In a bid to strengthen transparency and accountability in the execution of government policies and functions, the head of service of the federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, has inaugurated a repositioned Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit across Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs).
Yemi-Esan, who was represented by the permanent secretary, Common Service Office, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, during the inauguration urged the unit to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the fight against corruption in the civil service.
She said the fight against corruption remained a top priority of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that there was the need to make deliberate efforts to strengthen anti-corruption reforms in the various Ministries, extra-Ministerial Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
While recognising the strategic role of ACTUs in the MDAs, she stressed that this was borne out of the government’s desire to change the narrative and make concerted efforts at identifying and closing existing gaps in the anti-corruption Initiative.
Yemi-Esan further stressed the need for unwavering commitment and diligent pursuit of policies that seek to promote transparency and accountability, while discouraging as well as sanctioning all forms of corrupt tendencies among civil servants.
In his address, chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said the establishment of ACTUs in MDAs was underpinned by the fundamental belief that the public service, the channel through which government policies and programmes are implemented, must live up to expectations by discharging efficiently and effectively.
Represented by Dr. Louis Mandama, he said ACTU was set up as an in-house check mechanism to assist the management of MDAs in corruption prevention and entrenching ethical principles within their organisations.
