In the course of its anti-corruption activities, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) claims to have recovered $966,900.83 in foreign currency and N29.7 billion in cash.
The funds, it stated, had been put in the commission’s account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
This was revealed by ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu on Tuesday during a news conference held at the commission’s Abuja headquarters to commemorate his first year in office.
Aliyu further disclosed that during the previous year, the commission was able to successfully collect N10 billion in funds related to COVID-19 vaccines.
He stated, “The commission is still working to make sure government funds are used responsibly and to provide long-term projects that benefit Nigerians.” There are a lot of achievements we have made over the past year. Some of these include our strategic action plan, which gives guidance in accordance with the National Anti-Corruption Strategic Plan 2022-2026.”
Aliyu highlighted the commission’s financial recovery efforts, saying, “We recovered N29.7 billion in cash. In addition, we stopped the diversion of N10 billion in COVID-19 vaccine money, which have already been remitted. We also retrieved assets and obtained approximately N2.5 billion in bank recoveries.”
The chairman also disclosed that N5.882 billion in public funds had been kept from being diverted by the ICPC.
Aliyu stated that the commission evaluated 323 ministries, divisions, and agencies (MDAs) using its Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) as part of its endeavors to advance institutional integrity.
To further strengthen its anti-corruption mandate, the ICPC also set up 80 anti-corruption and transparency units among different MDAs.
“The commission stopped the misappropriation of public monies of N5.882 billion. The report on the EICS exercise, which took place earlier this year, is ready and will be made available to the media and the general public,” Aliyu clarified.
Value-Added Tax (VAT) of N10.986 billion was also seized and sent to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) by the ICPC.
The commission handled 851 petitions in the past year, according to Aliyu, of which 342 were assigned for inquiry, 95 were thoroughly investigated, 72 cases were brought in court, and 16 convictions were obtained.
The ICPC’s accomplishments demonstrate the organization’s will to fight corruption and protect public resources for the benefit of Nigerians, the chairman stressed, underscoring its dedication to enhancing accountability and transparency throughout public institutions.
