LEADERSHIP
In one year, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC) has intercepted and recovered the sum of N30 billion meant for constituency projects.
The anti-graft agency made the recoveries from items listed in the budget which were reportedly diverted by some lawmakers.
They were uncovered under the Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI) phase 7, 2024 which was carried out between December 2023 and December 2024.
The initiative, which was launched in 2015, tracks the implementation and performance of constituency projects to promote accountability.
The focus areas are education, empowerment and capacity building, health, water resources, agriculture, road infrastructure, and power.
Of the total project value of N610 billion, the ICPC saved N30 billion, recovered N360 million in cash and assets worth N400 million.
In the area of Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), which is a yearly programme of the ICPC, it rated the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) as the lead in its 2024 assessment.
While JAMB achieved 89.75 per cent compliance, the NRC attained 89.33 per cent and NBET 88.73 per cent.
These were part of the ICPC report released during a press conference on Thursday, detailing the assessment of 330 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the country to evaluate their ethical standards, anti-corruption measures, and governance practices.
The assessment focused on key ndicators such as governance and executive management practices, finance and auditing processes, as well as policies, ethics education, and whistle-blowing mechanisms.
The report also showed that the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria Press Council (NPC), Legal Aid Council (LAC), Abuja, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), and Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Abuja, scored zero points in the evaluation – which implied non-compliance.
Similarly, tertiary schools such as the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia State; Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation (FFM) in Mando, Kaduna State; Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State; Federal Polytechnic Ede (FPE) in Ede, Osun State, and the University of Ibadan (UI) in Ibadan, Oyo State, were also among those at the bottom of the list.
ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, while briefing the press, said the EICS was designed to enhance the transparency, accountability, and integrity of government institutions, ultimately contributing to the fight against corruption.
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