The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has outlined five key thematic areas to tackle corruption and enhance fiscal transparency in Nigeria’s local government administration.
This initiative was announced on Thursday during the launch of ICPC’s Accountability and Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Governments in Nigeria (ACPP-LG).
In his address, ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, emphasized the urgency of tackling corruption at the local government level and ensuring financial transparency. He highlighted that the ACPP-LG reform was driven by a Supreme Court ruling affirming financial autonomy for local governments.
Dr Aliyu stated that the ICPC was committed to enforcing compliance with anti-corruption laws and fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and efficiency, stressing that “The ACPP-LG is designed to strengthen local councils’ financial management, governance standards, and proactive disclosure”.
According to him, “Our key objectives include ensuring transparency in local government operations, facilitating proactive disclosure of financial and administrative activities, enhancing public communication and citizen engagement, training officials on ethical governance, leveraging technology for transparency, promoting collaboration with civil society and development partners, establishing monitoring mechanisms, fostering inclusivity, and encouraging sustainable development practices”.
To achieve these objectives, the Commission has identified five thematic areas: Fiscal Transparency, Open Procurement, Human Resources, Corruption Control, and Citizens’ Engagement.
His words, “By focusing on these areas, we aim to strengthen governance structures, enhance service delivery, and restore public trust in local governments. The ICPC will deploy its investigative, prosecutorial, and regulatory functions to ensure compliance. This includes legislative enforcement, periodic audits, and oversight mechanisms to identify and rectify non-compliance”.
Dr. Aliyu while appealing to state governments to support local councils in implementing the ACPP-LG reform without administrative obstacles, noted that the Commission would leverage technology and social media to mobilize citizens in the fight against corruption while ensuring grassroots participation.
The ICPC Chairman furthermore, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to prosecuting cases of fund diversion at the local government level.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Udende, represented by Committee member Senator Yaro Anthony Siyako, described the ACPP-LG reform as a timely and crucial initiative for ensuring efficiency and transparency in local government administration.
Senator Siyako who reiterated the National Assembly’s support for local government autonomy and called for the prudent and transparent use of allocated resources, opined that “As lawmakers, we are committed to enacting and strengthening legislation that promotes accountability, transparency, and good governance at all levels.
According to him, “The Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes will work tirelessly to support policies that guarantee the responsible management of public funds, ensuring that allocations meant for local governments translate into real development for the people”.
He further emphasized that the National Assembly would remain vigilant in ensuring that local governments are held accountable for service delivery, poverty alleviation, and overall development through its oversight functions.
Commending the ICPC, he noted that the ACPP-LG initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) and acts as a proactive measure to prevent unethical practices that could hinder grassroots development.
“The ICPC’s development of Assessment Variables and Corruption Prevention Tools will equip local governments with mechanisms to strengthen transparency, deter corruption, and foster good governance. This initiative will go a long way in building trust in our governance institutions and ensuring that every naira allocated to local governments is used for its intended purpose,” he added.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Prince Kayode Moshood Akiolu, emphasized that one of the primary obstacles to the effectiveness of local governments had been their financial dependence on state governments. However, with the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming full financial autonomy for local governments, this challenge would be resolved.
His words, “The only major foreseeable obstacle to local governments becoming hubs of development is corruption. This is why the ICPC’s rollout of the Accountability and Corruption Prevention Programme for local governments is a crucial step in instilling a culture of accountability and corruption prevention,”.
In their goodwill messages, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, M.B Abubakar, and other key stakeholders lauded the ACPP-LG initiative.
They emphasized that the initiative aligns with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and would significantly promote transparency, accountability, good governance and development at the grassroots level.
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