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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged the South-East Attorneys General to intensify the fight against corruption in the region.
The ICPC chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, made the call during a roundtable engagement with state Attorneys General of the South East zone yesterday in Enugu.
The event had as its theme, “Strengthening Subnational Synergies For Corruption Prevention: Advancing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in Nigeria’s South-East Region.”
Aliyu noted that the synergy between the ICPC and the state Attorneys General was not just desirable, but essential for a robust and effective anti-corruption architecture.
He disclosed that the engagement was designed to be dynamic platform for frank discussions, sharing insights and collaboratively devising approaches that were tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities within each region.
“As the chief law officers of your respective states, you hold a pivotal position in the justice system.
“Your offices are not merely conduits for legal advice, but are vanguards of justice, protectors of public interest and key partners in fostering good governance.
“We recognise the immense responsibilities that rest on your shoulders, and we believe that by working together, we can achieve far more than by working in silos.
“Our objective is to forge stronger partnerships, share best practices and develop a common front against the hydra-headed monster of corruption,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC boss explained that the commission has had productive sessions with other Attorneys General in the South-South and North Central geopolitical zones, adding that they were keen to replicate that success in the South East.
“It provided an invaluable forum for stakeholders to share experiences, articulate challenges and brainstorm sustainable solutions in our collective anti-corruption efforts,” he stressed.
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Speaking, the Enugu State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kingsley Udeh, added that the engagement’s focus was to strengthen partnership between the ICPC and the various five South East states toward ending corruption in the zone.
He further said the event offered him the opportunity to point out the importance of prevention of corruption rather than investigation and prosecution of corrupt individuals.
“Enugu State has good practices that were institutionalised on preventing corruption, which helped the state minimise corruption to a large extent.
“We have strengthened our institutions and governance processes to the extent that we do not collect revenue by cash. We use electronic platform, which has boosted our internally generated revenue,” he said.
On his part, the Ebonyi State Attorney General, Mr Ben Odoh, said the initiative gave them the opportunity to have a memorandum of understanding between the ICPC and the South East states through their chief law officers.
He said the partnership would help to step down the initiative of the ICPC at the sub-national level, as it would curb the incessant invitation of top government officials, which he noted, distract them in their businesses and governance.
“But if the attorneys general are given the opportunity to get petitions and then work with the ICPC, those corruption issues will be solved and handled at the state level.
“So, it is a very good development and we are ready to go with the idea,” Odoh said
In a goodwill message, Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Emmanuel Udende, described the initiative as timely and strategic.
He commended the ICPC for its consistency in pushing the boundaries of institutional reform, integrity building and corruption prevention.
“This roundtable is yet another bold and commendable step in decentralising the fight against corruption and fostering synergy between federal and state actors,” he stressed.
