The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, has revealed that the Commission recovered over N117 billion between January and August.
Owasanoye disclosed this before the House of Representatives’ Committees on Anti-corruption and Appropriation, during the Commission’s defence of the 2023 budget proposal in Abuja, according to a statement yesterday by its spokesperson, Mrs Azuka Ogugua.
She quoted the Chairman as saying this while giving a breakdown of the 2022 budget performance, and the recoveries include N1.413billion and $225,965 in ICPC/TSA recovery account and N1.264billion cash through tax intervention.
Other recoveries included plots of land, completed buildings, vehicles, electronics and jewelleries valued at N679.13 million, N2.603 billion, N81.1 million, N1.55 million and N195,500.
Owasanoye added that the Commission restrained N49.9 billion through System Study and Review intervention; N6.435 billion cash through budget tracking; N53.91 billion through ICPC advisory and N614.2 million in other accounts.
Securing 15 convictions; 538 projects tracked under Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI); deployment of Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard on 260 MDAs; and review of Open Treasury Portal in 30 MDAs were also accomplished.
Apart from the recoveries, the Chairman also highlighted other accomplishments of the Commission during the 2022 budget cycle to include the completion of 672 investigations and 565 non-petition-led investigations.
“Securing 15 convictions; 538 projects tracked under Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI); deployment of Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard on 260 MDAs; and review of Open Treasury Portal in 30 MDAs were also accomplished.
“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,” were further performed.
Making his contribution during the budget defence, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Nicholas Garba Shehu, lauded the ICPC and its board members for providing dynamic and visionary leadership.
Shehu noted that their leadership style has completely turned around the fortunes of the Commission to a vibrant and viable anti-corruption agency.
He enjoined them not to drop the ball but to continue to soar higher, and called on the Federal Government to release the remnant of the commission’s 2022 budget, to enable it to accomplish its target.
The Committee’s chairman also urged ICPC to develop a whistleblowing mobile app so that Nigerians could take advantage of it to report acts of corruption wherever they were.
