractor and collected N3 million as kickback. He was again alleged to have ordered the contractor to pay N1 million each to 14 councilors of the local government as a bribe, but one of the councillors was said to have rejected the money. Mr. Akpan pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him and was admitted to bail by the court. Justice Archibong, in his ruling, granted the accused bail in sum of N15 million and two sureties in like sum. The judge further ruled that the two sureties must deposit an affidavit of means and must not be below Grade Level 16 in the civil service or its equivalent. Other conditions attached to the bail by Justice Archibong included the two sureties bringing letters of identification from two prominent citizens of Akwa Ibom State, as well as showing proof of ownership of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court by presenting the original Certificates of Occupancy of the properties which must be deposited with the Registrar of the court. The case was then adjourned to 25^th October, 2017 for hearing.

ICPC’s Academy receives Anti-Corruption Training Materials Donation from UNODC

okon — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 14:23:57 +0000

The Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, (ACAN) the training and research arm of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is the beneficiary of invaluable anti-corruption training materials donated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The materials which consist of book copies of a survey on corruption carried out in Nigeria by UNODC in conjunction with the National Bureau of Statistics; hundreds of copies of anti-corruption literature; and corruption-prevention training manuals were donated to the Academy during a brief ceremony at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja recently. Making the presentation of the materials, the Project Coordinator of UNODC Mr. Polleak Ok Serei, said the items represent assistance from the European Union as support to the government of Nigeria under the project “Support to anti-corruption in Nigeria” which is being implemented by the UNODC. Mr. Polleak, added that he was certain that the materials would help the Commission carry out its statutory duties of tackling corruption in Nigeria more effectively and efficiently. He praised the efforts of the Commission saying: “We at UNODC are not unaware of the profound initiatives of ICPC aimed at preventing corruption. We commend you for this because we are convinced that sustainable anti-corruption prevention is the way to go if Nigeria is to free itself from the ravages of corruption.” In his response while receiving the gifts, the Chairman of the Commission Mr. Ekpo Nta who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Elvis Oglafa, said that the Commission was humbled by the recognition of its achievements in the area of anti-corruption. He vowed that such commendations can only serve to spur it to greater achievements, adding that the training materials received would be utilized to the maximum for an improved campaign to prevent corruption in the country. Mr. Nta noted that UNODC had been a worthy partner to ICPC, and described the donation of the books as “giving ICPC a competitive advantage for effective knowledge management in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.” It may be recalled that ICPC has embarked on several corruption prevention strategies including the corruption risk assessment of Nigeria’s Ports and Aviation sectors, e-governance platforms; as well as system studies of some universities, Ministries, Department and Agencies, etc.

ACAN trains Procurement Officers against Contract Failure

okon — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 16:27:12 +0000

The premises of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, Nasarawa State, the research and training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Corruption (ICPC) came alive once again as over 150 procurement officers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) across the Federation assembled for a two-day training workshop. The event was the opening ceremony of an intensive training exercise intended to tackle the Achilles’ heel of contract awarding process of the public sector in Nigeria which is the procurement process. In his welcome address at the ceremony, Provost of the Academy, Professor Sola Akinrinade, declared that the workshop with the theme, “Achieving Projects and Procurement Objectives with Integrity,” was aimed at training procurement officers against contract failure, noting that corruption, compromise and incompetence were all factors that negatively affect the quality of project delivery and desired output. “When buildings collapse, it is evidence of failure somewhere along the line in the project delivery process,” he lamented. Professor Akinrinade went further to say, “it has been stated time and again that Nigeria has one of the highest rates of implementing contracts if not the highest, anywhere in the world. And the reason is simple: so much is lost to unwholesome practices in the procurement process.” According to him, “corruption in procurement matters is one major source of leakage in public sector with all too familiar consequences.” The ACAN Provost explained that integrity in the procurement process was one aspect of the nation’s problem, pointing out that another critical aspect of it was the integrity of the project delivery process particularly for physical development projects. He further observed that projects of low priority were given preference in implementation because inflated expenses were built into them, expressing that the project quality might not be compromised but some individuals would have been enriched in the process without adding value to the lives of the people whose interests were supposed to be served. The Provost therefore emphasized that the training was designed to address the many questions of integrity, transparency and accountability in procurement matters of public sector agencies. Professor Akinrinade then urged the participants to put into practice after leaving the academy all that they would learn to always ensure integrity in procurement process, saying, “It is not only critical to sustainable development of institutions of governance but the society at large.” While calling on them to make the best use of the workshop, he noted that the training was imperative because lack of knowledge was often responsible for people committing elementary errors and infractions. Participants at the workshop were taken through intensive courses on ways of achieving integrity in procurement and projects execution; the high point of which was the award of certificates at the end of the training.

ICPC inaugurates New NAVC in Benue, Imo, Rivers …charges Members to mobilize against Corruption

okon — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 16:35:12 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has charged officials and members of the newly-re-engineered National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) to mobilize and create awareness on the devastating effects of corruption, while enlightening the people on the laws governing the behaviour of public officials and their responsibilities towards citizens. The charge was given by the NAVC National Coordinator, Mr. Mike Sowe, who represented the Commission during the inauguration ceremonies of officials of NAVC in Makurdi, Owerri and Port-Harcourt cities of Benue, Imo and Rivers states respectively recently. The inaugurations witnessed crowds of volunteers who came out in their hundreds to join the anti-corruption crusade. Mr. Sowe called on volunteers of the three state chapters to act as vanguards for the enthronement of good governance in their individual states’ social and political institutions. He added that part of their duties was to assist ICPC in the dissemination of information on its anti-corruption campaign while also reporting acts of corruption to the Commission. The National Coordinator advised the volunteers not to deviate from the ideals and core objectives of NAVC, declaring that any of them who engaged in any criminal act would be prosecuted. “In carrying out your duties and responsibilities, remember that you cannot investigate on your own. All reports must be forwarded to ICPC for investigation and possible prosecution. You must remain above board, as the Commission will not hesitate to prosecute any volunteer that commits any criminal offence,” he warned. Speaking at the inauguration in Makurdi, Benue State, the Acting Coordinator of Benue State Chapter, Hon Benjamin Nungwa who is also the member representing Kwande Constituency at the Benue State House of Assembly, admonished the volunteers against using NAVC for extortion and impersonation of ICPC operatives. “No member of NAVC should impersonate ICPC staff. NAVC should rather serve as the eyes and ears of ICPC. We are whistle-blowers and watchdogs, our job is to assist by reporting all corruption cases to ICPC,” the Honourable Member cautioned. Other volunteers who spoke at the events in Imo and Rivers states revealed that even though there were no material or financial benefits attached to the duties of the members of the Corps, they were joining it because of their passion for a corruption-free Nigeria. They also pledged to carry out their responsibilities with commitment and dedication according to the Corps’ guidelines. Also speaking in Owerri at the inauguration of the Imo State Chapter, the Coordinator of Abia State Chapter, Rev. Blessed U. Amalambu, cautioned the new volunteers to guard against acts that led to the disbandment of the Corps in the first place. It should be recalled that NAVC was initiated in 2008 by ICPC to provide a platform for ordinary Nigerian citizen volunteers to get involved personally and actively in the anti-corruption fight. After its inception, the Corps was inaugurated in most states of the Federation, with each chapter headed by a Coordinator. All state chapters were under the supervision of a National Coordinator at the ICPC headquarters. As NAVC gained popularity across the country, some volunteers deviated completely from the principles of the Corps and resorted to arrests and interrogation of citizens, while some even set up detention centres. In view of these abuses, the Commission in 2014 ordered for the suspension of the activities of the Corps nationwide in order to restore its ideals and noble objectives as well as maintain the Commission’s integrity. In 2015, NAVC was rebranded which led to the dissolution of all existing structures in all states of the Federation. The new officials for the three state chapters who were inaugurated were elected in conformity with the new operational guidelines after their vetting as prospective members.

Man accused of N6m Fraud by ICPC bags Two Years Imprisonment

okon — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 17:19:40 +0000

An Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, has sentenced one Mr. Afolabi Ademola Michael, to two years imprisonment for duping a lawyer, Mr. Oladipo Olasope of N6 million. Mr. Michael was brought before Justice M. Adegbola by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 2-count charge that borders on fraudulent receipt of property and making false statement to a public officer. Counsel to ICPC, Suleiman Abdulkarim had told the court that Mr. Michael, in May 2013, deceitfully collected N6 million out of N11 million, obtained through a garnishee order from Skye Bank, Ibadan branch by Mr. Olasope, claiming to be one Yekini Sulaiman, who was Director in Divine Success Network, a company said to be into pension funds management. The court was told that this first offence of the convict contravened Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and was punishable under Section 68 of the same act. The convict was also accused of lying to a public officer when he claimed that the money he had received was part of the legal fees paid by Olasope which offence was in violation of Section 25(1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under the same section. The charge sheet read: “Afolabi Ademola Michael, in May 2013 at Ibadan, Oyo State did receive from Oladipo Olasope, the sum of N6 million being part of N10, 961, 121.08 the said Oladipo Olasope Adegoke, obtained from Skye Bank, Plc, Ibadan Branch, through a garnishee order obtained from Oyo State High Court, Ibadan against the account of Yekini Sulaiman, domiciled at the said bank, which money he knew Oladipo Olasope, obtained from Skye Bank Plc, Ibadan under the pretext that the said Yekini Sulaiman was an ally to one of the Directors of Divine Success Network which he knew was false. ‘Afolabi Ademola Michael, in May 2013 did make a false statement to a public officer to wit: Fateemah Mohammed in the course of her official duties when he stated in his statement that Oladipo Olasope, a legal practitioner, was paid the sum of N1, 090, 000 as legal fees in suit No. 1/388/09 instituted by him at Oyo State High Court, Ibadan which he knew was false.” Justice Adegbola, after taking plea of allocutus of the convict, sentenced him to two years imprisonment without an option of fine.

ICPC Inaugurates ACTU in Kwali Area Council

okon — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 11:38:01 +0000

An Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) has been inaugurated for Kwali Area Council by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in order to promote transparent and accountable processes and procedures as well as tackle corrupt practices in the council. The establishment of the ACTU is in line with one of the functions of the Commission as encapsulated in its preventive mandate. Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of the Commission who oversaw the inauguration, gave an overview of the ACTU Standing Order and stated that ACTU was an initiative of ICPC created in collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to serve as an in-house check mechanism within Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). He added that ACTU was also conceived to monitor, identify and address the ethical lapses in MDAs’ systems. Mr. Kuatsea then urged the new members to strive for excellence at all times. “Cleanse your area council yourself and ensure that it is free from all forms of corruption,” he charged. He also appealed to the Council’s Management to provide adequate funding for the sustenance of the unit; provide suitable office accommodation; and an environment that is conducive to effective work as expected. Finally, in his acceptance speech, Alhaji Lawal Morof, Head of Personnel Management of the Council acknowledged the fact that the task before his team was a serious one that required the cooperation of management and staff of the Area Council. He noted that the success of the ACTU would mean success for the Council and indeed the nation at large. Alhaji Morof also promised that his team would do their best in ensuring that the Council was made free of all forms of corruption.

Joining NAVC, Most Patriotic Decision - ICPC to Anti-Corruption Volunteers

okon — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 13:08:54 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has commended members of the rebranded National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) for their decision to join the Corps in order to contribute to the war against corruption. Mr. Mike Sowe, the National Coordinator of NAVC, made the commendation in Abeokuta, Akure and Ibadan during the inauguration of the newly elected officials who would steer the affairs of the Corps in Ogun, Ondo and Oyo States for a period of two years. Mr. Sowe declared that for the war against corruption to succeed, there was need for individuals and groups to partner with the anti-corruption agencies. He praised the officials for electing to join the Corps, describing it as the most patriotic decision any Nigerian could ever make. “The NAVC underlines the important role volunteer citizens can play to entrench the values of fairness, honesty and integrity so that our country can achieve its full potentials in all facets of human development particularly in the provision of better health services, quality education at all levels, improved power supply, better roads and accelerated infrastructural advancement,” he stated. The National Coordinator also advised the officials and members to remain above board in the conduct of their business. He said, “You are now trend-setters who will reassure our citizens that doing the right thing and abandoning negative behaviour are crucial for progress and development.” He went on to warn them that the Commission would not hesitate to prosecute volunteers that commit any criminal offence. He highlighted the duties and responsibilities of NAVC to include mobilization, education and creation of public awareness on corruption; its ills; and the laws governing the behaviour of officials and their responsibilities. Others include assisting the Commission in the acquisition and dissemination of information; and reporting acts of corruption. Regarding the investigation of reports of corruption, Mr. Sowe categorically stated that NAVC could not investigate on their own; therefore, all reports must be forwarded to ICPC for investigation and possible prosecution. Dignitaries from all walks of life in Abeokuta were present to witness the inauguration ceremony. Amongst whom were Commissioner of Police, Ogun State, CP Ahmed Iliyasu; Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Ogun State, Corps Commander Clement Oladele; and the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta. In a goodwill message, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, who was represented by CSP Abiodun Bakare, pledged to stand by NAVC as it complements ICPC in the effort to rid the state and Nigeria of corruption. The sector commander of FRSC, who was represented by DRC Adesoye Adejoke, in his remarks, lauded the volunteers for choosing to dedicate their time and resources to fight corruption. He said “FRSC is committed to fighting corruption; in whatever capacity FRSC can assist ICPC, in whatever capacity you want us to key into the fight against corruption, we are ready to support you. Should you see any corrupt practice with regard to FRSC, do not cover it but report.” The NAVC was also inaugurated in Akure, the capital of Ondo State as well as Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Both events were well attended by dignitaries within the states. Before the inauguration ceremony, successful elections had seen the emergence of Idris Abu as the state coordinator for Ogun State, Akinbobola Gbenga Ayo for Ondo State and Prince Adeyemo for Oyo State. Speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated volunteers, Idris Abu vowed to perform their functions as stipulated in the guidelines of the new NAVC, adding that they would do their best to see that corruption is stamped out of their states.

ICPC Holds Ethics and Integrity Workshop for Mining Institute’s Staff

okon — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 13:14:30 +0000

In the continual efforts to educate public servants on corruption and its effect on the society, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences (NIMG), Jos, Plateau State, organized a two-day sensitization and awareness workshop for senior staff of the Institute recently. The event titled: “Ethics and Integrity in the Workplace”, which was held at the main hall of the institute, was aimed at educating the participants on the causes and effects of corruption in the workplace; and building the capacity of participants to adopt administrative measures for controlling corruption. It also sought to entrench ethics and integrity in the procedures of the workplace. In his welcome address during the opening ceremony, the Director General of the Institute, Dr. Umaru Saidu Bamalli, noted that because there was no excuse of ignorance before the law, it was therefore important to educate and sensitize the workforce of NIMG on what constitutes corruption. According to him, constant enlightenment of staff would make them aware of the need to maintain a high level of integrity in the discharge of their duties. Speaking further, Bamalli said that corruption was a burning national discourse of urgent concern because of the severe harm it had caused the nation. He therefore urged staff to resist the temptations that could make them prone to sharp practices, while advising that they should be contented with their legitimate earnings. In his own address, the Head of Administration Department of NIMG, Mr. Clarkson Takwi, said that corruption was the bane of the country’s development hence the need to tackle it by ensuring that integrity is imbibed by all. He added that the workshop was an avenue to encourage the culture of integrity among staff, which would translate into a corruption-free organisation. The Provost of ACAN, Professor Sola Akinrinade, in his address, stated that it was the belief in ICPC that corruption could be reduced, if not totally eradicated, through attitudinal change among Nigerians. He commended the management and staff of NIMG for making the workshop a reality, saying that the war against corruption could not be won by ‘leaders who say one thing in public and do something else in private or societies that decry corruption and yet tolerate it.’ Speaking further, Prof. Akinrinade said corruption in the workplace was widespread and involved common occurrences such as delay of files, falsification of age, making wrong claims, favouritism, truancy, bribery, abuse of office, submission of spurious bills, award of fictitious contracts and lateness to work, which were all systemic in nature. He noted that not every public servant was corrupt: “There are many clean ones, and it behooves all such to labour to redeem the image of the public service”, he added. He enjoined the participants to utilize all the knowledge that they would imbibe from the various lectures to help entrench accountability and integrity in the Institute, stressing that the fight against corruption was one that every staff of NIMG must join. Seven papers focusing on: Corruption in the Workplace: Forms, Causes and Effects; The Integrity Imperative in the Workplace; Entrenching Ethics and Integrity in the Processes and Procedures of MDAs/Workplace; Designing, Implementing and Monitoring Management System; Administrative Measures for Controlling Corruption in the Workplace; An Overview of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and Challenges of Exposing Corruption, were delivered. The climax of the workshop was the interactive session where participants were grouped into syndicates to come up with a proposed integrity and ethical plan for their organization, and also to deliberate on causes of corruption, suggestions, recommendations and strategies. The workshop ended with the presentation of certificates to the participants after which in his vote of thanks, Dr. Umaru Bamalli, D.G of the Institute, commended ICPC for the effort made to educate and enlighten NIMG staff on issues of corruption. He then appealed to staff to imbibe the virtues of integrity, transparency, accountability and diligence in the execution of their daily duties while joining hands with anti-corruption agencies in making the country a corruption-free nation.

