THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has inaugurated the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) set up by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) since 2001 when the circular was sent.

The Apex Bank set up an eight-man committee for the new Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit as one of ICPC’s mechanisms for prohibition and prevention of corruption especially in the Public Service established in 2001.

The new ACTU Chairman, Chukwuemeka Ohadiagha, in his acceptance speech, expressed gratitude for being appointed and pledged to put in his best in order to ensure that the apex bank performs its duties with transparency.

Along with Ohadiagha, Salawa Zainab was appointed as the secretary; Joy Nduka, Abdullahi B. IOdah E. G and Ekaete Akpan among others are members of the unit.

During the inauguration in Abuja on Wednesday, the ICPC Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, represented by Ifeanyi Obialor of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the ICPC, commended the leadership of CBN for taking a bold step in the anti-corruption drive of President Muhammadu Buhari administration by subscribing into the ACTU initiative of the commission.

Owasanoye commended the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for facilitating the inauguration of an anti-corruption unit in the apex bank.

He said the Commission is aware that CBN has a mission to be proactive in providing a stable framework for managing the financial sector.

“You may agree with me that this lofty goal cannot be achieved under an opaque or corrupt environment. ACTU would assist both ICPC and CBN to combat corrupt practices through in-house corruption prevention activities such as system study; preliminary investigation and enlightenment campaigns”, he added.

The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, represented by Abdullahi Bappa Ahmed, Director, Governor’s Department, during his opening remarks said that the Apex bank is always ready to key into the federal government’s policies and programmes at all times.

He said as a monitoring institution that helps the economy to grow, CBN is always willing and capable of handling all federal government policies and programmes, especially where corruption is involved.

Lukman ABOLADE

Investigative Reporter at International Centre for Investigative Reporting | Author Page

Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94