WITH the aim of reducing corruption in the civil service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in collaboration with Justice For All (J4A) recently organised a workshop for federal permanent secretaries.
The idea was borne out of the need to put in place mechanism that would prevent corrupt practices in the system. 

Country Manager of J4A, Dr. Bob Arnot in his opening speech at the workshop explained that corruption was prevalent among officials in ministries and agencies, adding that there was an urgent need to highlight these infractions so as to keep the system clean.

“This training is for permanent secretaries and senior staff of MDAs to enlighten them on the role of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Units (ACTUs) established in all the agencies by the ICPC,” said Arnot.
He added that it was also to assist them in the prevention of corruption in the civil service so that they could desist from committing corrupt practices with impunity.

“Even though we cannot eradicate corruption completely, but the point is that we can manage the processes in such a way the menace will be minimized,” he said.

Chairman of ICPC, Ekpo Nta, who was represented by Barnabas Gaji, said that the workshop was aimed at getting the permanent secretaries to buy-in into the ACTUs initiative.

He said: “It is also an opportunity to create a forum to foster increased support and collaboration within the MDAs, ensure greater operational efficiency and help you identify corruption-prone processes.”