Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), revealed on Wednesday that a hospital project was fully funded by government officials five times—yet the hospital was never built.
He spoke at a media engagement with Northern media executives and Bureau Chiefs, in Abuja, this afternoon.
Dr. Aliyu said that the above case was only one of very many instances of the endemic corruption in the country and that it must not be allowed to continue, urging the media and well-meaning members of the Nigerian public to sign-unto the fight against the scourge.
His words, “There was a case of a hospital which was paid for100 percent, five times. Yet, there was nothing to show for it. That tells you how bad the problem of corruption has become. We cannot continue like this.
“All of us should join hands to tackle corruption in this country. Fighting corruption is not easy because when you fight corruption, corruption fights back. Those involved in corruption are united in their evil. They try to lie against us in order to discredit what we are doing. But as a nation, all well-meaning members of the public must join hands to tackle corruption.
“We don’t have an option. If we don’t tackle corruption, our children will have no future. If we don’t fight corruption, those involved will wreck the economy and we will all suffer for it.”
Dr. Aliyu gave another instance of the corruption in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) where a government official listed his wife, son and an inlaw in the payroll.
He said the son was a mere student, far from working age.
The ICPC Chairman added that N20 billion which would have been taken by officials of another agency was blocked, last year, attesting to the commission’s strategy of proactive actions, to prevent frauds in the MDAs.
Huge assets abroad
Dr. Aliyu disclosed that huge assets stolen from the country and other African nations were kept abroad and that his team was collaborating with other anti-graft agencies within Nigeria and other African countries to trace and repatriate such assets.
Although the ICPC boss said he could not immediately put a figure to the assets, in property and cash, a forum of African anti-graft agencies has been formed to strengthen the efforts to identify and return such assets back home.
He criticized countries in the Global North, where such assets are held, for helping corrupt Africans to loot the continent, by providing them a safe haven for the proceeds of corruption.
Dr. Aliyu also condemned the practice by nationals of Global Northern countries where Nigeria’s assets and those of other African nations are kept for coming up with various obstacles to repatriating them, when traced.
Even when the authorities of those countries agree to release the assets, their nationals would come up with proposals to serve as consultants who must be paid huge commissions for any such repatriation to be effected.
The African Anti-Graft Forum, Dr. Aliyu revealed, has commenced actions towards encouraging African experts to team-up with and establish consortia, a view to tracing such assets and providing necessary assistance towards their repatriation.
Media role
The Chairman appealed to the Nigerian media to see anti-corruption as a duty, particularly given their commitment to enthroning a just, prosperous nation, adding that corruption must be dealt with for the nation to witness the socio-economic development of Nigerians’ dream.
His team, he revealed, has commenced intense budgetary analysis, as well as, tracking and had, in some cases, blocked provisions where it was obvious that public funds would be miss-used.
Answering a question on the disposal of properties recovered from corrupt public officials, Dr. Aliyu said that ICPC would constantly adhere to the Proceeds of Crime Act and that the commission had set up a committee of critical stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations, the media, and government procurement experts to ensure a hitch-free, transparent public auctions of such assets.
The chairman advocated a review of the nation’s laws to make corruption less attractive, as according to him, in some jurisdictions, even in Africa, anyone found guilty of corruption would not benefit from it.
Instead such a person is made pay the amount involved 100 percent to public coffers, with interest and barred from holding public office for as much as 10 years.
He challenged the Nigerian public to stop eulogizing corrupt people, who indeed have been discovered to be the problem of the society.
