By Isaac Aregbesola
Dr Musa Aliyu, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), says the agency’s war against corruption is key to good governance, growth and development of the country.
Aliyu said this on Thursday at a strategic meeting with delegates from the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) in Abuja.
The ICPC boss restated the commission’s commitment to detect and tackle corruption that has negative impact Nigeria’s image for so long.
According to him, the impact of corruption is manifested in underdevelopment and poverty which makes the prospect of investment unappealing.
He said that the responsibility for projecting the country in a positive light must be a collective effort.
The ICPC boss recalled that his predecessors had left a legacy of strategic partnerships with organisations which he intended to build upon.
He said that there was a viable track record of ICPC and NEPAD working together on various projects including election monitoring.
He added that future collaborations must be geared towards projecting a positive image of Nigeria to encourage internal and foreign investment while fostering development.
According to him, eradicating corruption in Nigeria will be infectious to neighbouring countries and the continent as a whole.
The chairman said this in turn would significantly boost development through improved socio-economic values and infrastructure.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Commission, Mr Clifford Oparaodu, suggested that policies developed from joint initiatives between the Commission and stakeholders would be invaluable to development as a result of increased efficiency.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Princess Gloria Akobundu who led the visiting delegation, said NEPAD hoped to ensure Nigeria is respected continentally and globally.
This, she said, could be achieved by advocating for improved governance and economic growth.
Akobundu asserted that the APRM initiative was meant to encourage African countries to foster healthy relationships based on self-assessment and improvement. (NAN)