Inauguration of NAVC Chapters In Five More States

okon — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 13:17:07 +0000

Officials to run the affairs of NAVC chapters in Imo, Rivers, Ondo, Ogun and Oyo states have been elected. The following officials were elected in Owerri to pilot the affairs of the Corps for the next two years.

State Coordinator - Donatus Ogbonna
State Coordinator - Oriaku Emmanuel
State Secretary - Jonah Abosi Ngozi
Secretary - Ude Greg
Secretary - Ashiebu Clement
Treasurer - Usuji Chris Chukwuma
Welfare Officer - Ugoma Goodluck
PE/Edu Officer - Vitalis Udo

At the Council hall of the Port-Harcourt City Local Government, the following officials were elected for Rivers State:

State Coordinator - Charles Nwokezi
State Coordinator - Uzezi Samule Adese
State Secretary - Chima Hyginus
Secretary - Christiana Ekanem
Secretary - Rev. Graham B. Gbenebitse
Treasurer - Chimara Idowu
Welfare Officer - Amb. Queen Chris
PE/Edu Officer - Ovie Isaiah

At the NUJ Press Centre in Akure, the following officials were elected to run the affairs of the Ondo State Chapter:

State Coordinator - Akinbobola G. Ayo
State Coordinator - Opawoye Z. Oluwafemi
State Secretary - Adeniyi David
Secretary - Famuditi J. James
Secretary - Olasehinde J. Olatunde
Treasurer - Roseline A. B. Funmilayo
Welfare Officer - Fapounda A. Omowumi
PE/Edu Officer - Oriade Ajibade Samuel

At the NUJ Press Centre in Aboekuta, Ogun State, the following NAVC officials were elected unopposed:

State Coordinator - Idris Kelvin Abu
State Coordinator - Sanni Lukman
State Secretary - Oluwadare Dipeolu
Secretary - Odunlami Olufumileyi
Secretary - Dayo Jaiyesimi
Treasurer - Akinwande Idris Mani
Welfare Officer - Onagbule M. A.
PE/Edu Officer - Sanni Olalekan

At the House of Chiefs in Ibadan, the following NAVC officials were elected for Oyo State:

State Coordinator - Prince Remi Adeyemo
State Coordinator - Bimbola Adekoya
State Secretary - Adeyemo S. Adeyemi
Secretary - Rev. Timothy Adekunle
Secretary - Pharm. Rasaq Ajiboye
Treasurer - Benjamin Oluwabusuyi
Welfare Officer - Oluwakemi Abolale
PE/Edu Officer - Islamiyat Adegoke

LASU sacks Ag. HOD, senior lecturers, others over misconduct - Punch

okon — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:53:57 +0000

The Lagos State University has dismissed from service 15 academic staff and two non-academic staff members, while two others were demoted, for alleged acts of misconduct. The dismissal and demotion take immediate effect. While an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education, Dr. John Adeogun, was demoted to the rank of a senior lecturer for acts of dishonesty, which was tantamount to misconduct, other lecturers were dismissed, including PhD holders and the acting Head, History and International Studies Department, Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, who was said to have unilaterally altered the results of 12 students already advised to withdraw by the senate of the institution. A statement on Friday by the institution’s Acting Head, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, Ademola Adekoya, said the decision was arrived at on Thursday during the 115th meeting of the institution’s Governing Council, which considered, among others, the report of its Joint Council/Senate (Academic) Disciplinary Committee and the Joint Council (Administrative and Technical Staff) Disciplinary Committee.

It added that the committees heard the cases against the affected persons, strictly followed all laid down procedures and gave opportunity to individuals involved to defend themselves. The statement said apart from changing the status of the students from “withdrawn” to “good standing”, Adeyemi-Suenu also awarded 2.0 grade point to two students in an examination from which they were absent, among other offences. His actions were said to amount to manipulation of students’ results in contravention of relevant laws and was therefore dismissed from the service of the university. Also, Dr. Isaac Oyewunmi of the Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education, was dismissed for demanding for N50,000 from students on sandwich programme to process their results, while Dr. Olufemi Soyeju of the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law was dismissed for defaulting on conditions of his training leave bond and abandoning his duty post. Soyeju is also to refund over N7.9m to LASU within 30 days. Also dismissed for defaulting on conditions of their training leave bond and abandoning their duty posts, Dr. Olawale Raimi of the Department of Biochemistry, was directed to refund over N1.6m; Dr. Christiana Obagbuwa of the Department of Computer Science is to refund over N8.6m; Dr. Shamisudeen Badmus of the Department of Accounting is to refund over N11.1m, while Dr. Fatimat Bakare of the Department of Chemical and Polymer Engineering is to refund over N9.1m, all within 30 days. Similarly dismissed for the same offence were Dr. Emmanuel Asapo of the Department of Chemical and Polymer Engineering, and was directed to refund over N2.6m; Olubukola Oyeniya, an Assistant Research Fellow at the Centre for Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development, also to refund N6.1m; Ademola Adesina of the Department of Computer Science, also to refund N6.6m, all within 30 days, while Mr. Lateef Salami of the Department of Microbiology was only dismissed. Also, Dr. Adebowale Ademeso of the Department of Theatre Arts and Music was dismissed for altering grades in 16 courses, Dr. Olugbenro Odofin of the Department of Education Foundation and Counselling Psychology was also dismissed for altering 118 students’ results and awarding scores to students who did not sit for the examination in a certain course. Furthermore, Dr. Scholastica Udegbe of the Department of Marketing was dismissed for effecting corrections on 1995 results of students during her tenure as the Acting head of the department between August 2012 and July 2016, in breach of laid down procedure, while Mr. Olatoye Raji of the Department of Religions (Islamic Studies Unit) was dismissed for falsifying his O’level certificate. Also, Mr. Ernest Odili, an Assistant Security Officer, was dismissed for illegally collecting N1.2m with the intention of upgrading the result of a student in 2012, while Mr. Ramon Alli, former Head Machine Operator, was dismissed for collecting N20,000, from one Achilike Kingsley to assist the latter substitute the falsified result in his personal file with another result. Meanwhile, a Senior Security officer, Mr. Emmanuel Babatunde was demoted for engaging in “deliberate sabotage” of the university’s security operations, effectively from February 13, 2015 to the next applicable level below his substantive post.” When our correspondent contacted one of the sacked lecturers, Oyewunmi, of the Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education, he declined commenting on the sacking. Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered that there had been some issues between the school management and the LASU branch of ASUU, which some described as the cause of the sanction. But the institution’s PRO, Adekoya, said there was not truth in such. He said, “The decision was made by the Governing Council, which is the highest body in the school, and ASUU also has representation in that council. The issues were against individuals, and as you would have seen, some non-academic staff were also affected. “ASUU itself is a credible union, it’s just unfortunate that those people are there at that time and some of these cases had been ongoing for some time, even before the present administration. If they feel aggrieved, they should go to court.” Culled from The Punch

ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta Bows Out

okon — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 15:44:12 +0000

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, has successfully bowed out of office after six years at the helm. He handed over the reins of the Commission to Hon. Alhaji Abdullahi Bako, a Board Member who would be acting pending the assumption of duty by the Chairman designate who is awaiting Senate confirmation. In his address during the handing-over ceremony, the out-gone Chairman stated that he came into the Commission at a time when the Commission had a crisis of identity as to whether it was a law enforcement or civil service organisation, coupled with the fact that its premises had a seemingly abandoned look in terms of how dilapidated the physical structure was. He revealed that though the situation dampened his enthusiasm, it also spurred him into picking up the challenge of not leaving the Commission the way he had found it. Mr. Nta stated that the first task he and his Board Members set out to do was to rightfully place ICPC where it belonged based on the Commission’s enabling law, He highlighted some of his achievements to include a high rate of investigation and prosecution of corruption cases; the introduction of preventive measures to check corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); and the spike in publicity for the Commission’s activities on its website and in the media. Other achievements include; publishing of three volumes of ICPC law reports; improving the staff clinic to cater for the health of suspects in the Commission’s custody as well as the intervention and support by UNODC for the Commission’s work, amongst others. The out-gone Chairman commended the management committee and staff of the Commission for what he described as a wonderful working period, stating that the Commission had intellectuals as staff who usually stood out at trainings and workshops featuring participants from other organisations. He urged the management committee members to continue to work hard while emphasizing the seriousness of the handing-over ceremony with its accompanying copious documentation, as an indication of a culture that helps to create institutional memory. In his response, the Acting Chairman, Alhaji Bako, acknowledged that Mr. Nta had done a lot to project a positive image for the Commission. He noted that the achievements made Nta as Chairman ICPC, to be the first African to be appointed a Board Member of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), Vienna, Austria. Alhaji Bako pleaded for the support of the management within the period he would act as Chairman while urging all staff to continue to be disciplined, and build on what they had learnt from the out-gone Chairman by striving for excellence. Mr. Ekpo Nta was appointed Acting Chairman, ICPC by former President Goodluck Jonathan at the swearing-in ceremony of the Commission’s Board Members in November, 2011 before he became the substantive Chairman in 2012 for a period of five years. The Acting Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Bako, a current 2-term Member of the ICPC Board, is a lawyer, Notary Public and Fellow of Charted Institute of Arbitration. The Acting Chairman, who represents the North–East geopolitical zone, was first appointed a Board Member of the Commission in 2009 and the appointment was renewed for a second term in 2014.

Assets Tracing, Critical to Corruption Fight – ICPC

okon — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 09:03:58 +0000

The new Secretary to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Usman Abubakar, has expressed the importance of assets tracing, recovery and management as an essential component in the fight against corruption. The Secretary who represented the Commission’s Acting Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Bako, made the statement in a welcome address at a training programme for staff of anti-corruption agencies held at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, Nasarawa State, the training arm of ICPC. The three days training which featured participants from ICPC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) was aimed at equipping the anti-corruption operatives with the requisite skills and capacity to trace, recover and efficiently manage stolen assets. Dr. Abubakar noted that assets tracing and recovery was even more germane now given the quantum of the nation’s wealth that had been stolen by individuals saddled with the responsibility of managing it for the benefit of the citizenry. According to him, “Contemporary techniques in recovery of these stolen assets and management of same will go a long way in not only deterring future corrupt public officers, but will also go a long way in boosting the needed funds and assets of the country for overall development and wellbeing of the citizens.” The Secretary also expressed delight at the state of development of the Academy, saying that he was excited. “I must confess that I am excited to be here today. This is my first time of coming to the Academy, which I have heard so much about before being appointed Secretary to this Commission’ “I am impressed with the level of infrastructure I have seen so far, which I am told was achieved with limited resources. The serene atmosphere here which is far from the hustle and bustle of the city is ideal for intellectual activities,” the Commission’s scribe stated. In his own presentation at the training, Adamawa State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Bala Sanga, stated that corruption was a deviant behaviour and that perpetrators must not be allowed to enjoy the proceeds of their crime. He spoke about the huge obstacles that stand in the way of recovering stolen assets but insisted that operatives must be undaunted in their assignments. Mr. Sanga explained that the primary purpose of recovery was to deny criminals the benefits derivable from their criminal activities and that it had to be pursued to its logical conclusion. On his own part, one of the resource persons, former Director General, Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Professor Abdullahi Shehu, in his presentation, stressed the importance of international cooperation for maximum success in assets tracing and recovery. According to him, large sums of money stolen by public officers were laundered in the United Kingdom and other First World countries but can only be recovered if the cooperation of these countries is secured.

State College, Ikot Ekpene Wins ICPC Secondary Schools Anti-Corruption Debate in Akwa Ibom

okon — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 07:45:58 +0000

The Anti-Corruption Debate for Secondary Schools organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State has been won by State College, Ikot Ekpene. The competition, keenly contested by eight secondary schools selected by the state’s Ministry of Education from the three senatorial zones of Akwa Ibom State was the first of its kind in the state. It featured persuasive articulation of points, brilliant elocution, and captivating oratory by the participating students. Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), who represented the Commission at the event, commended the students’ performance and declared that the competition was achieving its aim as it was designed to engage the youths actively in the anti-corruption crusade. He further said that the programme was aimed at engaging the students intellectually in providing solutions to the problem of corruption in Nigeria and encourage non-violent revolution against corruption. Mr. Kuatsea charged the students to see the competition as an avenue for impacting on their “generation” while embracing the spirit of sportsmanship. In his goodwill message, the Commissioner of Education, Pastor Paul Udofia who was represented by the Director in charge of Secondary Schools and Higher Education in the Ministry, Barr. Theresa Attih, expressed the hope that the debate would activate the reading habit in students. He therefore urged the students to always take reading seriously whether they had an upcoming competition or not. He praised ICPC for the initiative and pledged the support of his Ministry towards anti-corruption crusade in schools especially in Akwa-Ibom State. At the end of the event, Government Secondary School, Afaha-Eket, came second while Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron and Aka Model Secondary School, Aka Offot came third and fourth respectively.

2 NGO Officials docked by ICPC bag 9 Years Imprisonment

okon — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 12:58:47 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a nine-year jail term for Mr. Bashiru Akinola and Smart Ajisafe for impersonating ICPC staff and attempting to dupe a former Chairman of Egbeda Local Government Area, Oyo State, Mr. Kolawole Oke and Head of Personnel Department, Mr. Kolawole Oyerinde of their money. Akinola and Ajisafe who were charged before Justice Mahmood Abass, of the Oyo State High Court 5, on a 9-count charge, were accused of demanding for the sum of N2 million from the two local government officials while being members of National Anti-Corruption Awareness Organization of Nigeria, an NGO affiliated to ICPC, purportedly to help quash a case of corruption with the Commission hanging on their necks. ICPC counsel, Mr. Akinola Olakunle, while pressing the charge against them told the court that one of the accused, Akinola, was arrested in 2007 with marked N300, 000, notes through a sting operation organized by ICPC sequel to the receipt of a complaint by the local government officials. While Ajisafe was later arrested. According to the counsel, the offences contravened Section 8 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000; Section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap C38 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004; and Section 107(2) of the Criminal Code Cap C38 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004. The offences are punishable under the same sections of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and the Criminal Code Laws respectively. Counsel to the accused persons, Mr. Adekunle Babalola and Tunde Olupona respectively, pleaded with the court to be lenient with them. They said, “We plead with the court to temper justice with mercy on the grounds that they are first offenders and for ten years, they never missed a court date. Our clients have learnt their lessons, the court should on compassionate grounds, grant them a second chance.” Justice Abass, in his ruling, sentenced Mr. Bashiru Akinola to six years imprisonment with an option of fine of N250, 000 and Mr. Smart Ajisafe to three years imprisonment with an option of fine of N200, 000 respectively. A third accused person, Mrs. Sekinat Bello, who was charged with the convicts had earlier been discharged and acquitted on a no-case submission by the court.

