THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured 16 convictions and tracked 1,500 projects valued at N610 billion in one year.
The ICPC chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, a senior advocate, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday, December 17, during his first anniversary in office.
He said that in the past year, the commission processed 851 petitions, fully investigated 95 cases, and filed 72 cases in court, securing 16 convictions.
In his speech at the occasion titled “The ICPC and The Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria: An Account of My One Year in Office,” Aliyu noted that the commission revived cases that had been dormant for a decade to ensure justice.
He added that the agency recovered over N29.7 billion in cash and made significant progress in tracking government projects nationwide.
The ICPC chair said the commission also recovered N10.986 billion in value-added tax (VAT) and remitted it to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)
Besides, the commission recovered N10 billion meant for COVID-19 vaccine production and returned it to the treasury. It also recovered another $966,900.83 in foreign currency which it kept in its account at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The chairman noted that the commission finalised the forfeiture of assets valued at N2.5 billion and blocked the diversion of public funds amounting to N5.8 billion.
“We are not just focused on enforcement but also prevention,” Aliyu stated, adding that “Our collaboration with key stakeholders ensures a holistic approach to tackling corruption.”
In his keynote address, the commissioner of Sierra Leone’s anti-corruption commission (ACC), Francis Kaifala, called for a regional action to fight corruption in Africa.
Kaifala said Nigeria’s efforts to combat corruption inspired other African countries to enhance their legal framework against the menace.
According to him, corruption has a huge negative impact on Africa, with the continent losing $88.6 billion annually to corruption, and a whopping $2 trillion to bribery alone. He attributed the figures to reports by the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), respectively.
Other guests at the event, were the director-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Ike Neliaku, the chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, and the chairman of the Body of Benchers, Adegboyega Awomolo.
The ICIR reported that President Bola Tinubu appointed Aliyu. a former attorney general and commissioner for justice, Jigawa State, as the new ICPC boss in October 2023.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance