AT least four officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have been dismissed by the management of the Commission for various disciplinary offences ranging from insubordination to compromise of investigation, The ICIR can report.

Eighteen officials of the Commission in a document sighted by our correspondent had been sanctioned by the antigraft agency.

The document dated August 20, 2019, was issued by Lodam S, DC (Human Resources Management) at the ICPC and was titled “Decision of the Commission on Disciplinary Cases”.

The cases for which disciplinary actions were taken against the erring officials included, immoral and unruly behaviour, violation of oath of secrecy, refusal to take or carry out lawful instruction from superior officer, negligence, deliberate delay in treating official document, receipt of unlawful allowance, compromising investigation, dishonesty and refusal to go on transfer.

While the document said some of the affected officials were investigated and exonerated of the misconduct brought against them, five of them were either dismissed or have their appointments terminated.

The affected officials were either demoted, suspended without pay, warned or exonerated.

Some of those dismissed included Celsus Ukpong whose misconducts were refusal to proceed on transfer or to accept posting, absence from duty without leave and other conducts unbecoming of a public officer.

Recall that Ukpong, a former staff of the Commission was re-deployed to the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) on an ad-hoc basis.

According to the Commission, Ukpong who had been re-deployed alongside five other ICPC staff to serve with the SPIP in 2017, and was dismissed after due disciplinary procedure had been adhered to.

The ICPC internal memo showed that he had had a history of committing official misdemeanours – one of which was that he was recalled along with other officers from the SPIP but only he did not comply.

Ukpong was later posted to one ICPC state office in an administrative exercise that involved many other officers in December 2018 and was paid his due relocation allowance which he collected but still did not report to the headquarters nor to the new location of posting.

Also, Gloria Elit was dismissed by the Commission for compromising investigation and other act unbecoming of a public officer, while Ayobami Adepoju’s appointment with the Commission was terminated for insubordination, false claim against a government official, unauthorised disclosure of official information.

Saidu Ali was also dismissed for dishonesty and other act unbecoming of a public officer. The document said Ali whose dismissal was from July 2, 2019, would be handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.

Iroha Kalu Collins was demoted from Grade Level 15 to Grade Level 13 with effect from June 10, 2019, for dishonesty and refusal to carry out lawful instruction from superior officers. In his case, S.P Binga was sanctioned with the reduction in salary step to the first step for compromising investigation.