By Dele Ogbodo
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye,
has commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for scoring 81.15 per cent in its 2020 ethical and compliance rating.
ICPC, gave kudos to NCC to sustain its leadership status especially ahead other agencies and parastatals in the 2020 rating.
Owasanoye made the disclosure at the inauguration of NCC’s Anti-corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), at the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja.
He said ACTU is expected to effectively carry out its assigned functions including conducting systems study and review of processes and procedures of the NCC with a view to making appropriate recommendations to block corruption loopholes.
According to him, the unit is also required to conduct continuous sensitization of staff on and against the ills of corruption, implement code of ethics, conduct a corruption risk assessment and preliminary investigations into complaints received amongst others.
The Chairman acknowledged the contribution of NCC in regulating and creating an enabling environment that gives telecom consumers universal access to affordable and equitable service as well as your support to the nation’s economic growth.
He said: “I also commend the efforts of the management of NCC in ensuring high compliance with ethical and integrity standards as seen from the result scored by NCC in the 2020 deployment of the Ethics and Compliance Scorecard (81.15%).”
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In his remark, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, Josephine Amuwa, said ICPC attested to the Commission’s high ethical standards and professionalism as evident in the 2020 ICPC ethics and compliance scorecard report, which placed NCC ahead of other agencies in ratings.
According to him, the Unit is also required to conduct continuous sensitization of staff on and against the ills of corruption, implement code of ethics, conduct a corruption risk assessment and preliminary investigations into complaints received amongst others.
He said ACTU is the initiative of the ICPC, approved by the Federal Government as an in-house mechanism for corruption prevention within MDAs, in line with global best practices of building strong institutions and institutionalising good governance in the fight against corruption.
The EVC said the ICPC’s verdict also lends credence to the 2017 report of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR)-piloted Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) deployed in MDAs, where the NCC came off with a Platinum Level (Exceptional) award, a level 5 organization, the highest rating possible under the BPSR Assessment.
The EVC said NCC will continue to identify corruption-prone processes, practices and procedures within the system with a view to institutionalize compliant and corruption-free processes, adding that the Commission’s efforts are focused on prevention through defined standard operating procedures and adherence to public service rules, circulars, guidelines, among others.
“The ACTU is a very important initiative of the government to combat corruption in MDAs and the Commission recognizes this fact as well as the role of ACTU in this regard,” he said while urging the Commission’s ACTU members to continue to take their role seriously.
He also said management will accord the ACTU team all necessary support to deliver on its mandate of combating corruption through prevention, education and enforcement.