ICPC Docks NUT Treasurer, Contractors for Embezzling N495.8m Teachers' Funds

okon — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 11:00:20 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged the Treasurer of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Abuja Municipal, Mr. Percy Ndam, to court for allegedly embezzling N495.8 million belonging to the union. Ndam, who is facing a 5-count charge before Justice Adegbola Adeniyi of the Federal Capital High Court 20, Apo, was accused of conspiring with contractors, Frank Igbinedion and Uche Nwedi, to convert N495, 828, 000 meant for NUT Housing Loan Scheme to personal use. Counsel to ICPC, Mr. Raheem Adesina, while pressing the charges against them told the court that Ndam, who was a Treasurer of NUT, Abuja Municipal and his associates committed the crime between November, 2011 and October, 2015. The court heard that Ndam allegedly stole the total sum of N296 million of the union’s money. He was accused of converting N221 million from the operational account of the union to personal use in one instance and further received another N75.2 million belonging to the same union from Isaac Sanda, who is a Managing Director of Contemporary Archivision Ltd, a company involved in the housing scheme. The court was also told that Mr. Igbinedion and Saframic Homes Ltd were paid N113.9 million in January 2012 for the processing of title documents for the land and for payment of compensation to the villagers whose land had been acquired for the project but allegedly embezzled N93, 899 million of the sum under the pretext of spending it on a payment to an unspecified taskforce and for the reprocessing of the Technical Drawing Plans (TDP) of the project. Igbinedion and Saframic Homes Ltd were again accused by the Commission of allegedly converting N50 million out of N100 million the former had received for payment to a company, Kenia Integrated Ltd, for the processing of title documents. On their own part, Nwedi and NCR & Associates Ltd were accused of converting N56.7 million belonging to NUT to personal use under the pretext of spending the money on Land Offer Letters, TDP and payment to a consultant. Their offences contravene Section 311 and are punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532, Volume 4 Laws of the FCT, Nigeria. All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them as their counsel applied for their bail which was opposed to by Mr. Adesina of ICPC on the grounds that the applications were an abuse of court process because they were filed before the charges were served on them. The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi, while overruling the objection, granted their applications. Percy Ndam was admitted to bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum; Igbinedion N50 million with two sureties in like sum; and Nwedi N20 million with one surety in like sum. The court said all the sureties must be resident in the FCT, swear to affidavit of service, and should not be below the rank of Assistant Director in the employment of the Federal Government or FCT or any of their agencies. The matter was adjourned to October 31^st and November 1^st, 2017 for hearing.

Ex-CBN Director cites Corruption among Causes of N12 Trillion Abandoned Projects in Nigeria

okon — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 09:07:10 +0000

A former Director of Strategy Management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Oluwatoyin Jokosenumi, has cited manipulation of projects by the political class; “padding” or misappropriation of project funds as some of the causes of project abandonment in Nigeria. He made the disclosure as a guest lecturer at a 2-day training on “Achieving Project and Procurement Objectives with Integrity”, held at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, the research and training arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Participants at the training workshop included chairmen and senior local government officials; officials of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigeria Institute of Leather and Science Technology. Mr. Jokosenumi was speaking on the topic: “Causes of Project Abandonment, Implications and Appropriate Remedies for Effective Procurement and Successful Delivery.” He also identified inadequate planning processes; lack of or inappropriate communication strategies; improper team composition; lack of resources necessary to complete the project; consistent altering of management priorities; and poor monitoring and control as other reasons why projects fail in the country. The former director further revealed that there were more than 56,000 abandoned projects across the length and breadth of Nigeria worth over N12 Trillion. The intensive training exercise was aimed at tackling the weaknesses in the contract award processes of the public sector in Nigeria, of which the procurement process is a major component Mr. Jokosenumi urged the participants to always ensure that project objectives were unambiguous and should adhere to strict budget discipline while the constitution of project teams should be carefully done without political considerations in order to deliver expected results. Also speaking at the workshop, the Commission’s Spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, mni, observed that transparency and accountability were antidotes to corruption in the procurement process. She cautioned the participants against allowing their personal interests to override government interest in decision-making, saying that such an act was a threat to the realization of procurement objectives and could truncate the principles of impartiality and due process. Another speaker at the event, the Head of Agriculture and Water Resources, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr. Isaiah Yesufu, explained that the problem of Nigeria was not project planning but implementation, pointing out that it was at this stage that a lot of unwholesome deals took place. Mr. Yesufu revealed that before the setting up of BPP, the last World Bank’s Country Procurement Assessment Report (CPAR) had indicated that for every contract of N1 that was awarded in the country, 60k was lost to underhand activities of players in the procurement process. One of the participants who spoke at the end of the training, the Chairman, Kwali Area Council who also doubles as the Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Joseph Shazin, expressed delight at the workshop, saying that it had exposed him to best practice in the workings and procedures of the procurement process, and pledged to use the knowledge acquired in making decisions relating to procurement matters in his local council. At the end of the 2-day programme, certificates were awarded to participants by the Provost of the Academy, Professor Sola Akinrinade.

ICPC tasks Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre ACTU on Diligence, Dedication

okon — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 09:08:38 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has called on the newly-inaugurated Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTU) members of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), to perform their ACTU duties with diligence and dedication so as to help reduce corruption to the barest minimum in the Centre. Mr. Akeem Lawal, Head of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), who represented the Commission made the call during the inauguration of the new members of the Centre’s ACTU recently. The CMED Head who solicited the cooperation of all Nigerians in the anti-corruption campaign, explained that “the task of making public systems corruption-free and efficient requires sincere commitment and diligence from all citizens, especially officials who occupy sensitive positions in public institutions.” He noted that CLTC had already keyed into the initiative of a corruption-free system through the deployment of an ACTU to serve as a corruption-prevention and monitoring mechanism. Mr. Lawal also charged the newly-inaugurated ACTU members “to brace up for the task ahead”, saying that the job before them was enormous and bordered on sincerity, sacrifice and dedication. He further appealed to the new ACTU members “ To live up to the responsibilities of their assignment and exhibit positive attributes and good character by showcasing high ethical standards of integrity and dedication in the anti-corruption crusade”. In his remarks at the event, the Director General of the Centre, Mr. Jonah Bawa, said the inauguration of the ACTU members was a bold statement that the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre was keying into the anti-corruption drive of the present administration. The DG also noted that the CLTC ACTU had gone a long way in mobilizing and sensitizing staff on the ills of corruption, which was geared towards a corruption-free Centre, the civil service and the nation in general. While pledging the management’s support to ACTU to enable it carry out its duties with assurance of non-interference, Mr. Bawa charged the new members to ensure that they justified the confidence reposed in them by ICPC and the CLTC, at the same time promising to include the teaching of Anti-Corruption studies in the centre’s curriculum.

Biotechnology Agency gets new ACTU exco

okon — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 09:10:10 +0000

A new executive committee for the Anti-Corruption Transparency Unit (ACTU) of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) has been inaugurated. The exco made up of eight members and a chairman was inaugurated by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of ICPC’s Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), who represented the Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Hon. Abdullahi Bako. Hon. Bako stated that the Commission was mandated by the law establishing it to promote transparent and accountable processes as well as combat corrupt practices in MDAs and this was being done through the instrumentality of ACTUs. The units serve as an in-house check mechanism within MDAs to monitor, identify and address corrupt practices. He noted that the Biotechnology Agency’s mandate which focuses on promoting, coordinating, deploying cutting-edge biotechnology research and development for the socio-economic well-being of the nation could not be achieved in the absence of transparent and accountable processes. The Acting Chairman therefore urged the new members to live up to the responsibilities of their assignment, and be dedicated to the anti-corruption crusade, while at the same time displaying a positive attitude, good character and a high level of integrity. Hon. Bako further solicited the Agency’s management’s support to the unit, especially with regards to funding in line with extant government funding circular to ensure that the unit was viable enough to carry out its duties and activities effectively. In his acceptance speech, the ACTU Chairman, Mr. Ihimodu D. Jacob, acknowledged the fact that corruption was a serious problem that needed to be taken care of. On behalf of his team, he pledged their determination to carry out their duties effectively in order to rid the agency of corruption.

ICPC Arraigns Ex-staff of FRSC for Corruption

okon — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:20:21 +0000

A former official of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Anska Ezra Asawa has been arraigned before Justice Folashade A. Ojo of the Federal High Court, Maitama, sitting in Abuja for allegedly diverting the salaries of his colleague for his own personal use. Asawa was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 2-count charge of conferring corrupt advantage on himself, thereby committing an offence that contravenes Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The suspect was arraigned after investigation had been concluded, based on an anonymous petition received by ICPC. The charge sheet read by the court registrar stated that, as a schedule officer for salaries at the FRSC National Headquarters, Zone 7 Abuja, Asawa allegedly used his office to divert the sum of N323, 000, being the February and March, 2016 salaries of a colleague into the Skye Bank account of his uncle, Ezra Theodore Asawa. After the charges were read, the suspect pleaded not guilty and the defence counsel, Mr. Daniel Amos made application for bail which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Sunny Ezeana of ICPC. Justice Ojo granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 and asked him to produce two sureties resident in Abuja. The trial was adjourned to 6th November, 2017 for commencement of hearing.

N664m Fraud: ICPC Arraigns Kebbi Ex-SSG, Commissioner

okon — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 12:07:41 +0000

A former Secretary to the Kebbi State Government and a former Commissioner of Finance of the same state, Alhaji Garba Rabiu Kamba and Alhaji Mohammed Bello Tunga respectively, have been docked before Honourable Justice Umar Abubakar of Kebbi State High Court 3 sitting in Birnin Kebbi by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for alleged misapplication of the sum of N664, 000, 000 Kebbi State Government funds. The duo who held office during the tenure of the immediate past Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Saidu Nasamu Dakingari, were said to have diverted the sum of N349,475,000 meant for the provision of power generators and “other logistics” for all polling units in Kebbi State for the 2015 general elections. The defendants were also accused of using their offices as SSG and Commissioner of Finance to siphon N315,000,000 which sum was approved and released to organize sensitization and enlightenment programmes for Imams and Mallams against religious incitement of supporters for the 2015 general elections in the 21 Local Government Areas of Kebbi State. However, ICPC’s intelligence-led investigation revealed that the said amounts were shared among their political cronies as no power generators were purchased nor was any Imam or Mallam among the beneficiaries of the sensitization money. Kamba and Tunga were therefore arraigned on a 4-count charge of offences bordering on criminal conspiracy, theft, conferring corrupt advantage on themselves and using their positions for gratification. In a Charge No: KB/HC/27C/2017, the defendants were accused of committing offences contrary to and punishable under sections 19 and 26 (1) (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. If found guilty, they shall, on conviction, be liable to a term of 5 years imprisonment without an option of fine. When the charges were read out to them, the two accused persons separately entered “not-guilty” pleas. Counsel to the accused persons, Messrs. Ahmad Fingilla and Lagalo Dan Lagalo respectively, applied for bail for their clients through motions supported by affidavits. Bail was granted to each of them in the sum of N10m and one surety in like sum who must be resident and possess property worth N10m within the jurisdiction of the court. The case was adjourned to 26^th October 2017 for the commencement of hearing.

ICPC Arraigns National Cereals Research Institute DG for Violating Federal Character in Staff Employment

okon — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:31:34 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged the acting Executive Director of the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Niger State, Professor Samuel Agboire, to court for wrongful employment of 34 persons into the institute as staff. Professor Agboire, who was charged before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Minna, Niger State, was accused of violating the Federal Character Commission (FCC) Act, 2004 when he allegedly employed 34 persons as workers into the institute without complying with its relevant provisions. ICPC, in a 3-count charge accused him of failing to furnish the FCC with necessary details of the employment as required by law, as well as failing to comply with extant laws on employment, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 14 (3)(b) and punishable under Section 15 (1) of the Federal Character Commission Act, 2004. The acting Executive Director was further accused of abusing his office by employing the said workers in contravention of Section 14 (5) of FCC Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 15 (1) of the same act. Counsel to ICPC, Enosa Omoghibo, told the court that the Professor also failed to adhere to a directive from FCC, issued through a circular on procedures for employment into the Federal Public Service, dated 1^st September, 2014. Professor Agboire pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. His counsel, Mahmood Magaji (SAN), while addressing the court, accused ICPC of violating the fundamental human right of his client by detaining him for two days. Magaji who also pleaded with the court to admit Agboire to bail, complained that the Commission usurped the powers of the court by executing a bench warrant on the accused. Counsel to ICPC, who was opposed to the bail application, said the accused had tried to interfere with the investigations and therefore, had lost the moral right to the compassion of the court. He also asked the court to disregard the claim by Magaji that ICPC willfully detained the Professor because the Commission only executed a warrant of arrest duly issued by the court. Justice Bogoro in her ruling, granted him bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum, saying one of the sureties must be a staff of NCRI and not below Grade Level 14. She further ruled that the accused must enter into an undertaking not to victimize any staff of the institute who had aided ICPC during investigations. The matter was then adjourned to 16^th November, 2017 for hearing.

Compromising on standards endangers lives – ICPC to SON

okon — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 18:40:42 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged staff of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to always exhibit a high sense of professionalism, discipline, transparency and accountability in all their operations, and that any compromise could endanger the lives of millions of Nigerians. This charge was made during the inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the organisation by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of ICPC. Mr. Kuatsea, who represented the Commission at the occasion, stressed that as people who are responsible for compliance with standards and the regulation of the quality of all manufactured products in Nigeria, they should avoid ‘cutting corners’. In his words, “This onerous task can best be achieved when the members of staff understand their responsibility to live above board and work diligently in line with the organisation’s mandate of maintaining standards.” He further called on the newly inaugurated members of the Unit to carry out with all sincerity and seriousness their activities which will include periodic sensitization of staff; conduct of preliminary investigation; development and entrenchment of a code of ethics; and review of corruption-prone processes amongst others. Mr. Kuatsea appealed to the management of the organization to accord the Unit the required cooperation, including funding to help them succeed. Earlier in his remarks, the Director-General/Chief Executive of SON, Mr. Osita Anthony Aboloma, who was represented by a Director in the Office of the DG, Barrister Richard Agu, had stated that the inauguration of the Unit was a testimony to the willingness of SON to entrench integrity and accountability in all its activities. He assured the ACTU of management’s support to ensure that its aims and objectives were fully achieved. The DG also cautioned the newly inaugurated members against using their positions for ‘witch-hunt’, while advising them to live by ‘lofty standards’ knowing that other members of staff could be watching. In his acceptance speech, the new ACTU chairman, who is also the Director, Human Resources Management, Mr. Sale Babaji, appealed to the management and staff of the Organisation to support them in their quest to ensure effective, efficient and transparent service delivery in SON.

