By Chinelo Obogo
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has earned praise from the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The ICPC commended the NCAA for fully following its rules on Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) in government agencies.
Mr Olusegun Adigun, Director of the System Study and Review Department at ICPC, spoke at a recent induction ceremony for NCAA’s ACTU team in Abuja. He said NCAA’s compliance is a model for others.
“NCAA’s compliance with the agency’s standard is one that should be emulated by all government agencies,” he noted. The 12-member ACTU team, called NCAA ambassadors, was set up last December to prevent corruption within the agency.
NCAA Director General, Captain Chris Najomo, called the ICPC’s praise a big step forward. “We are delighted to receive this report of complete compliance with the ICPC standing order. It shows the NCAA is on the right track to meeting its set objectives of aligning the operations of the agency to meet the best financial operating standards globally,” he said. He added that this will push them to keep improving financial dealings, operations, and oversight until all gaps are closed.
Ms Bukola Aduragbemi Teriba, Head of NCAA ACTUs and Lagos Regional Manager, shared her joy. “The team is pleased with the good news. It shows the tireless efforts we put in to ensure we meet the best financial operating standard in the NCAA have yielded the desired result,” she said. She aims to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) goals.
The ICPC started its Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) in 2019. It checks transparency in government bodies yearly. The initiative fights corruption, measures integrity, and boosts innovation and productivity in agencies’ systems and operations.