We are committed to rid Nigeria of Corruption…—ICPC Boss

PEEVED with Nigeria been used as example of corrupt country in the international community, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Barr. Ekpo Nta the commission is irrevocably committed to rid the nation of all formsof corruption and corrupt practices.

This, Nta said at the Bayelsa State Anti-Corruption Summit with its theme “Transparency and Accountability institutionalization of good governance for sustainable development” in Yenagoa. He said the commission has a mission to change the hydra-headed monster through stiff sanctions and preventive measures, with a mandate to receive complaints and carry out investigation and prosecution of cases, just as he noted that the commission would alsocombat procedures that aid of facilitate fraud or corruption.

Continuing, he noted that the commission mandate include creating awareness to empower the public to resist corruption and embrace integrity through education in the country. Nta, supported by the state government unveil the Anti-Corruption Campaign with its theme “Support the Fight against Corruption in Bayelsa State”.

The ICPC Chairman, who define corruption as Abuse of Public Office for Private Gain or Influence Peddling enjoined public office holders and private individuals to stand for the truth, even as he noted that diversion of public funds to projects for which it was not assigned without informing appropriate authority is a corrupt offence.

Nta reiterated that a situation where N100m is approved for road is diverted to build schools without informing the authority is purely a corrupt offence. “The Biometric Verification Number (BVN) was deployed to check payrollfraud at the federal level” Nta submitted. He laments the incomplete state of the East/West road project despite billions of naira approved; and noted that the commission applied interim seizure of properties of those that sabotage the completion ofthe project.

The ICPC Boss also sent warning to communities in the habit of demanding compensation in millions of naira to appease deities (Deity Shrines) before allowing road construction by government, pointing an instance where such monies collected were paid into a fixed depositaccount on behalf of the deities, stressing that at the long run the perpetrators were jailed for corruption.

He sent a warning to those involved in online duping; noting that the long arms of the law would catch up with them, while commending Bayelsa Government as the first in the south-south and south-east geopolitical zone to apply for the anti-corruption summit in yenagoa. Nta said “we must change the narrative to change the tide, if somebody is not doing right, we must speak out.He explained that inasmuch as ICPC is ready to entertain complaints, complaints and petitions written out of malice is also an offence that could be charged to court, even as he posited that petition must be without prejudice and truthful.

Nta, however, noted that the commission is independent with no agencyor government interference with their functions, even as he noted that nobody has given an inappropriate directive to the commission. He pointed that state’s where the Chief Executives before assuming office had held previous offices of trust are likely not to deviate from what is expected of them in promoting values, culture of governance and zero tolerance for corrupt offences; lauded the Bayelsa monthly transparency briefing where every kobo that came into its coffer is accounted for to the people of the state.

In his remark, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State said when he took the reins of government, his emphasis centered on transparency, build the people’s trust in leadership and introduce a new culture in governance in the state. He noted that signed the transparency bill into law, not minding the grave penalty of impeachment should he fail to brief Bayelsans on the state of their finance from the federation account or other sourcesafter three months.

Dickson averred that his government created state anti-corruption bodies and wrote to the ICPC office for partnership, because the burden of sanitizing our institutions (public service) must not beleft with federal bodies alone.

“We want you to mentor our institutions to fight corruption andinculcate good values. If you are looking for one state to elevate the value of leadership, and outlaw corruption we are here.The Governor noted that without the public service reform it would be difficult to stop payroll and employment fraud to allow vacancies for others, he pointed that under his watch wage bill has dropped from N6BN to N4BN but that the figure is still way too high, while submitting that it is worse at the local government level. “What I want to leave is not just good building, but a paradigm shift in governance, pension reforms, re-invigorating institutions, and tobe a reliable guidance of public funds, where every kobo counts.

He posited that the state is below sea level and that cost of infrastructure runs into billions of naira, stressing that the state is building schools, hospital, airports, training institute centresand the roads three senatorial to hit the Atlantic and that is why government is plugging leakages because the state needs funds to complete these projects.

To this end, Dickson inaugurated a committee on certificate the wage bill and review N5m monthly for pensioners, which according to him is unhealthy; stressing that the committee is not set up to witch hunt or punish anybody but to do what is right to move the state forward.

Also, Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson alluded that corruption has to do with individuals, as some persons inculcate the habit from home and society; and advised the need for attitudinal change step down to families. In her remark, the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Kate Abiri said to rid society of corrupt practices is achievable upon the rule of law, stressed the need to strengthen the laws as every Nigerians is subject to the rule of law, speedy dispensation of justice amongst others.

Abiri, however, noted that in Bayelsa the executive arm is concern about the independent of the judiciary and legislature, just as she pointed that corruption should not be restricted to money alone but everything done that is against the rule of law.