Ex-Chairman of Kwara Poly Governing Council, Alanamu, docked over Bribe

okon — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 06:30:35 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged a former Chairman of the Governing Council of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Dr. Saadu Ayinla Alanamu, to court for allegedly collecting a bribe from a contractor. Alanamu is facing an 8-count charge before Justice Mahmud Abdul Gafar of the Kwara State High Court 7, Ilorin, along with the Chief Executive Director of Namylas Nig. Ltd, Salman Sulaiman. The Commission, in the charge sheet, accused Alanamu, who was also the Chairman of the Kwara State Polytechnic Tenders Board, of collecting N5 million bribe from a contractor, Salman Sulaiman as kickback for the award of a contract. Counsel to ICPC, Sunny Ezeana, told the court that Dr. Alanamu received the bribe money through his First Bank account on 11^th February, 2015 from Namylas Nig. Ltd, a company owned by Sulaiman who is also his friend. The court heard that Alanamu ensured that the contract for the construction and furnishing of an auditorium in Kwara State Polytechnic, at the cost of N182, 369, 625.00, was awarded to Namylas Nig. Ltd, even when it was found that the company was not qualified to execute the contract. ICPC’s investigation into the petition had revealed strong evidence of collusion, bid rigging and corrupt practices against Namylas Nig Ltd in the bid process; and that the company used falsified, forged and doctored PENCOM Compliance Certificate, Tax Clearance Certificate and ITF Certificate of Compliance to submit its bid during the bidding process. Sulaiman on his part, was accused of bribing a government official when he paid N5 million through a Guarantee Trust Bank account to Alanamu, as a reward for the award of contract to his company, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 9(1) (a) and punishable under Section 9(1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Their offences are also in violation of Sections 8 (1) (a), 10(a) (i), 18 (b), 19 and 22(1) (a) (i) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the aforementioned sections. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them. The trial judge, Justice Abdul Gafar then granted them bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum each; and that one of the sureties for each of them must have a landed property in Ilorin. The matter was then adjourned to 12th October, 2017 for pre-trial hearing in line with Section 3 of the Kwara State High Court Practice Direction, 2013, after which a new date for trial would be set.

ICPC Charges Power Ministry Officials to Cultivate Zero Tolerance for Corruption

okon — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 09:54:07 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has urged staff of the Federal Ministry of Power to demonstrate zero-tolerance for corruption in order to ensure Nigeria’s development. The acting Chairman of ICPC, Hon. Abdullahi Bako made the call during a sensitization exercise for senior management staff of the Ministry of Power in Abuja recently. Hon. Bako, who was represented by Mr. Akeem Lawal, Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of ICPC, said the workshop was aimed at educating, enlightening and mobilizing staff of the ministry against corruption. He said ICPC believed that “Nigerians are human with good sense, reasoning and understanding”, therefore, the fight against corruption through preventive mechanism would create a more impactful result. The Acting Chairman said further that the workshop was part of the strategy to achieve the third objective of the Commission’s mandate of prevention, education and public enlightenment, as enshrined in the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Hon. Bako added that public servants must be prepared to offer their services without compromising and making people believe that they must bribe or give gratification before getting results. Two papers were presented at the workshop, and they were: “Ethics, Integrity and Code of Conduct for Compliance in the Workplace” by Mr. Lawal and “Government Efforts at Combating Corruption in the Public Sector” by Justin Kuatsea of CMED. In his remarks the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Louis O. N. Edozien who was represented by the Director of Planning Research and Statistics, Mrs. A. I. Attah, said the sensitization was “timely”, adding that participants should use the knowledge gained to help build an efficient power sector and Nigeria in general.

ICPC’s Ag. Chairman Charges Operatives on Dedication, Commitment …Promises to handover a Virile, Disciplined Work-Force to In-Coming Board

okon — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 09:46:09 +0000

The Acting Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Hon. Abdullahi Bako, has charged operatives of the Commission to be dedicated and committed in carrying out their duties in order to achieve the goal of establishing the agency. Hon. Bako made the charge while declaring open a 3-day training retreat for the Commission’s zonal and state commissioners held at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Keffi, ICPC’s research and training institute. The Acting Chairman who was represented by the Head of Investigation Department, Mr. Kayode Adedayo, explained that for ICPC to achieve its mandate of ridding the nation of all forms of corruption and related offences, it was imperative to “re-strategize and re-direct skills towards achieving maximum results.” According to him, “I am particularly concerned about the dedication and commitment of all staff to meeting the expectations of our numerous stakeholders, to this end you all need to re-tool and re-focus your staff towards better productivity. The days of loitering and poor job performance are gone.” He further emphasized that the essence of the retreat was to equip the officers of the Commission with requisite skills and knowledge that would enhance their performance in order to achieve the desired objective. Hon. Bako also cautioned the trainees against acts that were inimical to the ideals of ICPC, saying that the Commission would not hesitate to discipline any erring officer. He then expressed his resolve and determination to handover a virile and disciplined work-force to the in-coming administration for a better Commission. The 3-day retreat provided a platform for zonal and state commissioners to discuss how to improve on work in the zonal and state offices for greater impact.

FOI Compliance: ICPC Tops Anti-Corruption Agencies, Third Best among MDAs

okon — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 14:00:22 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has been rated as the best anti-corruption agency and third best among all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the country in the Freedom of Information (FOI) Compliance Ranking of 2017. The FOI Compliance Ranking was carried out by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) for 166 public institutions in Nigeria. The PPDC is a non-governmental organization created in 2001 to increase citizens’ participation in governance processes in a way that improves the integrity of public and private sector processes. The survey tagged “2017 FOI Compliance Ranking” focused on three key areas namely, Pro-active Disclosure, Responsiveness to Request for Information, and Level of Disclosure. The ranking scored ICPC high in Pro-active Disclosure and Level of Disclosure except for Responsiveness to Request for Information in which the Commission was rated as not doing well enough in compliance. However, it is worthy of note that in terms of the Responsiveness to Request for Information, ICPC is constrained by law not to disclose any piece of information regarding any case that is still under investigation to anyone, if the FOI request is in such regard. Section 64 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 clearly forbids the Commission to reveal any information, the identity of informers and all other circumstances relating to a matter except to a trial judge or the defence lawyer in any civil, criminal or other proceedings. Follow the link below http://procurementmonitor.org/foi-ranking/home/ranking

Ebonyi State Gov commends ICPC for upholding Human Rights in Operations

okon — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 09:39:18 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC) has been commended for upholding the tenets of human rights in its operations in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The Governor of Ebonyi State, David Nweze Umahi made the commendation while declaring open a two-day workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), for top local government officials of Ebonyi State held at ICPC headquarters in Abuja. Speaking further at the event tagged “Anti-Corruption, Ethics and Integrity Training for Officials of Ebonyi State Local Government Council”, Governor Umahi expressed his appreciation of ICPC’s meticulous investigations and adherence to due process by not detaining suspects arbitrarily or subjecting them to media trials. He also praised the Commission’s preventive approach in the fight against corruption, noting that it was proactive and more enduring in results. According to him, the trainings organised by ICPC for government officials in Nigeria would go a long way in ensuring that corruption was prevented rather than allowing it to happen and lead to the waste of the nation’s resources in the prosecution of corruption cases. The Governor urged Nigerians to practice and uphold integrity saying “when integrity is lost, everything is lost”. He added that the practice of integrity by leaders would ensure that the dividends of democracy would be delivered to the masses and the future of Nigeria is secured. Gov. Umahi encouraged ACAN to develop a curriculum of study with ethics as the major theme and offered Ebonyi State University to be used as a pilot institution for the curriculum. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the Acting Chairman of ICPC, Honourable Abdullahi Bako said ACAN was established with the aim of curbing corruption in Nigeria, adding that through training, good governance and development would be achieved at the grassroots. Hon. Bako explained that the plan of ICPC is to use the various training modules of the anti-corruption academy to change the perception of Nigeria as being corrupt. The ICPC Acting Chairman added that the Commission was ready to partner with state chief executives like the Governor of Ebonyi State, who are willing to fight corruption in their respective states. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Ebonyi State, Mr. Samuel Okoronkwo, in his address commended the state governor for his “zero tolerance to corruption” and the opportunity given to local government officials to be trained on ethics, which he said would boost anti-corruption drive in the state. The Chairman of Fiscal Responsibility Commission in Ebonyi State, Hon. Nwigwe Vincent, who also spoke in the same vein urged participants to use the opportunity to be conversant with anti-corruption laws. The Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru in his address said Governor Umahi’s approval of the training for local government functionaries in the state would promote integrity and assured that participants would abide by the principles of integrity and accountability In his address, the Provost of ACAN, Professor Sola Akinrinade said the Governor of Ebonyi State had displayed an uncommon commitment to the anti-corruption campaign by being the first governor to be physically present at a training held for local government functionaries by ACAN. He advised participants at the workshop to ensure that they made use of whatever they learnt to promote the fight against corruption. Hon. Bako presented educational materials and a plaque to Governor Umahi and also appointed him as Anti-Corruption Chief Commander.

ICPC engages Leaders of Religion in Campaign against Corruption

okon — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 16:09:39 +0000

Determined to leave no stone unturned in its drive to enshrine integrity as a culture in Nigeria, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has organised a workshop for Leaders of Religion in Ekiti State. The workshop tagged “One-Day Anti-corruption Workshop for Leaders of Religions” held at Ado-Ekiti which was well attended by both Christian and Muslim religion leaders in Ekiti State was organised by ICPC in order to leverage on them to escalate its anti-corruption campaign. Speaking at the event, Assistant Commissioner, ICPC Office Osun State, Mrs. Ngozi Olisaelo who represented the Acting Chairman of the Commission said it was imperative to organise the forum because ICPC believed that leaders of the various religions were important in spreading the anti-corruption message to the grassroots. Mrs. Olisaelo explained that most Nigerians were either Christians or Muslims, and it was therefore necessary to constructively engage leaders of the two religions in the spread of anti-corruption messages through worship centres. She said ICPC had on-going programmes aimed at preventing corruption in the society in order to enshrine integrity, honesty, transparency and accountability, which would result in good governance and socio-economic growth of the country. In his remarks, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ekiti State Chapter, Reverend Joshua R. Orikogbe commended ICPC for organising the forum. He explained that there was need to “tackle corruption the religious way because everybody would stand in judgement on the last day”. He also encouraged the participants to do what was right in order to move the nation forward. Also speaking at the occasion, the Chief Imam of Awo Ekiti, Alhaji Agbaje A. Ayoola in his remarks said corruption was a cankerworm that had eaten deep into the nation’s fabric and therefore urged participants to have constructive discussions that would lead to ways of curbing it. The first paper titled “Overview of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000” was delivered by Mr. Jimoh Sulahiman of Education Department, ICPC. He said the universal definition of corruption was “abuse of power and public trust for selfish gain”. Mr. Jimoh educated the participants on the different types of corruption which he said included bribery, gratification, giving false information, falsification of documents, awarding contracts without budgetary allocation, and abandonment of project after money had been collected. He explained further that perpetrators of corruption were people in the society, and that the claim of ignorance on what the law says about corruption was not acceptable under the laws of the nation, hence the need to enlighten and educate people on and against corruption. Mr. Jimoh maintained that failure to tackle corruption would consequently lead to the erosion of development and other adverse effects which include widespread poverty, unemployment and moral decadence. Reverend Joshua Oritogbe delivered the second paper titled “Religion and its Institutions as Veritable Tools in Combating Corruption: Christian Perspective”. In his opinion, corruption manifests in every aspect of the society because it affects everyone. He explained that in the past, citizens would rather do what was right unlike the present where they would look for ways to circumvent the law, knowing that they would probably get away with it through the same corruption. The cleric said corruption had a spiritual root which he traced to the human heart, where evil generates from and could be tackled through re-orientation of the heart. Citing biblical verses to back his claim, he said “When human hearts are not in fellowship with God, they are preoccupied with their own interest and fail to accept God’s will as the norm of action”. According to him, the Church could combat corruption through recourse to where the Scripture shows that God did not create a corrupt world. He concluded by admonishing Christians to remember where the scripture points out that it was only the blessing from God that was worth having. The third paper titled “Religion and its Institutions as Veritable Tools in Combating Corruption: Islamic Perspective was delivered by Dr. Bello Mufutau Olusola of Department of Islamic Studies, Ekiti State University. According to Dr. Bello, although Islam has zero tolerance for corruption, Muslims all over the world are not immune to it hence the importance of discussing how to curb it. He said if all humans realised that they were accountable to God on the day of judgement, they would not constantly think of ways to make more money without giving consideration to whether it was illegal or legal. He explained and drew quotations from the holy book of Muslims to show how it frowns at corruption. According to him, Quran chapter 2 verse 188 says “and eat up not one another’s property unjustly (in any illegal way e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc), nor give bribe to the rulers (judges before presenting your cases) that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully”. He said when Muslims fight corruption, it is regarded as good work, and therefore he encouraged all the Muslim clerics present at the workshop to lay more emphasis on the various portions of the Quran and Hadith that can be cited against corruption in the preaching of their sermons.

Former Unity Bank Staff arraigned by ICPC for alleged N14 million Fraud

okon — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 12:55:47 +0000

A former banker with Unity Bank PLC, Mrs. Remilekun Ogunwole, has been arraigned before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja for alleged forgery and fraud. Mrs. Ogunwole was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on a 3-count charge for allegedly forging documents and defrauding a customer to the tune of N14 million. The first count of the charge stated that, between the months of March 2014 and August 2014, as a staff of Unity Bank, the suspect allegedly transferred the sum of N14, 450,000 (fourteen million, four hundred and fifty thousand naira only) fraudulently from Zamzalim Enterprises account for her own use, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 363 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 364. In the second count, it was stated that, Mrs. Ogunwole allegedly committed the fraud through the forgery of the letterhead of Zamzalim Enterprises, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code. The last count alleged that the suspect dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N14, 450, 000 (fourteen million, four hundred and fifty thousand naira only) belonging to Zamzalim Enterprises by converting it to personal use, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 308, punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code. Initially, the defence counsel, Mr. Lawrence Alabi, had raised a preliminary objection, asking the court to dismiss the matter arguing that it was beyond the Commission’s jurisdiction but the ICPC counsel, Efanga Imaobong Eyo, argued against it and the presiding judge overruled the objection. The suspect pleaded not guilty to the 3-count charge and an application for bail was made by her counsel which was not opposed by ICPC counsel. The presiding judge granted the accused bail in the sum of N2 million and a surety who must be an influential person, resident in Abuja and owning a landed property, in addition to submitting her driver’s license and international passport to the court. The case has been adjourned to 22nd November, 2017 for commencement of hearing.

ICPC charges CSOs to help curb Corruption

okon — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 12:34:32 +0000

A coalition of Civil Societies Organizations (CSO) and Non- Governmental Organisations in Nigeria has expressed concern over the rising incidence of corruption in the country, even as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged them to help curb the scourge. Dr. Mohammed Mustapha of the Dispute Resolution and Community Development Initiative, who spoke on behalf of the group at a Community Development Project Initiative of ICPC in Minna, Niger State, lamented the fact that corruption had permeated the entire society leaving in its wake, a high rate of underdevelopment. He argued that corruption which was the cause of growing poverty in the country had become so rampant that its effects could be seen everywhere in Nigeria. According to him, "Corruption is everywhere in Nigeria and it is the cause of poverty. We see corruption in our schools where students have to bribe to pass examinations, where parents pay school teachers to enable their wards pass. The journey from Abuja to Minna that should take less times takes more than three hours because of corruption." Mustapha stressed that the way out was for community leaders to join the fight against corruption by ensuring that elected officials and government workers deliver on their jobs. He further said that community leaders should act as change agents by inculcating virtues of integrity in young people within their communities. Earlier in his address, ICPC Acting Chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Bako noted that community leaders were key to the anti-corruption crusade of the federal government as they could guarantee good governance at the grassroots level. Bako, who was represented by the Head of Education Department of ICPC, Mr. Mohammed Ashiru Baba, observed that community leaders who know more about their communities stood a better chance of engendering attitudinal change among the people. He said, "ICPC believes that the fight against corruption cannot be won without the active participation of community leaders whose wealth of wisdom remains key to community development. 'The community leaders should hold politicians accountable, they should stop them from exploiting the masses and taking money meant for development projects to other things." The acting Chairman urged the participants to see the fight against corruption as a religious duty more so that both the Christian and Islamic religions widely practiced in Nigeria condemn it.

