The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday in Abuja inaugurated an Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) in the Voice of Nigeria.

Mr Abbia Udofia, the Director, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department of ICPC performed the ceremony on behalf of the commission’s Chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, at the VON headquarters.

ACTU was initiated by ICPC in collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation in 2001 to check corrupt practices in ministries, departments and agencies.

Its functions include monitoring, identifying and addressing lapses in the operational system of government establishments.

Owasanoye said the idea was to drive transparency and accountability in service delivery, “the lack of which has given our country bad governance in the past.”

He stated that the 10-man unit would assist the ICPC and VON to combat corrupt practices through periodic staff sensitisation, conduct of preliminary investigation and review of corruption probe process and procedures, among duties.

He urged the newly appointed members of the unit to work hard and uphold the virtue of integrity.

“The ACTU, therefore, needs the unalloyed and strong backing of the management in fighting corruption.

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“The management of this organisation is being called upon today to adequately fund the activities of the unit as statutorily required,” Owasanoye said.

Earlier, Mr Osita Okechukwu, the Director General of VON, said accountability and transparency was  the hallmark of the current administration, hence the need for the unit.

“We in VON appreciate that if former governors are being jailed, a former Senate president and a former Chief Justice of Nigeria were tried, we know we can also be tried.

“For us here, we are all in the vanguard for the anti-graft war. We looked in-house and nominated a formidable team.

“This team is led by a lady who when she says no she means no. They are going to be the champions of anti-graft war here,” Okechukwu said.

He urged the committee members to live up to expectation by exposing any form of  corruption in the orgaisiation, adding that their assignment was for the good of all.

Okechukwu reassure ICPC that VON would give the team all necessary support to discharge their duty effectively and efficiently.

Responding on behalf of other members, head of the unit, Mrs Rafat Salami, said the team had been working before its inauguration.

She thanked the management for trusting them with the responsibility and pledged to discharge their duties without fear or favour. NAN)