Corruption: Anti-Corruption Chair Seeks Synergy Among EFCC, ICPC

The Chairman of the Ondo State Public Complaints, Financial Crime and Anti-corruption Commission Compliance (SPFACC), Justice Williams Akin Akintoroye
has called for collaboration among other anti-corruption agencies to address the issue of corruption in the country.

Justice Akintoroye, a former chief judge of the state asked the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corruption and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC), and Code of Conduct Bureau to join hands in fighting corruption.

Speaking during a capacity-building workshop organized for the officials of local governments and other stakeholders in Akure, the state capital, Justice Akintoroye said the partnership with other agencies becomes necessary in the fight against corruption, strengthening existing frameworks while also evolving new strategies.

The retired jurist noted that corruption has become a cankerworm in the fabric of the society and has spread to affect every strata of the society.

His words, “Unless and until we take the bull by the horns to stem the tide of corruption, the society shall continue to suffer because of the underdevelopment consequences. Corruption has contributed significantly to our underdevelopment in Nigeria.

“Aside from the fact that hard-earned resources that should have been used to advance the course of development across social, health, education, and infrastructure ends in private pocket due to corrupt practices.

“People are made to suffer the consequences such as failing education system, hospitals without drugs, insecurity, bad roads. Various researchers have continued to establish a correlation between corruption, corrupt practices, and excruciating underdevelopment in our societies.

“Government at every level, the citizenry, civil society, public and private sectors, and multilateral agency need a connected effort to mitigate corruption menace so that the society can begin to on the character of true development devoid of corrupt practices.

He, however, maintained that establishing synergy among the agencies would help in the crusade against corruption.

According to him, “I want to use this medium to appeal to our sister agencies EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau. There is no need for competition or a rat race between or among us. Rather, our work should be complimentary.

“The Ondo State Public Complaints, Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Commission is a Statutory Commission of Ondo State has a clear and unambiguous mandate.’

Aderotoye said the workshop was designed to address issues that are germane to corruption as it affects the local government system from the perspective of the state Public Complaints, Financial Crime, and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who declared the workshop open, said the workshop was put in place to instil the virtues of good governance with emphasis on transparency, accountability, and zero-tolerance for corrupt practices.

Aiyedatiwa who was represented by the State Commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Amidu Takuro, said the workshop was expected to orientate and enlighten the Local Government officials and other stakeholders on anti-corruption.

The governor said it would afford all the local governments across the state to continue to imbibe the virtues of accountability, probity, transparency, and good governance.

His words “I have a strong conviction that this posture is unique among states across Nigeria. Recently, the local government has been put under serious experiment.

“We are happy to support this program as a way of keeping in shape, understanding more in-depth the tenets of accountability, transparency, probity, and zero tolerance for corruption and corrupt practices”

” If the local governments can institutionalize the act of doing the right thing, there would not be any cause to worry about anything in the future

“I have a strong belief that this workshop would focus on unearthing the dynamics of corruption in local governments and teach the tools needed to cope with the emerging dynamics and improve accountable governance at the local government in Ondo State”