Court remands Ex-Head of Institute of Agric charged by ICPC over N204.9m Fraud

okon — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 13:40:47 +0000

Justice Yemi Ajayi of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, has ruled that a former Executive Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, Professor Benjamin Ogunbodede, be remanded in prison custody following his alleged involvement in a N204.9 million fraud. Professor Ogunbodede, who is to remain in prison custody until he perfects his bail conditions, was accused by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of allegedly opening an account with Access Bank for the purpose of defrauding the institute and fraudulently transferred money from staff salaries into it. ICPC in a 49-count charge preferred against him and a former Chief Accountant of IAR & T, Mr. Zaccheaus Tejumola, told the court that the duo opened an unauthorized bank account titled ‘the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training Ibadan Staff Club and Cooperative Account’ into which they transferred N204, 926, 265.35 from the personnel emolument (salaries) account of the Institute. The Commission maintained before the court that the two of them committed an offence by criminally conspiring to use their positions to defraud the Federal Government, as well as confer undue advantage upon themselves contrary to provisions of Sections 26 (1) (c) and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which offences are also punishable under the same act. After the charges were read, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all of them even as their counsel sought the leave of the court for them to be admitted to bail. Justice Ajayi, while ruling on the bail applications, did not grant the accused persons’ request but instructed that they be remanded in prison custody until a formal application of bail was made. The trial has been adjourned to 30^th October, 2017 for commencement of hearing.

Kebbi Governor Commends ICPC for Mobilizing Religious Leaders Against Corruption

okon — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:29:52 +0000

Kebbi State Governor, Senator Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for engaging religious leaders in the fight against corruption. The Governor gave the commendation in Birnin Kebbi while declaring open a one-day workshop for religious leaders in the State on the theme, “Christianity/Islam and Its Institutions as Veritable Tools in Combating Corruption.” Governor Bagudu who spoke through his Deputy, Alhaji Sama’ila Yombe Dabai, said the Commission had made a strategic decision in involving religious leaders in its anti-corruption campaign because, according to him, “the attainment of transparency and integrity in Nigeria cannot be possible without the active participation of principled men and women of God.” He described the Commission’s initiative as timely and commendable while urging the participants to be morally upright in all their undertakings, and always speak up against corruption and other vices. According to him, as spiritual heads, the lay faithful look up to them for direction and spiritual edification. The workshop was aimed at engaging religious leaders from different faiths (Christianity and Islam) to discuss and draw out anti-corruption lessons from the religions with a view to curtailing the corruption menace through sermons and practical examples. Earlier, in his keynote address, the Commission’s Acting Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bako, who was represented by the Head of Education Department, Mr. Ashiru Baba, had stated that religious leaders were important channels for carrying the anti-corruption messages to the grassroots. The Acting ICPC Chairman described the spiritual heads as the foundation of good governance and the solution to the scourge of corruption which, according to him, was undermining the socio-economic growth and development of the nation. Hon. Bako pointed out that the Commission’s mandate was to effectively address pervasive corruption in the society through a holistic approach of Enforcement, Prevention and Public Education. He also outlined programmes ICPC has adopted to mobilize the different segments of society in the fight against corruption to include: the engagement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) through the formation of National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC); the establishment of integrity outreach programmes such as National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC), Anti-Corruption Vanguards in tertiary institutions, Anti-Corruption lectures for NYSC, Youths Competitions, Secondary Schools Debates; and Community Engagement Initiative.

ICPC Workshop: Bauchi Governor Charges Nigerians to Stop Condoning Corrupt Leaders

okon — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:04:44 +0000

Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, has asked Nigerians to move away from the attitude of condoning corrupt leaders so as to tackle the problem of corruption in the country. Governor Abubakar, who regretted that corruption had impacted negatively on the Nigerian society, made the call at the opening ceremony of a two-day Anti-Corruption, Ethics and Integrity Training for Bauchi State public officers organized by the State Government and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). He said, “One of the cardinal principles of the present administration is to bring about change in all our transactions and do away with corrupt tendencies which have been impacting negatively on our society. However, for change to be effective, we need to have attitudinal change with a view to confronting the numerous challenges of corruption facing us.” The Governor stressed that with the mantra of zero-tolerance for corruption, Bauchi State had embarked on several anti-corruption reforms to reduce corruption in the state’s civil service for the purpose of ensuring effective service delivery to the people. He added that some of the anti-corruption reforms which had begun to yield results include the setting up of a Recovery Committee that had recovered properties and money carted away by some officials of the immediate past administration, as well as a Contract Review Committee, which also reviewed major contracts awarded by the last administration in government agencies and departments in the state. Abubakar further mentioned that the state had introduced an Integrated Financial Information Management System (IFMIS) and staff verification exercises which had led to the blockage of financial leakages in government, aimed at ensuring discipline in the system as well as promoting good governance. Earlier, ICPC Acting Chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Bako, observed that the training was due given the myriad of problems facing the country resulting from mismanagement of government funds and resources by those in charge of managing them. Bako, who was represented by the Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of ICPC, Professor Sola Akinrinade, maintained that the many cases of bad roads, poor health and educational facilities and other basic social amenities spread around the country were brought about by people who had compromised the resources meant for them. He said the workshop would equip top civil servants in the state with the right ethical values to ensure that government funds and resources were applied for the purposes for which they are meant for. Also speaking at the occasion, Bauchi State Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Liman Bello, buttressed the fact that the State Government, being aware of the problems of corruption facing the state, had introduced some reforms in the civil service to ensure service delivery. Bello said that the government took up strategic reforms to reduce the cost of governance in the state by reducing the over-bloated civil service it inherited from the past government and adopting a tenure policy for Permanent Secretaries. According to him, “The government embarked on the reformation of the civil service by reducing the number of ministries from 26 to 17 and the number of directorates from 349 to 243. The number of Permanent Secretaries was also reduced from 50 to 28. ‘Some other reforms include computerization of civil service and pensioners’ records in the state as well as the adoption of Human Resources Management Information System to control civil servants’ variation in terms of permanent and pensionable appointment, termination, new employment, training and movement of Civil Servants respectively.”

ICPC Inaugurates ACTU in RMAFC ….calls for Transparency in Revenue Allocation Process

okon — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 11:20:47 +0000

The Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has been inaugurated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The Unit was inaugurated by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of ICPC’s Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), who represented the Commission’s Acting Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bako, and is expected to act as a mini ICPC in the organisation without the power to prosecute offenders in court. Hon. Bako, in his address during the inauguration, stated that ACTU was one of the initiatives designed by ICPC in collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to help actualize the Commission’s preventive mandate. According to him, ACTU is expected to serve as an institutional ethics and compliance unit in Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs). He also added that ACTU is an in-house check mechanism which monitors, identifies and addresses corrupt practices which are prevalent in the public service today. The Acting Chairman observed that the RMAFC was a critical establishment of government that was responsible not only for fashioning out a revenue allocation formula for the nation; but also determining the allocation and remuneration of Public office holders; as well as advising the Federal, State and Local Governments on fiscal efficiency and methods by which their revenue could be increased. Against this backdrop Hon. Bako charged the newly inaugurated ACTU members to lead the fight against the scourge of corruption in their agency; to ensure that transparency and accountability in revenue allocation processes were not compromised; and also to showcase high ethical standards and integrity in the anti-corruption crusade. The RMAFC Acting Chairman, Alh. Shettima Umaru Abba Gana, in his welcome address, noted that ICPC had achieved a lot since it came into existence and expressed delight that the Commission was inaugurating an ACTU for his organisation to ensure transparency and accountability in the workplace. He then pledged his support to the Unit saying it would be allowed to operate without interference. In his acceptance speech, the new ACTU chairman Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed, noted that the Unit was not established to witch-hunt anybody but to promote fairness, transparency and accountability in their organisation.

National Automotive Design and Development Council gets Anti-Corruption Unit

okon — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 11:27:25 +0000

In compliance with the Federal Government’s directive on establishing Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTU) in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has officially inaugurated and inducted its ACTU in Abuja recently. Speaking at the event, Director-General of the Council, Mr. Janani Aliyu who was represented by Mr. W. K. Odetoro, Director Infrastructures, explained that the inauguration came at the right time “because corruption has become endemic in our country which requires a synergy to be created by the National Automotive Design and Development Council to strategize ways of preventing corruption in the different departments under the council”. In his opening remarks, Mr. Aliyu outlined some functions of the Council to include: protection of assets and infrastructures as well as the protection of lives, investment and properties, adding that, since ACTU was backed by standing laws established to fight corruption at all levels, it was a good step in the right direction for it to be established in the Council. While advising the newly inaugurated members of the Unit, who he said were lucky and carefully selected based on their track record, the DG charged them to be committed in discharging their duties and show good example because all eyes would be on them. Accordingly, he pleaded with members of staff to co-operate with the ACTU team and also urged them to be firm and fair in their dealings while promising to support them whenever the need arose. Mr. Justice Kuatsea who represented the Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Commission (ICPC) Hon. Bako Abdullahi, in his goodwill message, commended the management, members of the newly constituted ACTU and other officials who contributed in various ways in ensuring the actualization of the event. The ICPC boss said, “It is in line with the directive of establishing ACTUs in MDAs from the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, that ACTU is being set up today” and that it could not have come at a better time. He said ACTUs were the eyes of ICPC and at the same time instruments of tackling corruption in public institutions, stressing that corruption was an infection which should be kept at bay. His words, “corruption as we all know is a major obstacle in realizing the economic growth and infrastructural development of Nigeria, where time-honoured values of honesty, hard work, selflessness and contentment in service have become supplanted by greed and outright disregard for due process”. He explained further that ICPC recognized NADDC as an important agency of government charged with the mandate of ensuring the survival and growth of the Nigerian Automotive Industry, using available human and material resources. The Acting Chairman continued that NADDC has a key role to play in the country’s national development hence the need to promote at all times the tenets of transparency and accountability in the organization. He advised the ACTU members to be responsible and diligent in the discharge of their duties, saying “Your goal should remain the achievement of total success in your assignment so that in end, you would have contributed a great measure in the Council”. Two papers were delivered at the occasion; the first one titled “ACTU Standing Order and Operational Guidelines” was by Mr. Justin Kuatsea, Head ACTU Unit, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of ICPC, while the second paper “Preliminary Investigation” was delivered by Mr. Abdullahi Tanko, of CMED, who spoke on the terms and terminologies of investigation. He advised that, no ACTU member should handle petitions alone without recourse to other members. The oath of allegiance was administered on all members of the Unit by Barr. Adebimpe Abodurin of ICPC. The newly inaugurated members are: Mrs. Susan Bison Taiwo (Chairman), Mr. Soweikumo Dakolo (Secretary), others are Mrs. S.I. Amodu, Barr. A.T. Daniel, Mr. Sulaiman Meduk.

ICPC undertakes Anti-Corruption Tour of LGAs …says Corruption Threat to Nigeria’s Well-being

okon — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 10:39:54 +0000

Corruption, lack of integrity and citizens’ apathy towards anti-corruption efforts have been identified as critical threats to the collective well-being of Nigerians and Nigeria in general. This was the view expressed by the State Commissioner, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Imo State, Mr. Osi Mak-Nathaneal, in Onuimo Local Government Council during the “Anti-Corruption Sensitization Tour of LGAs” in the state. The sensitization tour which is part of the Commission’s initiatives aimed at encouraging greater community participation in the anti-corruption effort of the government has amongst others, the objectives of reviving local norms that would discourage communities from celebrating wealth over honesty and integrity while encouraging collective advocacy on issues of anti-corruption, budget process and project implementation. Mr. Mak-Nathaneal explained that it was in recognition of these factors that the Commission designed and deployed several anti-corruption programmes such as National Anti-Corruption Coalition, National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps, Local Government Integrity Initiative, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units and Anti-Corruption Clubs in secondary schools amongst others to enlist the participation of the citizenry in eradicating corruption. The State Commissioner therefore urged the local communities to join in the anti-graft war saying that “the eradication of corruption is a collective responsibility.” He also encouraged the local residents not to abdicate their moral and spiritual obligations to the country and to always demand accountability from the community leaders. Also speaking during the tour, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua of Education Department, called on the community leaders especially the administrators of the local government council to ensure the prudent management of their scarce resources at all times for the benefit and the well-being of the people. Mrs. Ogugua cautioned them not to engage in infractions of the rules and regulations guiding the operations of the local government administration, warning that anyone found compromising procedures would receive the requisite sanctions. She also pointed out that peer pressure, opportunity and rationalization were factors why people engage in corrupt activities. Earlier, in her welcome address, the Acting Chairman of the Local Government Council, Mrs. Nma Ogu Chienti, lauded ICPC’s effort at taking the anti-corruption campaign to the grassroots and encouraged the gathering to make the best of the opportunity granted them by the Commission. Some of the participants at the tour who spoke expressed their readiness to back the Commission’s anti-corruption campaign, disclosing that before the tour they never knew ICPC had a lot of programmes and initiatives aimed at enlisting and fostering citizens’ support in combating corruption.

Kano ICPC Head commends Kano State Anti-Corruption Commission

okon — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 12:29:28 +0000

The State Commissioner of the Kano State office of the Independent Corruption Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Mr. Dan Musa Zayyana, has commended the Kano State Government for establishing the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (KSPCAC). Mr. Dan Musa Zayyana made the commendation during a courtesy visit he paid to the head of KSPCAC recently. He said he appreciated the fact that the KSPCAC referred cases to ICPC which meant they recognized the Commission’s enviable prowess in combating corruption. Amongst other things, the Kano ICPC Commissioner also spoke about the preventive activities of the Commission, saying that ICPC was vested with the power to carry out system studies and review of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as a mechanism for preventing corruption, adding that the power was being put to good use for the betterment of the country. In his own remarks during the visit, the Chairman of KSPCAC, Alh. Muhyi Magaji, while welcoming the ICPC Commissioner and his entourage, stated that fighting corruption could not be left to one person or organization alone, saying that was why the state government was doing everything within its power to work with ICPC to rid the state and the nation at large of corruption. He said he was very delighted with the cordial relationship existing between his organisation and ICPC, and therefore asked for the support of the Commission in handling the large numbers of petitions being received by KSPCAC on a regular basis. Alh. Magaji also indicated his agency’s desire to collaborate with ICPC in conducting corruption risk assessment (another of ICPC’s prevention tools) of some selected MDAs in the state which he believed would help identify corruption loop-holes that needed to be plugged. The courtesy visit clearly illustrates ICPC’s determination to ensure a high level of cooperation and commitment between it and other willing partners in the fight against corruption at the federal, state and local government levels.

