BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offices Commission (ICPC) has declared itself clean and devoid of any so-called certificate forgery and age scandal issues currently making rounds in the media.
The Commission has therefore urged the public to disregard such ‘distracting’ publications that are clearly aimed at tarnishing the image of its Chairman and Board members as they focus on eliminating corruption in public life and ensuring the country is free from all forms of corrupt practices.
Denying media report that the Commission has issues of certificate and age scandal to battle with, spokesperson for the Commission, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, said in a statement that the ICPC strongly refutes in its entirety attempts by the publication to malign its Chairman and Board members with spurious claims.
“This is to set the record straight regarding the ongoing certificate verification exercise by the commission, as the report seems intended to undermine the reforms being undertaken by the current leadership of the ICPC.
“The certificate verification exercise commenced in 2019 with the request by the current Board for screening of all officers by the Department of State Services (DSS). The verification by the DSS is aimed at making the process independent and transparent” she said.
According to her; “The exercise is ongoing and not yet concluded. Verification exercises have been conducted in the past by the DSS, and therefore the current exercise is not a new one.
“The report titled “Certificate, Age Scandal Rocks ICPC” published that a plan had been hatched to exonerate offenders tagged “loyalists” and those it claimed have been recruited under the current Board is totally false.”
Mrs Ogugua explained that another routine verification exercise by the Federal Government has commenced in all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) through the IPPIS earlier in the year, adding that the exercise aimed at sanitising the public service personnel records and making them clean from observed discrepancies.
The statement further said; “The commission created an in-house team to carry out verification of its staff records as supplementary to the one set up by the Government. This internal verification exercise is still ongoing and no report of anomaly has yet been received from the Committee by the Board.
“That being the case the issue of “soft landing” therefore does not arise and the publication is preemptive and erroneous. The Commission will act on the findings and recommendations of its Verification Exercise Committee, including prosecution of offenders, where necessary.”
On reports that an ex-female staff who left the ICPC to join the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), was later sacked upon discovery that she was parading forged credentials, Ogugua described the information as inaccurate, noting that the case in question took place before the current board assumed office.
With assurances that the Commission is focused on effective mandate delivery, Mrs Ogugua said; “The ICPC will not be distracted by sponsored reports in the media, and threats to the Board as it will continue to execute its mandate and reforms in the Commission without fear or favour.”
