Adamawa State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has disclosed that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) helped the State Government to recover the sum of N120 million from the State’s Commercial Farmers Loans Scheme.
Fintiri, while speaking at the commissioning of the new Adamawa State Office complex of the ICPC, through the Deputy Governor of the State, Chief Crowther Seth, commended ICPC’s contributions to the promotion of integrity, transparency and accountability in the State.
He further said that “the introduction of various governance reforms, especially the establishment of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units in MDAs, which have been playing pivotal roles in ensuring that public officials observe due process in the conduct of government affairs”.
The Governor also underscored the partnership between the State and the Commission, which had contributed in no small measure to the realisation of the objectives of the State Government’s programmes and project.
He called on ICPC to consider building the capacity of Adamawa State government officials, especially members of the Anti-corruption Units in MDAs to, not only resist the temptation of being corrupt, but also have a full grasp of the anti-corruption laws and extant regulations to guide their daily official and private transactions.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Hon. Chairman of ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), expressed his gratitude to the Governor and people of Adamawa State for the generous support towards the Commission.
He stated that ICPC was empowered by law to set up offices in the 36 states of the Federation, adding that the Adamawa State Office was the third prototype-built office structure to be commissioned after Oyo and Sokoto states offices.
The Hon. Chairman also revealed that the Adamawa State Office was among the second set of the State Offices that were established by ICPC in 2007 with a few members of Staff in a rented apartment.
According to him, the new office building “is in fulfilment of ICPC’S dream to own its offices in all the States of the Federation”.
It also serves to “to fulfill the promise made by the Commission at a National Anti-Corruption Summit held in February 2018 here in Yola to complement the effort of the Adamawa State in establishing agencies like the Public Procurement Agency and for incorporating the provisions of the ICPC Act in the State’s Penal Code”.
Professor Owasanoye further thanked the former Governor of Adamawa State, Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako who had approved the allocation of the plot of land on which the office edifice was constructed to the Commission in 2012.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari, who was represented by Senator Binos Dauda Yaro, thanked the Hon. Chairman and the Board for the bold steps of proper utilization of the Commission’s finances and promised to support the Commission in its effort through appropriation and legislative interventions.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman House of Representative Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Garba Shehu (Sarkin Noma) commended the Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the Chairman and Board of ICPC for this remarkable feat.
According to him, the fight against corruption in Adamawa State in particular, and the North-East in general will receive a fresh impetus by the commissioning of the new office as it will provide a conducive environment that will help in delivering the mandate of the Commission.
He further congratulated the Staff of ICPC who will make use of the facility and urge them to reciprocate by being more committed to and productive in their job.
Taking the vote of thanks, the Secretary to the Commission, Professor Musa Usman Abubakar thanked all the guests that found time to come to the commissioning of the State Office building and wished all guests a safe trip back to their respective destinations.
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