ICPC to Prosecute
ICPC to Prosecute Vice Chancellors over Fake NYSC
Mobilization
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, has
said that the Commission will prosecute any Vice Chancellor that is
involved in sending unqualified candidates for the compulsory
one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
Owasanoye, in response to a request from the Director General of
NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, on the menace of fake NYSC
members, during a courtesy visit to the Commission in Abuja, said
that ICPC will act promptly, once a report of illegal mobilization
of unqualified candidates for the programme by a Vice Chancellor
was received.
He said, “We are ready to prosecute any university Vice
Chancellor who mobilizes those that should not go for the scheme if
you send them to us.”
The Chairman while lamenting the menace of corruption, urged
NYSC to enhance the skill acquisition training being offered to
corps members by advocating a skills-based tertiary education
curriculum that would prepare youths to become employers of labour
instead of depending on government to create jobs.
He also said that NYSC stood a better chance in helping the
youth in the fight against corruption because the scheme provided
the first point of contact with real-life situations for corps
members after school.
According to him, “We can kill patterns that lead to corruption
where necessary. Many young people think there is a short cut to
success, that once you are out there, you just hit millions. That
is not the case, there should be a gestation period. NYSC should
create a platform to provoke positive consciousness, the activism
to challenge things when they go wrong.”
The ICPC boss urged NYSC to create awareness on anti-corruption
by enlisting the corps members into the social media platforms of
ICPC, adding that it would help them to become anti-corruption
stakeholders in their local communities.
The Director General, earlier in his address, noted that
collaboration with ICPC which began in 2003, through the ICPC/NYSC
Anti-Corruption Vanguard had yielded fruitful results.
Brigadier General Ibrahim said he was confident that the
Commission would help deal with the challenges of mobilizing
unqualified candidates for NYSC by Vice Chancellors.
He requested for the re-inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and
Transparency Unit (ACTU) in NYSC, saying that old members had
either retired or been promoted above the schedule.
ICPC Chairman welcomed his request saying that ACTU would be
inaugurated as soon as all the formalities were done with.
Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni
Spokesperson for the Commission
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Constituency Project Tracking not to Witch-hunt – ICPC Boss
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, has
said that the on-going tracking of constituency projects by the
Commission in 12 states of the federation was not to witch-hunt
anyone.
Owasanoye however said that ICPC would not hesitate to prosecute
any contractor that has failed to deliver on the projects,
including accomplices.
He said this as the guest speaker while delivering a lecture
titled “The Role of Quantity Surveyors in the Fight against
Corruption, Especially in the Construction Industry”, at the
induction ceremony of newly qualified corporate members of the
Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) in Abuja
recently.
The Chairman said that ICPC commenced the Constituency Projects
Tracking Group (CPTG) initiative to ensure proper implementation of
funded projects at the various constituencies across the nation,
while commending NIQS for its collaboration and participation in
the on-going exercise.
He said tracking the projects was an important assignment for
ICPC as the nation had spent about N2trillion on their funding
since year 2000 without commensurate development at the
grassroots.
He added that the initiative was already yielding positive
results as some contractors had gone back to site to complete
unfinished projects.
The ICPC Chairman urged members of NIQS to join the fight
against corruption because of the critical role they play in the
construction industry which is very important to the development of
any nation, as the sector creates a lot of jobs and is inevitable
in the society.
He advised the inductees to observe the rules of their code of
ethics as it underlines the important role they play and
discourages corruption in the process of performing their
assignments.
The inductees were also advised not to use their profession
against the society by engaging in corrupt acts, but to use it for
public interest, as their positive efforts to rid Nigeria of
corruption would not only help the profession but also the society
at large.
The ICPC boss proposed to the institute to set up a committee to
monitor projects as a public interest intervention in order to shed
light on the true cost of projects.
He therefore congratulated the inductees and prayed that they
would become the beacons of correction, professionals with
integrity as well as part of the solution and not the problem to
improving the situation of corruption in the profession and the
Nation.
Earlier Chairperson of the event and immediate past president
NIQS, QS Mercy Iytortyer, in her opening remarks told the inductees
not to limit the celebratory event to their years of hard work but
to the progress that lies ahead of them.
She added that they were expected to observe the professional
ethics and standards, and contribute positively to the development
of the nation and therefore must live exemplary lives for the
younger generation to follow.
In his welcome address, the President of the institute, QS
Obafemi Onashile encouraged the inductees to participate in the
institutes’ activities, showcase the knowledge gathered and acquire
competencies that would be at per with global standards.
Certificates were presented to the inductees by the ICPC Chairman
and the President of NIQS.
Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni
Spokesperson for the Commission