The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed the interception of $300,000 allocated for a student Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiative. The discovery was made possible through a partnership with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
The ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed the development, emphasizing how collaboration between government agencies is crucial in the fight against corruption.
According to Dr. Aliyu, the BPP flagged irregularities involving funds intended for the ICT program. Upon further investigation, ICPC identified the suspicious account where the funds were being redirected and promptly blocked the illicit transfer.
Dr. Aliyu explained the significance of the joint effort, stating, “It was BPP that gave us an idea because something strange was happening concerning ICT for students. It was then that we had to look properly and make recoveries, blocking $300,000 in one of the accounts, as well as recovering an expensive vehicle.”
Aliyu also explained why his leadership is prioritizing the strengthening of the Commission’s prevention mandate.
As outlined in Section 6 (a-F) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, the ICPC is tasked with three key mandates: enforcement, prevention, and public education/enlightenment.
The ICPC boss further detailed how the synergy with BPP uncovered irregularities related to the fund for ICT students, resulting in the recovery of $300,000 and an expensive vehicle.
“It was the synergy between us and BPP that led to the discovery of a strange thing that was happening in respect to a certain fund earmarked for students in the ICT sector.
“It was then that we had to look properly and make recoveries, blocking $300,000 in one of the accounts, as well as recovering an expensive vehicle,” he added.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Abiodun Fagbemi, SAN, expressed his satisfaction with the event.
Represented by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, he noted that the dialogue offered stakeholders a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss ways to sustain successful anti-corruption initiatives.
He also underscored the need for stronger collaboration among all stakeholders to enhance the preventive approaches of anti-corruption agencies.
Aliyu shared a notable achievement, highlighting the successful partnership between the ICPC and the Bureau of Public Procurement which led to the identification and blocking of $300,000 earmarked for students in the ICT sector.
He remarked, “I am encouraging us across all agencies to open up to one another. This will help us streamline what we are doing. There is no single arm of government, tier of government, or agency that can fight corruption alone, so we need to come together locally, regionally, and internationally to fight corruption.”
