ICPC Retrieves N13bn From MDAs, Receives 7,000 Petitions

Abuja (Precise Post) – The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it has retrieved not less than the sum of N13 billion from MDAs across the country just as it has received no fewer than 7,000 petitions from the members of the general public over one form of corrupt practice or the other.

The disclosure was made by the ICPC Commissioner in charge of Bauchi office, Abdullahi  Dutsinma, at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop organised for Directors of Finance (DoF), Accountants and Internal Auditors of the Yobe State Ministry of Finance held in Bauchi on Friday.

Abdullahi Dutsinma, who was represented by the Head of Administration in his office, said that the ICPC is building and promoting integrity in the public through education and enlightenment in addition to pursuing its enforcement and preventive mandates of fighting corruption at all levels in order to return sanity to public financial institutions and services.

He explained that: “In the process, the Commission has received more than 7,000 from members of the public, a good number of which have been investigated and many cases prosecuted in various High Courts with convictions obtained and implemented.

“The Commission also retrieved over N13 billion from MDA, as a surplus of unspent funds as well as registered 400 NGOs and civil society groups under its National Anti Corruption Coalition (NACC),” he said.

He further said that instead of bringing good governance, most of the government institutions in the country have been turned into conduit pipes of siphoning off public funds saying; “Thereby distancing the majority of our rural populace far away from good governance.”

Abdullahi Dutsinma then assured that ICPC was ready to partner with government agencies and individuals willing to serve as change agents by contributing positively to the fight against corruption.

On his part, the Director of Education at the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja, Alhaji Mohammed Baba while making a presentation on Integrity, Transparency and Accountability as Veritable Tools in Good Governance, described transparency and accountability as some of the basic tenets of a corruption-free and ensuring egalitarian society.

Mohammed Baba said that the choice of government officials as participants of the workshop is indeed apt considering that recently a World Bank survey indicated that 70 per cent of corruption in Nigeria occurs in the public sector due to mismanagement of resources.

He noted that ICPC in the last 3 months through its Constituency Projects Tracking Initiative, recorded a huge amount of money in 12 states of the federation and reaffirmed the determination of the Commission to support the present administration to get rid of corruption and corrupt practices in order to provide good governance.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Yobe State Ministry of Finance, Mohammed  Geidam Said that the workshop was timely and very crucial at this time where all forms of leakages in public finance needed to be blocked.

Represented by the Director Internal Audit, Mohammed Ibrahim, he tasked the participants to make good use of the knowledge acquired by contributing towards ensuring that Nigeria is free from all forms of corruption and related practices.

The theme of the workshop was ‘Upholding Integrity, Good Governance, Transparency and Anti Corruption’ which was organised by an NGO, Steim Energy Limited in collaboration with the ICPC and Yobe State Government.

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