Arewa Group Lauds NARICT, NPA, MoE Over ICPC’s Integrity Report

Coalition of Arewa Youths for Zero Corruption has commended the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), the Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for performing well in the  Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC’s) 2022 Integrity Report despite challenges and distractions from within and outside their organisations.

In a press release made available to LEADERSHIP in Abuja, the coalition’s national coordinator, Mallam Aliyu Bello Mohammed, described the performance of certain ministries, parastatals and agencies they have monitored and engaged with as highly exceptional.

He said they had shown to the whole world that a corrupt free Nigeria is possible.

Mohammed said, “We had expected that agencies such as National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will be indicted due to the many running battles they had with host communities and stakeholders from within and outside  but to our greatest surprise, they complied fully with the ICPC integrity test with outstanding results.

“As transparency ambassadors, we call on other agencies, parastatals and ministries who either failed the integrity test or did not respond to the enquiry possibly for fear of indictment to emulate them and follow their template for fighting corruption.   They should be chosen and appointed as transparency consultants so that they can share their secrets and strategies with other organisations”.

The group, however, expressed displeasure with some top government agencies, ministries and agencies that have been listed as High Corruption Risk (HCR) as highlighted by the ICPC in the 2022 Integrity Report released via its Twitter page on the 12th of January 2023.

“It is appalling that despite the anti-corruption stance of the present administration, some 52 MDAs were classified as having ‘High Corruption Risk (HCR)’ by the ICPC. Their failure to respond to an Ethics and Integrity (EICS) enquiry filed by the commission in the year 2022 can best be described as complicity and a desperate attempt to hide their unethical practices. We therefore call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security agencies to immediately swing into action and sanction organisations whose ranking on the Integrity Report was very low to serve as a deterrent to others,” the statement added.