ICPC takes anti-corruption campaign to Borno, Yobe institutions

File photo: ICPC Headquarters, Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has commenced a sensitisation programme aimed at combating corruption among academic and non-academic staff in higher institutions across Borno and Yobe states.

The agency said the initiative will also include enlightening education officers in the states on the modalities for reporting corrupt practices within their schools.

The Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner of the ICPC overseeing Borno and Yobe states, Linus Gubbi, while addressing journalists on Thursday shortly after a workshop organised for staff of Mohammed Goni College of Legal, Islamic and Educational Studies, in Maiduguri, said the initiative would cover all higher institutions in Borno and Yobe states.

He said, “The meeting is part of our efforts to sensitise them to the need to uphold integrity, transparency and accountability in the way they conduct their affairs in the institution as lecturers and officers of the organisation.

“We consider higher institutions for this sensitisation because the main focus of our commission now is prevention and public education and enlightenment.”

He noted that the ICPC intended to use the training to enlighten education staff on the need to uphold good conduct, thereby reducing the number of petitions the agency receives against higher institutions in the states.

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“We want to enlighten the various institutions. Once they are aware of the right thing to do, it will reduce the number of petitions that come to us. It will also help to preserve the little resources they have in their institutions.

“We are taking this initiative to all educational institutions within our reach here in Maiduguri and in Yobe State, as well as other sectors of the economy,” he added.

The Deputy Provost of the Mohammad Goni College of Legal, Islamic and Educational Studies, Muhammad Usman, assured that the institution’s staff would imbibe the lessons from the workshop and put them into use in their day-to-day activities.

He said, “The college needs this kind of sensitisation because many of our staff are not aware of the ICPC Act.

“With this enlightenment, the staff now know better, and I believe that, by God’s grace, they will put into practice what they have learnt in this workshop.”

Usman, however, appealed to the ICPC not to restrict the training to staff but to include students, noting that such knowledge would enhance effectiveness in the academic environment.