Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu, has said the fight against corruption needs collective action and strong partnerships across all sectors in order to achieve success.
He said corruption crisis in the country could not be solved by anti-graft agencies alone but by collaboration among agencies with common interests.
The ICPC boss stated this on Wednesday, at the opening of a three-day International Conference on Anti-Corruption, Transparency and Integrity in Governance at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
The conference is themed: “Strengthening Integrity Systems for Sustainable Development and Public Trust in Nigeria”.
Speaking further, the ICPC boss, who was represented by the director, Special Duty, Prince Hassan Mohamed, told participants, which included investigators, academics, legal practitioners, and professionals from diverse fields, that the fight against corruption must move beyond law enforcement to become a shared national responsibility.
According to him,
“It is an acknowledged fact that lack of integrity and failure in ethical compliance sits at the center of most of the challenges facing the country today.
“It must also be understood that the fight against corruption cannot be won by anti-graft agencies alone.
”It requires collective action and strong partnerships among public institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations, professional bodies, faith-based organisations, the media, the academia, and citizens.”
Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, who declared the conference open, lauded ICPC over its unrelenting efforts at combating corruption in the country.
The governor, who was represented by the commissioner for security and other sundry matters, Baba Usman pledged his support to the anti-graft agency in tackling the menace in the country.
The provost of ACAN, Prof. Ghali Ibrahim, in his address of welcome called for stronger integrity systems and greater transparency in governance.
He described corruption as a major driver of underdevelopment, insecurity, poverty, and declining public trust in Nigeria.
The provost said the theme was carefully selected to address the pressing governance and development challenges facing Nigeria and other African countries.
According to him, the lack of transparency and integrity in governance has contributed significantly to the continent’s developmental setbacks.
