The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, has urged the National Assembly to pass the Whistleblower Protection Policy Bill into law to strengthen the fight against corruption in the country.
Aliyu made the call during the ICPC roundtable engagement with state attorneys-general in the North West on strengthening ICPC’s capacity for corruption prevention, on Monday, in Kano.
He said passing the bill was necessary to encourage those wishing to expose corrupt practices and perpetrators of such illegal acts.
“Let me use this occasion to call on the National Assembly to pass the Whistleblower Bill into law so that those wishing to expose corrupt practices will have the confidence to do so.”
Aliyu further urged Nigerians to reject and resist bribery demands from public officials and, where possible, report such cases to the relevant authorities.
“No single individual or government can fight corruption alone; we need to come together to tackle this issue.
“ICPC, as an agency responsible for fighting corruption, will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to combat the issue within the bounds of the law,” he asserted.
The ICPC boss also called on the Attorneys-General of the North West to collaborate closely with the Commission to strengthen systems of accountability and transparency that serve the people.
“Under Section 6 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission Act, ICPC is empowered to investigate and prosecute corruption across all sectors of public service, but your support and local knowledge are vital to making this effort more effective,” he explained.
He added that the meeting, which brought together key stakeholders at the subnational level, reiterated the need for a united front in the fight against corruption.
Aliyu described bribery as most common in public utilities, law enforcement, and administrative services.
In his remarks, the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, Justice Mohammed Lawal Shaibu, called on anti-graft agencies to intensify efforts in the fight against corruption.
ICPC Chair Calls On NASS To Pass Whistleblower Bill is first published on The Whistler Newspaper