Exam Malpractice: ICPC recommends Prosecution for Abetting Parents, Guardians

okon — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:11:17 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recommended the arrest and prosecution of parents and guardians who aid and abet their children or wards in committing examination malpractice. This call was made by ICPC Commissioner Sokoto State, Mr. Jimmy Bulus Mai, during a workshop in Sokoto titled “Significance of Prevention, Management and Control of Schools Examination, Fraud through effective Intervention of Anti-Graft Agencies in Nigeria”. Speaking at the workshop which was organized for schools examination and continuous assessment officers by the Commission, in collaboration with Sokoto State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Mai stated that education should not merely be about the acquisition of certificates, but also about the building of character and integrity, adding that “only those who display hard work deserve to be recognized”. He explained that fighting examination malpractice would be a lot easier if stakeholders frowned at it, and were ready to tackle its attendant negative effects on the nation’s moral values. The Commissioner expressed sadness at the fact that some parents and guardians were actively involved in their children or wards’ fraud and examination malpractice thereby making it difficult to eliminate the vice. He therefore proposed stiff sanctions for such parents or guardians. Mr. Mai also made a case for the development of other evaluation criteria or measurement tests for scholastic ability of students noting that perhaps that would reduce the burden on examination as the only yardstick for academic progress, promotion, and reward.

We lack Conducive Accommodation -Kano Immigration ACTU Chairman

okon — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:21:17 +0000

The Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Nigerian Immigration Service Kano State Command, Mr. Dahiru Yusuf, has complained of lack of suitable accommodation as one of the hindrances to an effective discharge of their functions. Mr. Yusuf made this revelation during a courtesy visit he paid to the State Commissioner in charge of Kano ICPC, Mr. Dan Musa Zayyana. He said the aim of the visit was to brief the new State Commissioner on the status of ongoing activities of the unit. Mr. Yusuf who was in the company of other members of the ACTU pointed out the achievements of the Unit to include: stoppage of child-trafficking in collaboration with the National Agency for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP); settling disputes among officers of the Command; combating touting at the passport office; etc. The ACTU Chairman also lamented that lack of funds was hampering the effective performance of the unit’s enlightenment duties through the production of posters, pamphlets, stickers, etc. In his response, the ICPC Commissioner said he was delighted with the zeal for anti-corruption exhibited by the ACTU officials, promising to pass on their complaints to the appropriate authorities and assuring them that they would be looked into. ACTUs are one of the corruption prevention initiatives established by ICPC; they are, to all intents and purposes, mini-ICPCs within MDAs but without the power to prosecute.

Ex-NABDA Staff jailed 9 years for Fraud

okon — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 14:54:54 +0000

A Lagos State High Court 9 sitting in Ikeja, has sentenced one Dr. Louis Obinne, a dismissed staff of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Abuja to nine years imprisonment for defrauding a woman of a large sum of money and for issuing a dud cheque. Dr. Obinne who was convicted of fraud by Honourable Justice O.A. Ipaye, was charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The convict had earlier been arraigned in 2012 before Justice Ipaye for tricking his victim into parting with the sum of Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,500,000) with the promise that he would help her process a contract with NABDA worth Sixty Million Naira (N60,000,000) and for the issuance of a cheque of Fifteen Million Naira (N15,000,000) to her knowing that there was no money in his account. The Commission in a 2-count, charged the former NABDA staff for what it referred to as fraudulent receipt of property, obtaining by false pretence and issuance of a dud cheque. The offences are contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 1 of Dishonoured Cheques Act, and punishable under Section 14 of the ICPC law. Justice Ipaye, in his ruling, found Dr. Obinne guilty of both charges and sentenced him to seven and two years jail terms on counts 1 and 2 respectively. The sentences are to run concurrently. It is noteworthy that the accused person had changed counsel and jumped bail several times even after the Commission had arrested him through undercover operations. Subsequent attempts by ICPC’s prosecution counsel to oppose his bail applications failed as the court always granted them. Therefore, as at the time of his conviction, Dr. Obinne was at large, being neither in court nor represented. The trial proceeded in his absence pursuant to the provisions of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and the sentence will start from the date of his arrest and delivery to prison.

ICPC Charges Newly Recruited Police Officers on Integrity

okon — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 15:29:47 +0000

The State Commissioner, Kaduna Zonal Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Mr. Shehu Yahaya, has charged newly-recruited police officers to uphold integrity and eschew bribery, extortion and other forms of corrupt practices. He made this charge at a one-day sensitization programme on integrity, dangers of corrupt practices and the need to be transparent in the discharge of their duties for newly recruited police constables, at the Police College, Kaduna recently. Mr. Yahaya, who was represented by Mr. Godwin Basheru also of Kaduna ICPC, said the Commission was determined to rid Nigeria of corruption. He pointed out that the purpose of the programme was to promote integrity in the Police by discussing with the recruits the subjects of bribery, extortion and ways in which they could be reduced to the barest minimum within the Police system. His words, “It is worthy to note that the present administration has vowed zero tolerance for corruption and the Nigerian Police is a strategic body in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, which is why ICPC has deemed it necessary to sensitize you, newly recruited constables on the ills of corruption”. The Zonal Commissioner also said he was impressed with the orderly conduct of the participants during the event and urged them to imbibe the culture of integrity, transparency, and uprightness in the performance of their duties. Also speaking at event, the Head Master of Police College Kaduna, Mr. A. M. Yanmama, urged the new recruits to resolve to play a critical role in demanding and ensuring that transparency and integrity thrive in the Nigeria Police Force to make it disciplined corruption-free. The Headmaster also appealed to Nigerians not to give police officers or any other persons bribe-money for recruitment into the Nigeria Police, saying if corrupt demands are made of applicants they should report such to the Police or ICPC. He disclosed that a lot of changes were taking place within the Police, and that it was taking steps to review its recruitment processes so as to reduce “unwanted elements” within its ranks. Mr. Yanmama also enjoined the recruits to be disciplined, eschew all forms of corruption, and commit themselves to the anti-corruption fight.

“Illegal” Universities: ICPC Opens Case Against Richmond Open University, Enugu

okon — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 16:22:14 +0000

The trial of Professor Chris Okoro and Mr. Charles Ebue, of Richmond Open University, Ltd, Enugu, who were arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before Hon Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court, Enugu commenced on Wednesday 1^st November, 2017. The accused persons were charged in May, 2013 for operating an unaccredited academic degree-awarding institution in Enugu. The first prosecution witness, Mr Chidi Orji, an operative of ICPC, testified before Justice Liman that his team of investigators had obtained a warrant from the Federal High Court, Abuja in May, 2013 to search and seal up the premises of Richmond Open University, Ltd, Enugu and about 62 other such institutions across the country. The witness further informed the court that the activities of the unaccredited university were noticed following a Universities System Study and Review exercise carried out by ICPC which revealed the prevalence of many unaccredited academic degree-awarding institutions in Nigeria. He narrated how the Commission obtained a list of such unaccredited institutions from the National Universities Commission and identified the Richmond Open University, Ltd as number 41 on the list. The witness testified that some of the institutions on the list were licensed to operate as universities but were offering unaccredited academic programmes. He said that some other institutions were operating without complying with the provisions of the Education (National Minimum Standards) and Establishment of Institutions Act 2004. The witness further testified that unsuspecting members of the public were attracted to study in these universities without knowing that the academic certificates offered were unaccredited and worthless for employment or career progression. The prosecution witness identified Mazi Okoro as the Sole Proprietor, Vice Chancellor and Academic Instructor who was awarding national diplomas, higher national diplomas, first degrees, masters' degrees, and doctorate degrees in various fields including accounting, criminology and journalism. The ICPC prosecutor, Barrister Adenekan Shogunle applied to tender the warrant from the Federal High Court, Abuja which was admitted in evidence and marked as Exhibit 1. The case was further adjourned to 6th December, 2017 for continuation of hearing.

Teachers called to be Agents of Positive Change

okon — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 08:43:32 +0000

A one-day capacity building workshop on Anti-Corruption and Transparency Practice for Principals of Federal Government Colleges and Coordinating Evaluators of Education in the Southern Zone of Nigeria, held at the Federal Government College, Enugu, has ended with a clarion call on teachers to be agents of positive change in the society. This appeal was made by the Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Alh. Abdullahi Bako at the workshop. The Acting Chairman was represented at the occasion by Mr. Akeem Lawal, a Deputy Director in the Commission. He called on teachers to engage, inspire and impact students positively as they are the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and entrepreneurs, stressing that teaching at its core is both a moral and noble profession. The Acting Chairman said students depend on their teachers for moral development, which means that the teachers should set good examples worthy of emulation because their obligations transcend knowledge transmission and information dissemination Earlier, while declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Sonny S.T. Echono, had said the Ministry was poised to redefine and reappraise current operations with a view to re-aligning them with best practices and the change mantra of the present administration. He stated that the workshop was pursuant to their determination for constructive engagement and to keep the leaders of Federal Government Colleges abreast of evolving anti- corruption issues and strategies in the fight against corruption. While noting that transparency and accountability in the workplace were paramount for efficient service delivery, Mr. Echono pointed out that practices that abuse the system and undermine acceptable norms should be shunned by the authorities. He said that a successful fight against corruption would ensure durable transformation of the education system, and by extension, a culture of integrity and sustained socio-economic development of the society would be entrenched. In his remarks, the Acting Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department, Mr. Ezinwoke Sylvanus, lamented the falling standards in values and ethics in the public service due to inefficiency, misconduct and disrespect for constituted authorities which have undermined values and integrity in the workplace. He said the rot in the civil service was as a result of disregard for rules and regulations which could be attributed to unfriendly political environment and rapidly deteriorating socio economic fabric of the polity. Delivering a paper on the topic, ‘Ethics, Integrity and Compliance in the Workplace” Mr Akeem Lawal, Deputy Director and Head of Department, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department, ICPC, Abuja said corruption thrives in an environment where institutional rules, procedures, sanction and reward system and the general regulatory compliance are deliberately compromised to serve private advantage by those who have the responsibility to do otherwise. According to him, integrity in education systems is the consistent application of actions, values, methods and principles that lead to equitable access to good quality education, the professional treatment of staff and sound management of resources and effective prevention and detection of malpractice and corruption. Mr. Lawal proposed that Ethics and Integrity should be instituted in the workplace by identifying and choosing the positive values to be promoted, putting policies in place to support the values and developing a Code of Conduct/ Ethics based on statutes, but adapted to the peculiarities of the organisation. He said the essence of appropriate Ethics, Integrity and Compliance in the workplace is to improve efficiency and effectiveness towards achieving the overall objective of the organisation. The programme ended with a lively interactive session where participants’ questions were answered satisfactorily.

ICPC sues for Greater Collaboration amongst Anti-Corruption Agencies

icpcuser — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 13:14:27 +0000

The Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Hon. Abdullahi Bako, has called for stronger collaboration amongst the different anti-corruption agencies in the country saying it was indispensable to achieving a positive result in the government’s anti-graft fight. Hon. Bako made this call at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, recently when he played host to some members of an anti-corruption group known as Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT). The team comprises representatives of all the anti-corruption agencies in the country and is charged with the responsibility of harmonizing the activities of the various agencies. The ICPC Acting Chairman explained that if all anti-corruption agencies were to synergize and perform their statutory duties with greater cooperation, the fight against corruption would be more successful. According to him, “There should be no bickering amongst anti-corruption agencies. We are all fighting the same cause and need to cooperate to achieve our mandates.” Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Ms. Amaka Obinna of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) said the team was at the Commission to solicit for support for its activities planned for the forthcoming International Anti-Corruption Day slated for 9^th December, 2017. She said the team was in need of financial assistance and further requested the participation of the Commission’s staff in the activities lined up for the day. She also expressed their gratitude to the Commission for its contributions over the years towards ensuring that the task team achieved its mandate, saying: “Our team has enjoyed a smooth working relationship with ICPC. We have not found you wanting in your obligations and responsibilities to us. We are therefore looking forward to more years of worthy collaboration with you.” In his response, the Acting Chairman assured the organizers of ICPC’s full participation and pledged the Commission’s full support towards the success of the event.

Trial-within-Trial in ICPC’s Corruption Case against Dropped Own Board Nominee

okon — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 15:09:50 +0000

The trial of a former Chairman of Kwara State Polytechnic Governing Council, Dr. Saadu Ayinla Alanamu has resumed before Justice Mahmud Abdul Gafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin. The accused, who is one of the two Board nominees for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that were dropped for being under investigation by the Commission, is standing trial with the Chief Executive Director of Namylas Nig. Ltd, Salman Sulaiman, after having been arraigned by the same Commission earlier in September, 2017. ICPC’s prosecuting counsel, Messrs Sule Amedu and Ijezie Sunny Ezeana fielded one Mr. Oluwaseun Oshinyemi as their first witness. In the course of his testimony, the prosecutors sought to tender the written statement of the second accused, Mr. Sulaiman, but the defence counsel raised an objection that the statement of their client was not made voluntarily. They alleged that he was “forced, harassed, intimidated and coerced” into making the statement to the Commission’s investigators. Consequently, Justice Gafar ordered a trial-within-trial, which commenced the same day. This, he said was for the court to determine whether the statement was made voluntarily or not. On conclusion of evidence for both the prosecution and the defence in the trial-within-trial, the case was adjourned to 21^st, 22^nd, and 23^rd November 2017 for address in the trial-within-trial and continuation of hearing in the substantive matter. Dr. Alanamu is facing an 8-count charge for allegedly collecting a bribe from a contractor.The Commission, in the charge sheet, accused Alanamu, who was also the Chairman of the Kwara State Polytechnic Tenders Board, of collecting a N5 million bribe from a contractor, Salman Sulaiman as kickback for the award of a contract. ICPC’s investigation into the petition had revealed strong evidence of collusion, bid rigging and corrupt practices against Namylas Nig Ltd in the bid process; and that the company used falsified, forged and doctored PENCOM Compliance Certificate, Tax Clearance Certificate and ITF Certificate of Compliance to submit its bid during the bidding process. Sulaiman on his part, was accused of bribing a government official when he paid N5 million through a Guaranty Trust Bank account to Alanamu, as a reward for the award of contract to his company, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 9(1) (a) and punishable under Section 9(1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Their offences are also in violation of Sections 8 (1) (a), 10(a) (i), 18 (b), 19 and 22(1) (a) (i) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the aforementioned sections.

Transportation Ministry ACTU Organises Anti-Corruption Sensitization for NAMA Staff

icpcuser — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 16:04:51 +0000

As part of its core duty which is preventing corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has recently organized a workshop for staff of Nigeria Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) of Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano The aim of the workshop was to sensitize the staff on the need to imbibe integrity and uphold good ethical values in order to create and sustain a corruption-free working environment in their agency. The training featured paper presentations by ICPC officials. The first one was a paper titled: “Effective Work Ethics for Enhanced Productivity”. It was delivered by Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa mni, Director, Public Enlightenment and ICPC’s Spokesperson who told the participants that for any organisation to succeed in discharging its responsibilities effectively, there must be guiding principles that would enable its staff to discharge their duties efficiently for optimum productivity. Mrs. Okoduwa stressed the importance of effective work ethics in the promotion of good governance in order for transparency and accountability to thrive. She noted that motivation and attitude help to increase the capacities of individual staff in the discharge their duties. Another paper titled: “An Overview of Anti-Corruption Law in Nigeria” was presented by Mr. Akeem Lawal fsi, Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of ICPC. The paper dwelt on the work of agencies that are responsible for fighting corruption in Nigeria. It discussed the establishment of ICPC, the promulgation of Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act. 2002 and the Code of Conduct for Public Officers. At the end of the workshop, the ACTU Chairman, Mr. Patrick Chukwuedo, of NAMA, commended the Commission for educating the agency’s staff on the relevant anti-corruption laws. He also used the opportunity to urge them to perform their duties with a high level of integrity and accountability for a better NAMA.

