By Chimezie Godfrey
The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, OFR, has revealed that the Commission has recovered over N117bn between January and August 2022.
Professor Owasanoye made the disclosure before the House of Representatives’ committees on Anti-Corruption and Appropriation during the Commission’s defense of the 2023 Budget Proposal in Abuja.
While speaking on the 2022 budget performance, the Chairman gave a breakdown of the recoveries to include N1.413bn and $225,965 in ICPC/TSA recovery account and N1.264bn cash through tax intervention.
Other recoveries include plots of land, completed buildings, vehicles, electronics and jewelries valued at N679.13m, N2.603bn, N81.1m, N1.55m and N195,500 respectively.
The ICPC boss added that the Commission restrained N49.9bn through System Study and Review intervention; N6.435bn cash through budget tracking; N53.91bn through ICPC advisory and N614.2m in other accounts.
Apart from the recoveries, the Chairman also highlighted other accomplishments of the Commission during the 2022 budget cycle to include but not limited to completion of 672 investigations as well as 565 non-petition-led investigations; securing of 15 convictions; 538 projects tracked under Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI); deployment of Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard on 260 MDAs; Review of Open Treasury Portal in 30 MDAs; System Study and Review of 10 MDAs; inauguration of 26 Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs); 14 Corruption Monitoring activities undertaken; and public enlightenment and education of Nigerians on and against corruption through various platforms.
Making his contribution during the budget defense, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Honourable Nicholas Garba Shehu, lauded the ICPC Chairman and his board members for providing dynamic and visionary leadership, noting that their leadership style has completely turned around the fortunes of the Commission to a vibrant and viable anti-corruption agency.
Honourable Garba enjoined them not to drop the ball but to continue to soar higher.
He therefore called on the Federal Government to release the remnant of the Commission’s 2022 budget to enable it to accomplish its target.
The Committee chairman also urged ICPC to develop a whistleblowing mobile app so that Nigerians can take advantage of it to report acts of corruption wherever they are.
