The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) have warned civil servants against circumventing procurement processes to enrich themselves.
The warning was given at a two-day integrity innovation lab conference for public servants organized by Accountability Lab Nigeria in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation and Ford Foundation in Abuja.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, represented by Dr. Johnson Eze, urged Nigerians to take ownership of the fight against corruption, emphasizing the need for collective effort to tackle financial corruption.
“Very often, the person who is screaming at the rooftop, the child is the one stabbing somebody in school. We are expecting that one agency will be able to cure every malaise, but I tell you straight up, it is not possible.
That is why if there’s anything that I will, point blank, be saying today, hold your end. Hold your end, your own end, hold it. Then we probably will have a chance to fight corruption.”
ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu, represented by Clifford Oparaodu, emphasized the importance of abiding by established rules to ensure clean financial management.
He challenged civil servants to always abide by the established rules, stating, “There could be clean financial management if we abide by the rules.”
Director General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dasuki Arabi, stressed the need to address gaps in service delivery challenges in the Nigerian public sector.
He noted, “Globally, public service delivery has remained a great challenge, as there is perceived dissatisfaction by citizens on service delivery leading to public mistrust and lack of confidence in the integrity of public officers.”
Country Director, Accountability Lab, Nigeria, Friday Odeh, emphasized the importance of building trust between public servants and citizens, and the need for public servants to prioritize the interest of the people above personal interests.
He stated, “People should not put their personal interest above the interest of the public. Additionally, the Government should proactively disclose information and dealings that will make Nigerians believe and trust them.”