ICPC, CODE to Partner on “Follow the Money” Project

icpcuser — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 18:04:16 +0000

A non-governmental organization, Connected Development (CODE), whose mission is to improve access to information and to empower local communities in Africa, is seeking to partner with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in its flagship anti-corruption project tagged: Follow The Money” (FTM). The Chief Executive, Mr. Hamza Lawan, disclosed this while speaking on behalf of the top management staff and some officials of the organization when they paid a courtesy visit to the Acting Chairman of ICPC in Abuja recently. Mr. Lawan said the reason for the visit was to find ways of more collaboration with ICPC, especially in the areas of public finance management, transparency and accountability. According to him, FTM seeks to ensure transparency and accountability in the execution of capital projects, especially in government rural communities so that everyone everywhere can have equal access to social infrastructure. He also disclosed that his organization had worked with ICPC in the past. In his words: “A lot of our work involves connecting communities with capital projects in their communities, especially projects in Health, Education and Environment. In 2014, CODE collaborated with ICPC to track and halt the massive corruption in the procurement of the N9.2 billion worth of Clean Cooking stoves for rural communities across the country. This success opened up and broadened the perspectives of Nigerians on the possibility of a transparent and accountable society”. Hamza, expressed confidence that further collaboration with ICPC would help in reducing corruption in the course of the FTM project, because while carrying out their work in local communities, so many red flags and a whole lot of transparency and accountability deficits on the part of both government and contractors alike were discovered. The Acting Chairman of ICPC, Hon. Abdullahi Bako, who was represented by Director, Public Enlightenment Department and Spokesperson for the Commission, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa mni, while receiving the team, said the FTM project was on the right track, most especially for the fact that it was to focus on citizenship and citizen responsibility beyond the electoral period. “What you are doing is the right way to go because it has been missing in civil society activism regarding good governance in Nigeria. Our citizens don’t engage with government once the electioneering period has come and gone, which is very wrong. And that has been the position of ICPC all along. We have to build up that vigilance of citizens in terms of their awareness of what government is doing in their environment”, he said. He assured them that the Commission was willing to collaborate with CODE on any initiative that would enhance transparency, accountability and the campaign against corruption in the society, adding that ICPC would take FTM as if it were its own project. Also present to receive the visitors were ICPC’s top officials including: Head, Planning Research and Review Department, Mr. Bala Mohammed; Head, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Mr. Akeem Lawan; Head, Education Department, Mr. Baba Ashiru; and Head, Investigation Department, Mr. Adedayo A. Kayode.

ICPC Inaugurates ACTU in NNPC Retail

icpcuser — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 13:36:34 +0000

The Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC) Hon. Abdullahi Bako, has enjoined the management and staff of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Retail Ltd (NNPC Retail) to always exude high level of professionalism, discipline, transparency and accountability in their operations. Hon. Abdullahi Bako who was represented by Mr. Justin Kuatsea of ICPC’s Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) made this call while speaking at the inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Company. He said that this onerous task could be achieved when the members of staff understand their responsibility to live above board in order to propel the organisation to attain greater heights, especially as they are charged with the responsibility of establishing and operating model retail outlets with efficient service delivery of petroleum and allied products to customers. He further explained that ACTU was one of ICPC’s initiatives designed to serve as a check mechanism in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). According to him, the Unit is to assist ICPC by serving as its eyes and ears to combat corrupt practices in the company. It is to perform all the functions of the Commission except prosecution. Hon. Bako advised the ACTU to conduct periodic sensitization of NNPC Retails staff; carry out preliminary investigation; develop and entrench a code of ethics for staff, conduct systems study and review of corruption-prone processes amongst others. The newly inaugurated ACTU members were then charged to work hard and enlist the support of both management and staff in order to achieve the goals and to justify the trust reposed in them by both the Management of the Corporation and ICPC. In his goodwill address, the Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Kachalla Baru, who was represented at the event by the Managing Director, NNPC Retail Ltd, Mr. Adeyemi Adetunji, noted that as the Nigerian anti-corruption campaign of year 2000 started with the passage of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and the subsequent establishment of ICPC, the NNPC as an organisation was the first to have ICPC set up an ACTU for it, and that for many years the Unit had consistently carried out its mission of trying to prevent official corruption in the Corporation through the organization of sensitization campaigns, workshops, seminars, etc. In his acceptance speech, the new ACTU Chairman, Mr. Donald Ayodele Mohammed, on behalf of the other members, pledged their resolve to enshrine transparency and accountability as a way of life in NNPC Retails.

Court Convicts Two for Visa Racketeering - ICPC

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 15:44:40 +0000

Hon. Justice S. S. Ogunsanya of an Ikeja High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State has found Mr. Ademosu Iseoluwapo and Itoha Ihiere guilty of visa racketeering and therefore convicted them of the offence. The convicts were dragged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for forgery and providing misleading information to the British High Commission in Lagos with the intent of procuring visas to the United Kingdom. The 1^st convict, Mr. Ademosu Iseoluwapo, a staff of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development had used his position in the ministry to procure false and misleading documents for the 2^nd convict, Mr. Itoha Ihiere who was not even a staff of the Ministry while trying to procure visas for other genuine staff of the Ministry. Iseoluwapo had provided Ihiere with a fake Lagos State Government identity card and pay-slip of the ministry to facilitate his visa procurement. The convicts had earlier pleaded guilty to a two-count charge for “…knowingly making false statement to an officer of the Commission with the intent to mislead thereby contravening Section 25(1)(a) and punishable under Section 25(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Act, 2000 which prescribes 2 years imprisonment or an option of a fine not exceeding N100,000 or both.” In his allocutus, the defence counsel, Mr. Qudus Mumuni pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as the 1^st convict is the bread winner of his family. He added that Iseoluwapo committed the offence with the intent to help Ihiere go abroad to make a living and help his family especially his only daughter. In her ruling, Hon. Justice Ogunsanya, held that such actions by the convicts were responsible for giving the nation a bad name abroad. She therefore advised Ihiere to opt for an honest means of making a living such as farming in order to cater for his daughter. The judge therefore sentenced Iseoluwapo and Ihiere to pay a fine of N50,000 each.

ICPC arrests Kano High Court Judge for Criminal Conspiracy, Cheating, Forgery

icpcuser — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 15:49:13 +0000

A former Kano State High Court Judge, Hon. Justice Kabiru Mamman Auta has been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, on allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery. Auta was arrested by operatives of the Commission on Tuesday 14^th November, 2017 when he was invited for interrogation on allegations that he had conspired with some other persons to defraud a Kano businessman, Alhaji Bashir Sani Kwangila Yakasai (SKY) of the sum of Two Hundred and Twenty Million Naira (N220,000,000). The matter was referred to the Commission after it had been reported to the National Judicial Council which had constituted a committee to investigate the allegations. The amount involved had been fraudulently obtained from Alhaji Yakasai by Hon. Justice Auta and his accomplice Bashir Sufi, on the pretext that they were acting on behalf of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloma Mukhtar. Justice Auta in his statement to the Commission had disclosed that he had paid Twenty Million Naira (N20, 000,000) as part repayment to Alhaji Yakasai during the course of the matter. Hon. Justice Auta was released from detention on administrative bail, while further investigation into the matter continues.

ICPC seeks to prosecute Corruption Cases in Federal High Courts, Others

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 10:11:28 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has proposed to the National Assembly for an expansion of its options of courts for the prosecution of corruption cases to include Federal High courts. This was contained in a memorandum it presented to the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption during a public hearing organised on a bill to amend the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The Acting Chairman of the Commission, Hon. Abdullahi Bako, who made the presentation on behalf of the Commission explained that the amendment had become necessary given the fact that the Commission is restricted by its extant law to prosecute cases only in State High courts which has hampered its prosecutorial effectiveness because high profile defendants often wield substantial influence within a state. In the memorandum, the Commission also made other proposals for amendment such as: limiting board membership of the Commission to seven persons as against thirteen that currently obtains; returning recovered proceeds of corruption to their original sources whether Federal, State, Local Government or private persons; retaining a percentage of its recoveries to help fund the Commission; amongst others. Speaking earlier at the opening ceremony of the occasion, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Akinloye H. Babajide, had stated that the amendment of the Act was being done to enhance and strengthen the Commission’s efficiency and effectiveness. He stressed the importance of the public hearing as a forum for the general public to make inputs in order to make a good law to aid the overall fight against corruption. The public hearing attracted stakeholders in the country who made presentations in support of the proposed amendments. For the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) which was represented by their Legal Director, Mrs Ifeoma Ewosa, recovered proceeds of corruption should not just be returned to their original owners but there should be a time-frame e.g. 30 days for such a return to be carried out and also sanctions should be stipulated for non-compliance. The representative of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s Deputy Director Legal and Prosecution Department, Mr. Jonson Ojogbane, argued strongly that it was international best practice for a law enforcement agency to retain a fraction of its recovered proceeds of crime. He therefore urged that the ICPC proposal should be accepted. However, one of the representatives of the Nigerian Law Reforms Commission, Mr. Jerry Kodilinye Ezeobi, objected to the amendment proposal for ICPC to retain a part of its recoveries. According to him it would make the Commission deviate from its mandate of fighting corruption to seeking benefits it would gain from recoveries. Other stakeholders who were present included representatives of the Military Service Chiefs, Code of Conduct Bureau, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Law School, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Journalists and Civil Society Groups.

N1bn Fraud Case: ICPC makes Final Presentation against No-Case Submission by Former Zamfara Governor

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 11:42:10 +0000

At the ongoing trial of a former Governor of Zamfara State and serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ahmed Sani Yerima, over alleged diversion of state funds, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has made its final submission in a no-case submission by the defence counsel before Justice Bello Tukur Gummi of Zamfara State High Court 5, sitting in Gusau. The Commission’s prosecuting counsel led by Mrs. Christiana Onuogu, after calling six witnesses and tendering 25 exhibits made their final submission while counsel to the ex-governor, Mahmud Magaji (SAN) tendered 8 exhibits. In her submission, Mrs. Onuogu argued that the prosecution had proved the essential elements of the offences with which the former Governor was being charged, and that the principle of a no-case submission made by him failed where the defendant had explanations to make in response to the charges against him. She also averred that the defendant’s confessional statement that he had diverted part of the One Billion Naira (N1, 000 000,000) UBA loan to other projects and services corroborated the charges preferred against him. The action, according to her, was contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Mrs. Onuogu therefore prayed the court to dismiss the no-case submission entered by the defence counsel. Having listened to the submissions made by both the defence and the prosecution, the trial judge adjourned the case to 5^th December 2017 for ruling on the no-case submission. It should be recalled that Senator Yerima had earlier been arraigned in 2016 by ICPC before Justice Bello Shinkafi of High Court 4, Gusau, Zamfara State on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged diversion of N385.5million and other sums from the N1bn loan meant for the repair of a collapsed dam and rehabilitation of flood victims while he was Governor. The case was subsequently transferred to Justice Gummi with the agreement of both the defence and prosecuting counsel on account of several adjournments because of the judge’s ill-health.

AMAC Chairman Commends ICPC for Anti-Corruption Sensitization of Public Servants

icpcuser — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 11:47:15 +0000

The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido has lauded the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for educating and mobilizing Nigerian public servants against corruption. Abdullahi Adamu gave the commendation recently in Abuja at a one-day sensitization programme for staff of AMAC on corruption prevention organized by Anti Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of AMAC in conjunction with ICPC. While declaring the event open, Mr. Adamu noted that corruption was not only taking money illegally but also included lateness to work, closing before the stipulated time, hiding files and neglect of work schedules. He urged the participants to be committed towards the cause of nation- building instead of materialism, and used the opportunity to promise his organisation’s readiness to partner with the Commission in the fight against corruption. In his remarks, the Acting Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Bako Abdullahi, who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), Mr. Justin Kuatsea, said prevention of corruption was mandatory for ICPC, and as such, the Commission had intervened in numerous areas in the public sector to check corruption through System Study and Review. He urged all public servants to work hard to redeem the image of the Service that had been smeared by corruption so that “the country will begin to realize its true potential”. In addition to representing the Ag. Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Kuatsea presented a paper titled “Corruption Prevention in the Work Place”. He described Corruption in the workplace as a situation where workers abuse their offices for personal gain, and engage in acts of bribery, fraud and related offences. He said that corruption affects the socio-economic development of the nation as it increases unemployment, results in insecurity and a poor national image. The workshop ended with an interactive session where the participants asked questions, and answers were provided.

We must bequeath to our Children a better Society than We have Now – ICPC Spokesperson

icpcuser — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 11:21:23 +0000

The Spokesperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mrs. Rasheedat Adunni Okoduwa, mni, has called for people to always speak up against corruption, human trafficking and other social ills bedevilling the nation. She made this call when she received the founder and some members of Next to None Support Initiative, a non-governmental organisation who were on a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, recently. Mrs. Okoduwa, who also heads the Commission’s Public Enlightenment Department said that as part of its duty to enlist and foster public support in combating corruption, “ICPC’s door is always open to people to join us, to speak up against corruption and other ills.” Speaking on their mission, the leader of the group, Mr. Ndukwe Sam Obu, revealed the philosophy behind the founding of the Next to None Support Initiative which according to him was to fight certain social ills in the society like corruption, human trafficking and prostitution. He explained that it was against this backdrop that the group was seeking partnership with relevant government agencies to rid the nation of these ills. “Our approach, having been able to decipher the ills, is to work with the relevant government bodies to fight them,” he stated. Mr. Obu further said that since the youths were worst hit by these ills, his NGO had been exploring other avenues to reach out to them through the entertainment industry. He also stated that his NGO was planning to carry out a project for the production of a documentary and movie that would focus on issues of human trafficking and corruption and hence was requesting for ICPC’s collaboration. According to Mr. Obu, the documentary will be Africa’s answer to CNN’s Freedom Project and Al-Jazeera’s Modern Day Slavery documentaries on human trafficking. He said the project had received the support and endorsement of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and would involve the collaboration of agencies like ICPC and EFCC among others. Speaking on the project, Mrs. Okoduwa, mni commended its conception. She lamented the menace of human trafficking while pointing out that it was poverty arising from corruption that makes young people allow themselves to be cajoled into seeking greener pastures overseas without weighing the attendant risks, hazards and consequences. The ICPC Spokesperson assured the group of the Commission’s willingness to work with them, and described the collaboration of different agencies of government on the project as a welcome development.

ICPC secures Conviction against Former House of Reps Member, 2 Others for Corruption

icpcuser — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 13:15:05 +0000

…to appeal against Mild Sentence The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Salihu Ndanusa Dauda, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mr. Nsa Oyok Edet and one Solomon Adukwu (now at large) at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court No 19 Jabi, Abuja for offences of making false statements, conspiracy and impersonation of public officers. The three defendants had been charged before Justice D. Z. Senchi by ICPC on a 5-count charge of making false statement, conspiracy and impersonation thereby committing offences that contravene sections 25 and 26 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and Section 132 of the Penal Code Act. Details of the offences on which the defendants’ conviction was based revealed that Mr. Nsa on the instruction of and connivance with Hon Salihu, created a false case file which they claimed emanated from ICPC and presented it to the Director, FCT Treasury, Mr. Ibrahim Bomai with the aim of extorting money from him. The false case file contained a petition and other financial documents allegedly belonging to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), which indicated that FCTA received N18, billion from the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government and that Mr. Bomai and the former Minister of FCT, Mr. Bala Mohammed had shared the money between them. Knowing that the allegations were false, Mr. Bomai lodged a complaint against the defendants which led to their being arrested and charged to court by ICPC. For the five-count charge brought against the defendants, Justice Senchi sentenced them each to 6 months imprisonment or a fine of N50, 000 on each count for false statement and impersonation and 12 months imprisonment or a fine of N50, 000 each for conspiracy. However, considering the mildness of the sentence imposed on the convicts, the Commission has concluded plans to file an appeal for stiffer punishment for the convicts. Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 prescribed that a convict for making false statements is “… liable to a fine not exceeding One Hundred Thousand naira or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two (2) years or to both such fine and imprisonment”.

