By Nkechi Eze
In a bid to strengthen transparency and accountability at the grassroots level, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced a two-day capacity-building workshop for principal officers of local government councils in Akwa Ibom State. The workshop, held through the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the Commission’s training and research arm is in collaboration with the Foundation for Transparency and Accountability (FTA), a non-governmental organisation, and with the support of the Akwa Ibom State Government.
Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this in Abuja, stating that the training was specifically tailored to equip local government officials with the knowledge and tools to identify and mitigate corruption risks within their administrative domains. Demola Bakare, the commission’s spokesperson in an official signed statement disclosed that Dr. Aliyu, who was represented by the Director of the Commission’s Systems Study and Review Department, Mr. Olusegun Adigun, fsi, emphasised the significance of the workshop in preventing institutional pitfalls and entrenched practices that could compromise the integrity of local governance.
“In order to avoid both internal and external pitfalls as principal officers of the Akwa Ibom State Local Government Areas, a gathering of this nature will avail you ample opportunity to share ideas, experiences and strategies on how to handle issues, particularly institutionalized internal practices that are traps, set to make you complicit in future corrupt practices,” Adigun said on behalf of the ICPC boss.
The Commission also used the occasion to highlight the launch of its Accountability and Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Government (ACPP-LG), a strategic initiative designed in response to the constitutional financial autonomy now accorded to Nigeria’s third tier of government. The ACPP-LG is aimed at ensuring proactive disclosure of information and full compliance with transparency benchmarks in local government operations and decision-making.
Dr. Aliyu noted that the initiative also features robust citizen engagement components, intended to foster public trust and facilitate continuous participation in local governance. “ACPP-LG has a robust citizen engagement component, which will enhance the effective communication of the local government activities to the public, fostering trust and understanding as well as active and continuous public participation in governance and decision-making,” he stated.
He, however, cautioned that while the Commission is focused on prevention, it remains committed to its enforcement mandate and will not hesitate to prosecute any local government official found guilty of corruption-related offences.
Speaking on behalf of local government officials in the state, the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Akwa Ibom State chapter, Dr. Uwemedimo Udo, lauded the Commission for its proactive approach to fighting corruption through education and capacity development. He assured that the knowledge gained from the workshop would be applied across all local councils in the state.
“We do not trivialize this training at all. This is due to the multi-faceted impact of corruption bedeviling our country. This is the reason why all of us are here, so we can be trained and retrained on how we can help tackle corruption at the grassroots level. We are therefore ready to ensure that we practice what we would be taught here,” Dr. Udo said.
Participants at the workshop included ALGON leadership, local government chairmen, legislative council leaders, heads of service, directors of finance, and other senior officials drawn from all 31 local government councils of Akwa Ibom State.
