By Ngozi Nwankwo
The Police Service Commission Anti Corruption and Transparency Unit inaugurated, with the charge to avoid Tribal and religious sentiments.
The inauguration was conducted by a team from the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, led by Olusegun Adigun, who represented the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu told the new team that they are now in the temple of justice and should eschew tribal and religious sentiments in the discharge of their duty.
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DIG Argungu reminded them that it is Nigeria first and that they should feel free to blow the whistle on him if found guilty of Corrupt Practices. “Come and confront me if you hear that I have diverted money. Don’t waste time to hold me accountable for any financial infractions”, he declared.
He said they should operate above the yoke of tribalism, nepotism and religious sentiments and bring all bad elements in the Commission to book. You have to be upright, he further advised the new Members of the Unit.
The Chairman of the ICPC, who spoke through Olusegun Adigun said the Anti Corruption Transparency Unit is an initiative of the ICPC approved by the Federal Government to serve as an in- house check mechanism for Corruption prevention within “MDAs, in line with global best practices of building strong institutions and entrenching Good governance in the fight against corruption “.
He said ACTU complements the ICPC in building strong institutions and fostering principles of accountability and Transparency in Government MDAs.
The ICPC Chairman said the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the Commission will be a veritable tool in the achievement of PSC vision of becoming a highly motivated, professional, disciplined and accountable Police Service that upholds human rights ” if allowed to effectively discharge its functions “.
“it is hoped that with this inauguration, the Unit will be empowered to deliver on its mandate but noted “that ACTU is not envisioned as a parallel authority to the Management, rather it is expected to operate under the direct oversight of the Chairman so as to complement Management’s efforts in promoting Transparency and accountability within the Commission,” the chairman said.
DIG Taiwo Lakanu, the Commissioner in the Commission pledged the support of the Commission in ensuring that the Unit succeeds in this onerous assignment.
“We will cooperate with the Chairman, work with him and propagate his lofty ideals to make the Commission Corrupt free.
The new Chairman of the PSC ACTU, Nasidi Yusuf in his acceptance speech after the inauguration pledged to uphold the principle of integrity, accountability and transparency, forster a culture of zero tolerance for corruption and ensure seamless collaboration with ICPC and other stakeholders.
Nasidi said the new team will promote education and awareness on anti’ Corruption best practices, address corruption related issues promptly and called on his other Members to join him to identify and mitigate Corruption risks, develop and implement effective anti Corruption strategies and monitor and evaluate progress.