From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) said it’s working with anti-graft agencies to ensure transparent and corrupt-free process in the pilgrimage services.
Celestine Toruka, Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations, NCPC, in a statement noted that the Executive Secretary of NCPC, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, stated this when he played host to officials of the independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission, (ICPC) in Abuja.
Bishop Adegbite informed the ICPC officials that he has the mandate to change the face of Christian pilgrimage in Nigeria, hence he won’t condone any act that will tarnish the image of the Commission within and outside the country.
He reiterated that the Commission would always partner with anti-corruption agencies because they are partners in progress, emphasizing the need for people to be committed and diligent in their work so they could earn legitimate earnings, stating that there is no place for a lazy person.
He said: “We want a country where we will be corrupt free, where people work and earn a living. There’s the need for due diligence to be religiously adhered to in the Commission. So, we must observe due diligence in our engagements with pilgrims, service providers and other partners.”
Earlier, the leader of the delegation who is also the Director System Study and Review Department, ICPC, Mr Olusegun Adigun, informed the NCPC boss that they were in the Commission for an advocacy visit, and to brief the Executive Secretary of the mandate of ICPC vis-a-vis the functions of ACTU.
He explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the Act setting up Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) in Ministries, Departments and Agencies in 2001, and about 600 MDAs have established ACTU units in their organizations.
He commended NCPC for setting up an ACTU unit, expressing the need to have a functional ACTU unit in the Commission, stating that the current ACTU unit in NCPC is not functional enough.
He further explained that ACTU”s mandate includes; system study, public enlightenment on ills of corruption, and members are to attend and act as observer at meetings of JSC/SSc and tenders board of MDA/s and carry out periodic system review to identify and block all corruption prone loopholes, and that ACTU is also empowered to carry out all the mandates of ICPC, except prosecution.
Mr. Adigun, thus solicited the cooperation of the Executive Secretary to strengthen ACTU to function effectively in the Commission.

Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer