The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been ordered to deal with heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies MDAs and other personnel involved in project racketeering, budget, and payroll padding as well as ”ghost workers retention.”
President Muhammadu Buhari gave this order at the opening of the 3rd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector in Abuja. The theme of the summit was: “Corruption and Cost of Governance: New Imperatives for Fiscal Transparency.”
Buhari said that ICPC investigations had revealed to the government, situations where some MDAs present new projects as ongoing, thereby bypassing his administration’s plan to reducing the cost of governance.
His words: “Necessary action and sanctions should be taken against the heads of such errant MDAs. I am confident that ICPC will continue to maintain the vigilance required of her by the ICPC Act in this regard.
“We reduced the cost of governance by maintaining our promise to complete abandoned or ongoing projects commenced by previous administrations and have ensured that MDAs do not put forward new capital projects at the expense of ongoing projects.
“Government has, however, noted from the activities of the ICPC that some MDAs have devised the fraudulent practice of presenting new projects as ongoing projects.
“I am however delighted that the Legislative and Judicial arms of government are also under focus on managing the cost of government because the government is collective and is not the business of the Executive branch alone.”
The President also said he was happy to see some public officers have continued to demonstrate the core values of ethics, integrity, and patriotism as well as being identified for their sterling anti-corruption disposition in their workplace.
