*Recovers over N20bn pension deduction from ghost workers salaries
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has mapped out a four-year strategic plan (2024-2028) with a view to strengthen the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
Its Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu Adamu (SAN), stated this in Abuja, on Wednesday, at a breakfast meeting with editors selected from media organisations.
Adamu stated that in line with the strategic plan, ICPC would scale up judicial and legislative advocacies, improve technology, effective case management, as well as staff members welfare to achieve its set objectives.
According to him, “The ICPC Strategic Plan 2024-2028 was developed through a rigorous process that commenced with a comprehensive assessment of the 2019-2023 plan performance.
“This evaluation identified key successes, challenges and areas for improvement, informing the strategic direction for the new plan. In collaboration with RoLAC, a two-day retreat was held to validate the new strategy. The retreat encompassed a thorough review of the previous plan, establishing a clear vision, mission and strategic objectives.
“A robust framework was developed, strategic activities were identified which aligned with national and sub-national strategies, and an M&E operational framework was established to ensure effective implementation.
“The four Technical Sub-Committee reports on the 2024-2028 strategy were presented and subsequently integrated into a comprehensive document by the Planning, Research. and Statistics Department.”
Besides, he pointed out that the challenges being faced by the commission include political inference, financial constraints, technological vulnerability, legislative limitations, judicial delay, personnel security, socio-cultural factors and internal conflict of interest.
However, the chairman said identified challenges would be addressed among other things through the National Judicial Council and National Judicial Institute.
The ICPC chairman stated that the commission would conduct sensitisation sessions utilising the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, National Values Curriculum, Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard, and other relevant initiatives. Update ICT infrastructure and provide staff training to adapt to technological advancements.
He added that the agency would advocate for amendments to the ICPC Act to enhance its effectiveness, develop and implement comprehensive conditions of service and enhance retirement benefits to improve staff morale, employ and deploy skilled communicators across multiple channels to enhance public engagement to achieve its mandate.
“Communication Enhancement: Allocate additional funding for radio and television jingles, production of informational materials and expansion of communication channels.”
To achieve the strategic plans, the document said: “The commission has a set of fundamental values that support the implementation of the strategy shared by the board, management and staff. ICPC is unequivocally committed to these values in all its interactions. The acronym of ACTION is adopted.
“Accountability: Upholding the highest standards of professionalism, diligently fulfilling responsibilities in accordance with best practices and demonstrating unwavering commitment to competence and ethical conduct.
“Collaboration: Fostering a culture of teamwork and cooperation, where individuals actively support and complement each other’s efforts to achieve shared objectives.
“Tenacity: Demonstrating unwavering dedication, determination and perseverance in the pursuit of goals, while maintaining efficiency and results-oriented approach.
“Integrity: Acting with impartiality, honesty and transparency, always prioritising public interest and upholding the highest ethical standards.
“Ownership: Taking full responsibility for individual and collective actions, striving for continuous improvement and ensuring the delivery of quality results that meet or exceed established performance standards.
“Nurturing Excellence: Cultivating a culture of continuous learning and development, encouraging innovation and consistently striving for the highest standards of performance and service delivery.”
Adamu emphasised that “For the commission, these values are not just a set of words, but agreed ground rules.”
He listed the achievements of the commission to include the recovery of over N20 billion pension deduction from the salaries of ghost workers in 2024.
Arrest some of those who specialise in inserting names of their cronies into the federal government payroll.
According to him, while deductions for workers’ pension are remitted to Pension Fund Administrators, the same cannot be said for ghost workers’ pension.
“Any deduction made on ghost workers cannot go to any Pension Fund Administrator.
“It will be hanging; so that was the N20 billion recovered.
“We have been able to track and recover this money and we also identified people that are inserting ghost workers into the system.
“We even discovered that somebody put his wife, son and inlaw in the payroll.
“He is a 15-year-old boy. We arrested him.
“These are some of the challenges that we are trying to tackle.
“We don’t want to allow this to happen again,” he said.
Furthermore, the commission succeeded in blocking about N50 billion from being diverted by some public officers in 2023, he noted.
Adamu, while seeking the support of the media to achieve the ongoing anti-graft war, said the commission will ensure that “we share verified information through reports, newsletters and press releases on our website and social media.
“Last year, we had an event where we unveiled the Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028.
” Our strategic action plan is in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
“We would always be proactive in making sure that we don’t allow certain things to happen so that we don’t go chasing shadows,” he said.
The chairman, however, advocated a review of the laws to make corruption less attractive in Nigeria.
He called on Nigerians to stop celebrating corrupt people.
Adamu pledged to transform the commission into a leading anti-graft agency, pointing out that “Our partnership with the Nigerian Union of Journalists and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations has greatly improved our anti-corruption communication and public engagement efforts.
“We salute your commitment to the crusade against corruption and our successful efforts in 2024.
“We believe that our combined professional integrity would lead us to achieve more in our mandate of mass mobilisation against corrupt practices in Nigeria,” he said.
On her part, Director of News, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Hussaina Akila, who gave the closing address at the breakfast meeting with editors, commended the ICPC chairman for initiating the forum and pledged the media’s support to the commission’s anti-graft war.
