ES Lists Causes of Corruption, Warns Staff The Executive secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON, on Wednesday, 17 December, 2014, urged the staff of the Commission to shun corruption and imbibe good performance skills, saying that the Commission would not hesitate to mete out stiff penalties for corrupt staff. The Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Research and Special Duties, Professor Chiedu Mafiana, identified the root causes of corruption to include; weak government institutions, poor pay incentives, lack of openness and transparency in public service, absence of key and active anti-corruption tools, culture and acceptance of corruption by the populace, poverty, ethnic and religious differences and the scramble for resources. He described corruption as a worldwide phenomenon which negatively affected the trust and confidence that citizens had in one another. He further said it was a plague that destroyed the cherished values of honesty, morals and loyalty in a given society. The NUC Scribe explained that the Federal Government of Nigeria established the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to stamp out corruption or, at least, reduce it to the barest minimum. He said that the Federal Government also directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to set up Anti-corruption units (ACTUs) in their various establishments to complement the ICPC. Professor Okojie stated that the NUC, in the year 2008, established its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit which was now a full-fledged Division in the office of the Executive Secretary. He further said that the NUC was a regulatory body and the forerunner in the Anti-Corruption war in the Nigerian University System (NUS). He highlighted some of the Commission’s activities aimed at checking corruption to include; closure of illegal universities, the proper licensing of private universities and inspection and monitoring visits to both public and private universities to promote compliance with the set rules. He added that the Commission also worked closely with ICPC to conduct a university system review by ensuring that all Vice-Chancellors put in place a well-established and fully functional Anti-Corruption Unit in their various institutions. In a welcome address, the Director, Executive Secretary’s Office, Mrs. Constance Goddy-Nnadi, said that the Commission was a regulatory body charged with developing Nigerian universities and as such, so much was expected from the staff to push quality assurance in the NUS and conduct its business in the most transparent and effective way. She said that the Commission tried to organise seminars in order to constantly educate its staff on corruption and its negative effects in the working environment as well as NUS and also to find the necessary ways of eradicating them. She encouraged all workers in Government, at all levels, not to accept corruption as a way of life but to make a personal commitment to avoid involvement in corrupt practices. Also speaking at the seminar, the Chairman ICPC, Represented by the Head Anti-Corruption Units, Mr. Kuatsea Justin, pointed out that the main topic was transparency and accountability in public service and mobilising people to create and manage institutional change. He said that there had been a lingering problem of eradicating the circulation of corruption in Nigeria and that the approaches had not been quite effective. He said, however, that with the new thinking in place, he was hopeful of their winning the ir war. He said the changes might be slow in coming but that looking back, there had been progress. The Chairman explained that Public service was a trust and that we were all privileged to be in the system. He urged all staff to take seriously their assignment in order to make a change before leaving the system. According, to him “if you pass through the system without making an impact then it was time wasted”. He advised the staff to show personal commitment and stressed that as an organisation, we should institute transparent processes. “When we see that things are going wrong we should always strive to find solution”. He said that system study and review of corruption processes and procedures, a preventive approach was key to the fight against corruption. In a vote of thanks, the Deputy Director for Anti-Corruption, Mrs. E.O. Usendiah, thanked the Executive Secretary for his approval to organise the seminar and the ICPC resource persons for their encouragement. She also thanked the Directors for encouraging the staff to attend the seminar. She advised everyone to be attentive and to take note of all that would be said.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 15:20:51 +0000
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