From Benjamin Babine, Abuja
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) has called on stakeholders in the North-West to embrace and own the National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIP).
The the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, who called on stakeholders to sensitize their constituents on the core values of the policy, made this know
at the Zonal Dialogue with Stakeholders in North-West Zone on the NEIP.
The ICPC boss, who was represented by a
Board Member of ICPC, Hon. Justice Adamu Bello, rtd, stated that the NEIP was a “child of necessity, conceived and delivered out of the urgent need to resuscitate and rejuvenate our lost values of honesty and integrity.”
He explained that Nigeria is not lacking in policies and laws aimed at curbing corruption and indiscipline, but lags behind in the implementation and effective enforcement of the Policies based on well designed standard operating procedures.
He said the NEIP’s implementation strategies will begin with stakeholders’ dialogue, which will take across the country.
The stakeholder’s dialogue featured two presentations on the “Overview of the Policy” and “Building Partnerships for the Promotion and Implementation of the Policy” presented by the Kano State Director of National Orientation Agency, Mr. Haruna Lawal.
The papers explained the seven core values of the Policy and articulated what each stakeholder is expected to do to promote the Policy at their levels.
The programme also featured goodwill messages and various other interventions from the stakeholders from religious organizations, women and youth groups, and civil society organizations, all commending the Commission and NOA for the initiative and lending their support to the implementation.
The Zonal Dialogue with Stakeholders in North-West Zone was for stakeholders from Kano state, Kaduna state, Katsina state and Jigawa state.
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), Alhaji Dr. Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar, has charged traditional rulers nationwide to support the implementation of the NEIP.
The Sultan made this statement during the Plenary session of the 12th General Assembly of NCTRN which took place in Kano, after a presentation of the Policy to the Council by the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN.
According to him, traditional rulers have a key role to play in governance including the promotion of government policies. He cited the example of the polio vaccine and noted that the support of traditional rulers in the distribution of the vaccine led to the successful eradication of polio from the country.
“Whatever you support, succeeds” the Sultan stated.
He went on to call on the royal fathers to put their weight solidly behind ICPC and NOA, to ensure a successful implementation of the Policy.
Furthermore, the Sultan urged ICPC and its partners to collaborate with relevant stakeholders such as the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), who are experts on policy formulation and implementation, as well as the media to give the work of the Commission more publicity. He charged ICPC to take the message of the core values of the policy to every state and local government of the Federation.
