The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), has raised alarm over governance failures, greed, and institutional weaknesses that continue to drive corruption across Nigeria's public service. Speaking at the 11th Induction Programme for Chief Executive Officers, Chairmen, and Members of Governing Boards of Federal Government parastatals, agencies, and commissions in Abuja, Aliyu declared that anti-corruption efforts would fail if public institutions relied solely on arrests and prosecution without strengthening preventive mechanisms.
Prevention Over Enforcement
Presenting a paper titled “The Role of the ICPC in the Prevention of Corrupt Practices in the Public Service,” the ICPC chairman stressed that corruption thrives where ethical leadership, accountability systems, and compliance structures are weak. “Enforcement alone will not solve the problem of corruption. Prevention must be pursued in equal measure. We need to look inwards,” he said.
Aliyu revealed that a 2025 study conducted by the Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre across 11 African countries found that greed and lack of integrity accounted for nearly 50 per cent of corruption cases uncovered in public institutions. According to him, the findings highlighted deep institutional vulnerabilities that must be urgently addressed through reforms and stricter compliance measures.
Anti-Corruption Tools Deployed
He listed several anti-corruption tools already deployed by the ICPC to curb systemic abuses in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs), Systems Study and Review exercises, Corruption Risk Assessments, and ethics education programmes. The ICPC boss also warned public officials against violating statutory regulations guiding government operations, noting that procurement-related offences remain among the most common corruption cases handled by anti-graft agencies.
Boardroom Interference
He specifically cautioned governing boards against interfering in the administrative responsibilities of chief executives, saying the growing overlap between policy oversight and operational management was creating governance conflicts within federal institutions. Aliyu further emphasised strict adherence to key regulatory frameworks such as the ICPC Act, Public Procurement Act, Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
Referencing the Supreme Court judgment in Comptroller General of Customs and Others v. Gusau (2017), he described Public Service Rules as constitutionally binding instruments crucial for promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct in government institutions.
Event Highlights
In a statement by the spokesman of the commission, J. Okor Odey said the event also featured top government officials, including the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who urged public sector leaders to embrace technology and innovation in service delivery. Representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Minister of Information and National Orientation also raised concerns over persistent clashes between boards and management teams in federal agencies.
The induction programme, coordinated by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms under the leadership of Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, is aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and effective governance in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Call for Integrity
In his closing remarks, Aliyu charged public officeholders to recognise the strategic importance of leadership integrity in restoring public confidence in government institutions. “The ICPC remains committed to partnering with public institutions in building a culture of integrity, accountability, transparency and efficiency in the Nigerian public service,” he stated.
