Five (5) Reasons that Justify the Establishment of ICPC in Nigeria

INTRO: The rationale behind the creation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is for investigation, prosecution and prevention of corruption in the public offices in Nigeria towards achieving a Nigeria free from all forms of corruption. The anti-graft institution is a strategy for conscious state actions in the implementation of international conventions against corruption, such as the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), and also an approach to laundering the shameful image of  Nigeria as a "fantastically corrupt country".  President Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo inaugurated the Commission which prides herself as the apex anti-graft institution in Nigeria, on September 29, 2000 after the Commission was established by the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000 signed into law on June 13, 2000.  The ICPC establishment Act features among other things independence of the Commission, powers of the officers of the Commission, and the duties and responsibilities of the Commission. These provisions in the Act speak volumes about the reasons for establishing the Commission, as well as their functions by the Federal Government of Nigeria. 

In this discussion, the identifiable reasons according to the ICPC Act of June 13, 2000 that justify the establishment of ICPC in Nigeria are as follows:

 

1. Receiving and Investigating Complaints against Corrupt Persons in Nigeria: First and foremost, ICPC was established for receiving and launching investigations into complaints and allegations of corruption in Nigeria.  To that effect, the Commission kept open lines of communication including these toll-free lines: 0803-123-0280, 0803-123-0281, 0803-123-0282, 0705-699-0190, 0705-699-0191 and 0800-CALL-ICPC (0800-2255-4272), for complaints by the Nigerian public against corrupt persons in both private and administrative circles, and for whistle-blowing the whereaboutsof wanted persons. The ICPC investigates and verifies such complaints for prosecution. In the instance where the suspect is on the run, he or she is declared wanted and the mugshots would be posted on the ICPC website.

 

2.     Preventing Corruption: Proactively, ICPC was created because of the imperatives of prevention of corruption in Nigeria. This is a way of saying that a mission to a corrupt-free is also approached via preventive measures. Prevention they say, is better than cure. The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission proactively identifies corruption-prone systems especially in the administrative circles and supervise the implementation of measures for corrections. The practice of examining and identifying lax administrative systems is called System Study. In one of their routine system studies of Ministries, Departments and Parastatals (MDAs), ICPC studied the Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna, and found the establishing Act of the institution wanting about issues including how the college is to be governed and tenure of the officers of the institution. 

 

3.     Prosecuting Corrupt Officials and Individuals in Nigeria: The prosecution role of the ICPC is also known as the enforcement role. This prosecution role however is provided by the ICPC Act to must have to only be done by the consent of the Attorney General of the Federation, and that the Chief Judge of a state or the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) shall designate the judges to hear the corruption cases. Today, there are two of such judges in each state of the Federation, and FCT. In the recent times in one of their prosecutions, ICPC approached the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja against one Mr Apeh Samuel Akogu of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing who allegedly collected a corrupt gift of 820,000 Naira from a contractor to help him in facilitation of his payment from the Ministry. The Court acquitted the accused saying that the gift was not collected while he discharged his official duties.  The dissatisfied ICPC approached the Court of Appeal, and the judgement was quashed, in which the accused was sentenced to 7 years with an option of fine, and mandate of restitution.

 

4.     Ensuring Sustainable Campaigns against Corruption and other Related Offences in the Country: Corruption in Nigeria has deep roots so that a sustained campaign is germane in dismantling it. The truth is that even those without records of corruption in Nigeria are potentially corrupt. This shows that values need to be fundamentally reorientated. The establishment of ICPC makes certain the sustainability of campaigns against corruption. In this regard, Public Enlightenment and Education Department (PEED) is part of the ICPC. This Department has in performance of their duties established School of Anti-Corruption Clubs (SACs) to enlighten the younger generations and enlist them into the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

 

5.     Enlisting the People in the Fight against Corruption: The ubiquity of corruption in Nigeria suggests the need for massive participation of the people in the fight against it. This is needful also as corruption tends to fight back when one fights it. Popular power in this regard becomes imperative in combating corruption in Nigeria. In this regard, ICPC was established in order to facilitate the enlistment of Nigerians in achieving a Nigeria free from all forms of corruption.