The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has urged the newly inaugurated South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to make integrity, transparency and accountability the foundation of its operations, saying strong governance structures established from inception are critical to preventing corruption.
According to an official statement signed by the ICPC Head of Media and Public Communications, J. Okor Odey, Dr. Aliyu made the call during the Commission’s induction programme for the SSDC Board and Management in Abuja.
He described the induction as a unique opportunity for the Commission to build a culture of accountability before institutional weaknesses take root, stressing that preventive measures are more effective than corrective reforms.
“Institutions do not become corrupt overnight. Corruption germinates from minor concessions, ambiguous boundaries, and frail internal controls. The institutions that endure are those that deliberately cultivate integrity as their foundational ethos,” he said.
The ICPC Chairman noted that the South-South Development Commission has the advantage of starting with a clean slate, unlike older institutions that have had to introduce reforms after years of entrenched practices.
He explained that the Commission’s induction focused on ICPC’s statutory mandate of prevention, enforcement and public education under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, while emphasizing that corruption prevention remains the most sustainable strategy.
“No nation can prosecute its way out of corruption. Enduring success resides in prevention,” Dr. Aliyu stated.
Participants were taken through the legal and governance framework of the South-South Development Commission, with emphasis on accountability, transparency, integrity and stewardship. The training also highlighted the distinction between governance and management responsibilities, which the ICPC Chairman identified as a common source of institutional conflict when improperly handled.
The induction further examined corruption risk areas associated with development commissions, including procurement processes, project selection, human resource management, financial administration, community engagement and political interference.
To underscore the consequences of weak institutional controls, Dr. Aliyu cited recent ICPC investigations, including the forfeiture of land allocated for a 962-unit National Housing Fund housing estate after about ₦14 billion was expended without any buildings being constructed. He also referenced the ongoing recovery of nearly ₦942 million paid to 908 ghost workers uncovered through investigations into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
As part of efforts to strengthen the new Commission, the ICPC Chairman outlined preventive tools available to the SSDC, including the establishment of an Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), corruption risk assessments, systems study and review mechanisms, ethics education programmes and sustained compliance monitoring.
He also proposed a five-pillar partnership between the ICPC and the SSDC covering integrity assessments, institutional capacity building, operational support for ACTU, compliance oversight and public engagement.
Dr. Aliyu concluded that the South-South Development Commission’s legacy would ultimately be measured not by the volume of funds it receives or projects it executes, but by the integrity, transparency and accountability with which it manages public resources and earns the confidence of the people of the South-South region.
