The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to strengthen its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) to enhance accountability.
ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, said this on Wednesday, at the inauguration and induction of the reconstituted Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Aliyu, represented by the Deputy Director and Head of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Mr Kupolati Kayode, described ACTU as a government recognized anti-corruption platform.
He explained that ACTU is established to complement the management by promoting transparency, accountability and ethical standards in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
“It is pertinent to emphasize that the ACTU functions as a complementary body to management, operating under the direct oversight of the Managing Director.
“The role is not to compete with or replace management but to strengthen efforts in promoting transparency, accountability and ethical practices.
“I urge management to provide the necessary support to ACTU by creating an enabling environment, allocating adequate funds, ensuring proper office facilities and granting representation in standing committees, as stipulated in the government circular,” he said.
The ICPC chairman said ACTUs had evolved into strategic internal mechanisms for identifying systemic weaknesses and preventing corruption within public institutions.
According to him, the unit is expected to conduct staff sensitization, corruption risk assessments, monitor budget implementation, coordinate ethics and integrity compliance, as well as undertake preliminary investigations into complaints.
Aliyu also urged NAN to invite ICPC to observe its promotion, recruitment and procurement exercises to enhance transparency and credibility.
“I want to seize this opportunity to encourage the agency to always extend invitation to ICPC when promotion, recruitment and procurement exercises are being conducted in order to ensure credibility of the processes.
“I encourage you to discharge your duties with utmost diligence, integrity and professionalism. Refrain from any actions that could compromise your position or the strategic role entrusted to you,” he said.
Responding, the Managing Director of NAN, Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, said the agency would continue to uphold transparency and accountability, adding that staff must demonstrate the values they promote through their work.
“We must be seen to work our talk. We must be seen in the frontline of fighting this cancer of corruption.
“We are transparent and we will be more transparent, because at the end of the day, all of us are equal stakeholders in the project called Nigeria,” he said.
Ali urged the committee to see itself as a partner of management rather than an opposing body, assuring members of management’s support.
“For the newly elected ACTU members, your responsibility is huge. At the same time, you are not counter-management. Don’t get carried away, but we must keep our eyes on the ball.
“As a media institution, we are mindful of our role and hold very dear the need to be as transparent as possible, that is why members of this unit will enjoy full management support to discharge their responsibilities,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, the Chairman of the reconstituted ACTU Committee of NAN, Chidi Opara, thanked the management for the confidence reposed in members and pledged their commitment to promoting integrity within the agency.
She described corruption as a challenge that has spread in different aspects of society and commended ICPC for establishing ACTUs across MDAs to strengthen accountability.
“By this inauguration, we are saddled with the responsibility to look inwards and ensure that the agency operates a system free of corruption; we promise to abide by the vision and mandate of establishing this unit.
“We appeal to the ICPC to continue to equip and empower us through training and retraining to enable us to carry out our duty diligently and efficiently,” she said.
Opara also appealed to the management of NAN to provide the committee with the necessary support to enable them perform effectively.
“We want to appeal to the Managing Director to always give us all the necessary support, the atmosphere and confidence we need to carry out this duty efficiently and to the best of our ability.
“At the end, the agency will be among the MDAs that will be known to have embraced this unit, and we will be proud to have discharged our responsibility effectively,” she said.(NAN).
