The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, has revealed that over N13bn of public funds were diverted in September 2024 alone.
He revealed this on Wednesday at the launch of the Commission’s 2024-2028 Strategic Action Plan (SAP).
He added that this recovery is part of its tireless efforts towards achieving the mandate of the commission.
He also stated that the commission has escalated efforts to expand the reach of the anti-corruption campaign by actively engaging citizens, civil society and the media in response to findings from the third National Corruption Survey.
In his words, ” a key part of this initiative is our upcoming EthicsPod digital community, designed to foster a culture of transparency and accountability across public offices and everyday life nationwide.
“These efforts are part of a comprehensive strategy, forming the backbone of our SAP 2024-2028, which builds on our past achievements and charts a clear part for the future.
“This SAP, in line with our ‘CARE for Impact’ initiative provides a comprehensive roadmap for achieving our goals over the next five years. It aligns with key national policies such as the Nigeria Agenda 2050, the National Anti-corruption Strategy 2022-2026/and the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, among others.”
Aliyu assured Nigerians that ICPC would continue to strengthen its institutional integrity and widen collaborations with other stakeholders.
In a remark, Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, while insisting that the fight against corruption remains a pillar of the present administration’s agenda, noted that the government recognized corruption as the ”cancer that eats away the fabrics of the society, undermines trust, weakens institutions and hampers the progress of the country.”
Fagbemi, while assuring the stakeholders of the ministry’s support by providing the necessary legal framework, resources and guidance to see that the objectives of the action were fully met, added that the launching of this SAP is timely and necessary as it represents a clear road map for the Commission to strengthen its operations, enhance transparency and widen collaboration with stakeholders at all levels of government and private sector.