Niger Delta Ministry Reconstitutes ACTU

icpcuser — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 13:19:24 +0000

In order to boost the efficiency of its anti-corruption campaign, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently inaugurated the reconstituted its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU). The inauguration was combined with a short induction workshop for the new members to equip them with requisite knowledge that would assist them in performing their duties. The representative of the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Justin Kuatsea, Assistant Commissioner, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), in his goodwill message, said the event would go a long way in showcasing ICPC’s determination to fight corruption through the support of stakeholders. Mr. Kuatsea noted that ACTU was one of the preventive machinery of ICPC established through the support of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to fight corruption in Nigeria. According to him “The ACTU is indeed a veritable tool designed by ICPC in collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to actualise the Commission’s mandate of prohibiting and preventing corruption by serving as an in-house check mechanism which monitors, identifies and addresses corrupt practices and related offences which are prevalent in government establishments”. He urged members of the unit to use the opportunity to showcase high ethical standards and integrity in the discharge of their duties and in service to the nation. Speaking at the event, the ACTU Chairman of the ministry, Mr. Ibrahim M. Mshelbwala said it was necessary to reconstitute the unit because some of the members had been redeployed to other states and ministries and there was a need to replace them. As part of the efforts to prepare the new members of the ACTU for the task given to them, a brief induction was done by Mr. Kuatsea. He spoke on the functions of the unit as contained in the Standing Order, a booklet that provides guidelines for ACTU members. He further said that as the representative of ICPC in the ministry, ACTU members have the power to investigate corrupt practices; conduct system study and review; enlighten and educate staff on and against corruption; and also enlist the support of stakeholders in the fight against corruption but that they do not have the power to prosecute corrupt persons. The Director, Special Duties of the Ministry, Mr. Udoidiong Victor urged members of the ACTU to see the task given them as an opportunity to build their career by living exemplary lives and not using their position to witch-hunt other members of staff. In his vote of thanks, the Secretary of the ACTU, Mr. Soraiye Victor commended ICPC for the establishment of ACTU and the short induction given to them and also promised on behalf of his colleagues that they would do their best to use the unit to move the ministry forward.

ICPC Detains 4 Former Kogi Commissioners for Alleged Corruption

icpcuser — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:55:42 +0000

Four former Commissioners under the defunct administration of ex-Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada, have been arrested and are being detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on allegations of misapplication of government funds and abuse of office. The ex-Commissioners who include that of Culture and Tourism, Kayode Olowomoran; Transport, Abdulrahman Wuya; Works, Onama Godwin; and Budget and Planning, Ali Ajuh were arrested after ICPC commenced investigations into allegations that the suspects, acting in connivance with the former Governor, former Accountant-General, Ibrahim Idakwo and a former Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Commerce, Frank Onoja, had obtained a N2billion Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria on behalf of the state which was misapplied. Preliminary investigations by the Commission also revealed that the suspects allegedly partook in the mismanagement of another N8 billion bond that was raised to fund 57 projects across the state. The large sums of monies released for the projects were allegedly far beyond the levels of work done. Furthermore, the suspects are alleged to have benefitted from illegal deductions to the tune of N1.3 billion made from the funds of 21 local government councils of the state by the same administration. As investigations continue, the suspects will remain in custody until they fulfill the administrative bail conditions granted them by the Commission.

ICPC Partners Kano Emirate to Fight Corruption

icpcuser — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 18:01:47 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently organized a day round-table meeting with the Kano State Emirate Council at Kano Emir's Palace, with a view to discussing the role of traditional institution in the fight against corruption. In his remarks, the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, represented by a Senior Council member, DIG (retired) Mahe Bashir, Walin Kano, expressed the readiness of the Council to partner ICPC in the promotion of positive character building, integrity and anti-corruption crusade within the Kano Emirate’s domain. The Emir of Kano stated that, historically, the Emirate was known to be an embodiment of high moral principles and intolerable to lack of integrity, hence, numerous traditional heads were removed and punished. His Royal Highness commended ICPC for producing the National Values curriculum, believing that the absence of character in our educational system has been responsible in the formation of negative character that translated into the attitude of human abduction, kidnapping and other moral decadence. The ICPC Acting Chairman, Honorable Abdullahi Bako, represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Abubakar Usman Musa, presented a paper titled “the Role of Traditional Institution in the Fight against Corruption”, where he stated that the choice of Kano Emirate was due to its influence and impact of its Royal father on his subjects Hon Bako added “The Commission reckons with the courageous efforts the Emir of Kano made to stem the tide of corruption when he was the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Recent discoveries in many Ministries, Departments and Agencies have rightly vindicated the Emir”. He further stressed that the Commission had the tripartite mandate of enforcement, prevention and enlightenment in the fight against corruption, of which it was steadily succeeding. During the general discussion segment of the meeting, the council members succinctly discussed very important issues that could assist the national anti-corruption drive with the Turakin Kano, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi, advising that the fight against corruption must be free from oppression, vindictiveness and should not be used as a means of conferring undue advantage to the anti-corruption workers. Alhaji Haruna Rasheed Sanusi, Dangaladiman Kano, believed that adequate remuneration for workers would play a significant role in reducing corruption. Hence, the District Head requested government at all levels to consider the welfare of workers. According to the District Head of Gwarzo Local Government of Kano State, Alhaji Shehu Kabiru Bayero, punishment of corruption should be meted out more to very senior personalities and leaders than the led to serve as a deterrent to their followers. Bayero added this was necessary, if we were to really succeed in this anti-corruption crusade. Magajin Rafin Kano and District Head of Bagwai Local Government, Alhaji Nura Shehu Ahmad, advised the Commission to invest more in human capital development especially in the area of public and human relations. He believed that a better relation with the public would actually attract more friends than enemies to the crusade. Alhaji Wada Waziri, Sa’in Kano and District Head of Makoda Local Government, stressed that nepotism and selective justice by the anti-corruption commissions must be totally avoided. Finally, the Wakilin Dan Iyan Kano advocated the need for ICPC to emphasize moral reorientation for positive character building. He emphasized that only positive character building would be effective in managing corruption and the promotion of integrity in the Country. While giving the vote of thanks to the members of Kano Emirate for their participation in the one day round table meeting, the Head of Kano State ICPC office, Malam Zayyana Dan Musa, requested the Emirate Council to take the anti-corruption messages discussed during the round table to the grassroots through Friday mosque sermons, schools, village heads and ward heads.

Monetisation: ICPC Recovers Houses, N18m from Civil Servants, undeserving Beneficiaries

icpcuser — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:37:57 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has recently recovered 10 houses which include blocks of flats within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and N18 million from civil servants in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and undeserving beneficiaries over alleged breach of the Monetisation Policy.

It may be recalled that the federal government, in 2005, under the Monetisation Policy of ex-President Olusegun Obansanjo, sold some of its houses occupied by federal civil servants to them, in order to cut down the cost of governance.

In recent times, ICPC has been inundated with petitions from patriotic Nigerians, drawing the attention of the Commission to allegations of widespread abuse of the policy by beneficiaries and some government workers.

The Commission, while acting on the petitions, discovered through preliminary investigation that a number of civil servants in OHCSF, who benefited from the policy had not paid for the houses since 2005. While some had completely defaulted, others are owing sizeable balance of the money.

The investigation further revealed that 32,305 houses were captured by the Committee on the Sale of Government Properties while 24,345 were eventually sold to beneficiaries.

However, civil servants in some government agencies notably OHSCF and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) have allegedly turned the policy into a shoddy business with the aim of defrauding the federal government.

ICPC also found out that some public servants and government agencies were concealing government properties and collecting rent on same without the consent of the federal government, which allegedly flouts the intent of the policy that primarily focuses on divesting government’s interest from providing housing for its employees.

Further discovery by ICPC has shown that staff in OHSCF allocated some of the houses to undeserving beneficiaries who were not public servants at the time of the exercise and some of the properties are yet to be allocated.

The investigation has so far yielded fruitful result with the recovery of N18, 031,000 from some civil servants and a host of companies including Montgomery & Campbell Ltd and SICCONS, which has been paid into the coffers of the government. ICPC assures Nigerians that anyone found guilty of contravening the law would be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.

ICPC Interrogates ex-Court of Appeal Justice, Tsamiya over N200m Bribe

icpcuser — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:40:12 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arrested a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, for allegedly demanding N200 million bribe from Mr. Nnamdi Orji, in exchange for a favourable judgement in a National Assembly election case that was pending before the Imo State Judicial Division of the Court of Appeal.

ICPC said that the offence which violates Section 10 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 was alleged to have been committed in 2015, when the retired Justice asked Mr. Orji who was the candidate for All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, to give him N200 million to enable him influence the court’s decision in his favour.

Mr. Orji had approached the Court of Appeal, Imo State Division to seek redress in a case involving an alleged inflation of the result of election in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, which he had earlier lost to his opponent, Mr. Nkole Ndukwe, at the National Assembly Election Tribunal.

Mr. Tsamiya was alleged to have convinced the appellant of getting a favourable judgement from the court upon the payment of the money .

Justice Tsamiya has since been granted bail by the Commission upon the fulfilment of his bail conditions, even as investigation continues.

N57m Fraud: Counsel undertakes to bring Fmr. Executive Director of Aso Savings, Maimuna Aliyu to court for Arraignment

icpcuser — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:41:43 +0000

The defence counsel for Maimuna Aliyu, a former Executive Director of Aso Savings and Loans Plc, Joe Gadzama, SAN, has undertaken to bring her to court on a new date set for her arraignment.

Maimuna, who was supposed to be arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before Hon. Justice M. A. Nasir of FCT High Court No 16 sitting in Jabi, Abuja for allegedly defrauding the bank of a huge sum of money, was absent from court even as her defence counsel latched on to non-service of hearing notice by the prosecution.

The ICPC counsel, Ekoi Akponimisingha, argued that the date of the arraignment was known to the defence as her lawyer was present when it was fixed at an earlier arraignment which did not hold and at which Maimuna was also absent.

He further stated that the Investigating Officer had said he informed Maimuna of the date when he served the charges on her.

The Commission in a 3-count, is charging Maimuna Aliyu for allegedly using her position as the Executive Director of Aso Savings and Loans Plc, to confer corrupt advantage upon herself when she received the sum of N57, 000,000 being the proceeds of the sale of three plots of land in Jahi District, Abuja and failed to remit the said amount to Aso Savings and for also making false statement to officers of the Commission thereby contravening the provisions of Section 19 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Maimuna is also being accused of criminal breach of trust when she allegedly diverted the N57,000,000 to personal use, an offence that is contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 312 of the Penal code.

The trial Judge, Hon. Justice M. A. Nasir, in her ruling adjourned the arraignment to Thursday 14^th December, 2017.

N.1bn Fraud: ICPC Arraigns Man for Impersonation

okon — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:54:30 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Mr. Eno Ekapong Ofem before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court Apo, Abuja for allegedly impersonating a staff in the office of the Chief of Staff to the President. The defendant, who contested the 2015 election into the House of Representatives and lost, was charged before Hon. Justice Valentine B. Ashi by the Commission recently on 6 counts after a petition written to ICPC. Investigations by the Commission revealed that Mr. Ofem allegedly claimed to be a Special Adviser to the Chief of Staff to the President, a claim that he used to defraud citizens to the tune of One Hundred Million naira, on the pretext that he would get them ministerial, board and other appointments. The monies had been deposited into his bank account on various dates from June 2016. The charges brought against the defendant indicated that his actions contravened Sections 324 and 322 of the Penal Code Act and Cap 352 Vol. 4 LFN 2004. The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him, applied for bail through his lawyer, Mr. Edidion Osungurua, but was denied by the court. ICPC prosecution team, led by Mr. Elijah Akaakohol, did not oppose the application but asked for stringent conditions to be attached to the bail. In his ruling, the trial judge, Justice Ashi, remanded the defendant in prison custody until 16th January 2018 when hearing in the case will commence.

ICPC Interrogates Former DG SMEDAN, Masari over N184.5m Contract Fraud

okon — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 15:21:33 +0000

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arrested and quizzed a former Director-General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Alhaji Bature Umar Masari, over an alleged fraudulent award of N184.5 million contracts. Masari was quizzed last week by the Commission on his alleged role in the fraudulent awards of specialized entrepreneurship contracts to his cronies who were neither professionals nor qualified to execute the projects. The N184, 469, 550.03 contract sum was for specialised and sundry contracts in six states of Plateau, Adamawa, Borno, Ekiti, Katsina and Ogun, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. ICPC said that the former DG also allegedly demanded and received kickbacks from contractors that were awarded the contracts and as well, used his position as head of SMEDAN to confer corrupt advantage on himself. The offences which were allegedly committed in 2014 violate Sections 10 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Preliminary investigation by ICPC revealed that Masari allegedly received several millions of naira as kickback between May and October, 2014, for the contracts awarded. He was alleged to have received huge kickback from contracts including those for strategic empowerment programme, creation of matchmaking platform for MSMEs development and other enterprises support services. The former SMEDAN DG has been released on administrative bail after questioning by the Commission.

ICPC, EFCC Prosecuting More - Osinbajo

icpcuser — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 08:36:13 +0000

The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has stated that there has been an increase in the prosecution of corruption cases by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the last two years. He attributed the increase in prosecution by the two agencies to the resolve of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to fight and reduce corruption to the barest minimum. The Vice President who spoke through his adviser on Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), Akingbolahan Adeniran, made the statement in his keynote address to mark the 2017 International Anti-Corruption Day held recently in Abuja. Professor Osinbajo noted that the present administration has achieved a lot in the fight against corruption by focusing on prevention, enforcement, public engagement and asset recovery. He also said that the Federal Executive Council has recently adopted the National Anti-Corruption Strategy with five specific objectives. ” The first specific objective of this document is to promote and improve legal policy and regulatory environment for the fight against corruption; the second is to encourage and improve socio-cultural and political environment for transparency, accountability and integrity; the third specific objective is to provide incentives for sustainability in the fight against corruption; fourth, to improve the operational capacities of key anti-corruption institutions and initiatives; and the fifth specific objective is to achieve the presidential commitment on asset recovery, transparency and accountability in management of public resources,” the Vice President explained. Also speaking at the event, Project Coordinator, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Polleak OK Serei, in a message declared that corruption has a catastrophic impact on societies. He added that it stifles opportunities, denying vulnerable people access to infrastructure, and condemns them to lives of inequality and inequity. OK Serei stressed that “if people are to be removed from poverty and economic growth promoted, the world must stand united against corruption. This means rejecting corruption and embracing accountability, transparency and good governance.” The ceremony also featured panel discussions, and in one of such discussions focusing on “Recovering Proceeds of Crime for Sustainable Development – Keeping Track of Recovered Assets,” ICPC spokesperson and Commissioner, Public Enlightenment Department, Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni, said that Sections 37 to 45 of ICPC law gives the Commission power to seize and also to take custody of movable and immovable assets. She added that by 2013, ICPC had set up a full fledged unit named Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management (ATRM), to take charge of assets recovery and management. Mrs. Okoduwa also declared that ICPC was an active member of all the inter-agency committees and working groups on asset recovery. “We are also an active member of the presidential task force on asset recovery, the task force that takes care of the disposal of assets recovered by all federal agencies.” She said. Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Honourable Minister of Mines and Steel Development suggested that for the fight against corruption to succeed, Nigerians must say no to impunity and eliminate the syndrome of sacred cows. “Laws must be effectively and efficiently implemented and dissuasive sanctions imposed; our emphasis must be on tackling corruption from the roots and closing the doors to illicit activities before they happen. This would preserve the integrity of our systems and save us valuable resources for sustainable development.” He added.