ICPC Scorecard Will Improve Operations In Science, Tech Ministry – Perm Sec

Permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (FMSTI) Mrs. Monilola Udoh, has said the deployment of the 2022 Ethics and Compliance Scorecard carried out by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) will help the ministry and its agencies to improve their operations.

She made the assertion when a delegation led by ICPC head of ethics and compliance unit of the commission, Alice Bolarinwa, visited the ministry to perform this statutory function.

The delegation was also in the ministry to carry out the Anti-corruption and Transparency Unit  (ACTU) Effectiveness Index.

Udoh in her remarks said “It is worthy of importance to note that as management, we have ensured that rules and regulation of services are succinctly followed through and implemented for the desired development and growth of the country.

“There is no doubt, scorecard that you are here to deploy today will help us as a ministry to identify and improve our internal operations and assist our external outcomes. We have promoted ethics and ensured that the vacancies in the unit, created through Service-wide posting have been filled for the efficiency and effective delivery of ACTU mandates. This is the view of the sensitive nature of these Departments (Procurement, Finance and Accounts) to ACTU.

“This is because the past rating has provided the management with adequate feedback on how to take better decisions in the future. The issues raised from the rating will be carefully conceived and expertly addressed to serve as adjunct to the ongoing reform initiative of the Ministry.

“In addressing them, we will constantly deliberate and exchange ideas with our ACTU officials. For this purpose, the focus of our attention today is to deploy the 2022 ethics and compliance scorecard and ACTU Effectiveness Index on the Ministry and I strongly believe that the relevant Departments are ready.”

In her remarks, Bolarinwa said the visit was in line with the statutory deployment that the ICPC carries out yearly in accordance with the Ethics, Integrity and compliance scorecard and ACTU effectiveness Index that run simultaneously.

She noted that it was a way of also assessing the performance of MDAs as it relates to high ethical compliance accountability and also transparency in the systems, proceedings and the practice in MDAs.