Senate commends ICPC over 2020 budget implementation, commitment to minimizing corruption

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari, has commended the board and management of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for the implementation of the 2020 budget.

According to a statement authorized by the commission’s spokesperson, Mrs. Azuka Agugua, and made available to newsmen, on Sunday in Abuja, Senator Kwari stated this during the Senate Committee oversight visit to assess the Commission’s 2020, and first quarter 2021 budget performance, which also aimed to acquaint them of challenges facing the commission.

He further commended ICPC for the commitment to ensuring that corruption was minimised to the barest minimum in society.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the commission, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, (SAN), outlined the 2020 achievements of the commission to include assets recovery and seizure, prosecution of cases and convictions, assessment of MDAs on the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard, Virtual and physical training programmes among others.

He revealed that many Federal agencies had approached the commission to collaborate in mitigating the spread of corruption in the country including the National Social Investment Office, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), NEPZA, amongst others.

The ICPC boss informed the visitors that the commission was currently focusing on the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), adding that ICPC had just concluded discussions with the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) to look at the oil and gas sector, especially with regard to losses that are coming from there and other areas that would increase revenue generation for the Nigerian economy.

The Director of Finance and Accounts department, Mrs. Victoria Ayeni, later presented a detailed breakdown of the 2020 Budget performance to the committee.

The highlight of the visit was a facilities tour of the Forensics Laboratory and ongoing projects within the commission’s premises.

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