By: Jabiru Hassan.
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has vehemently condemned the refusal of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAS) to set up Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs), in their respective organizations.
In a release issued by CACOL and signed by Tola Oresanwo, the anti-corruption organization’s Director of Administration and Programmes, on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, stated that “The revelation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that 92 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have failed to establish Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs), more than two decades after the Federal Government mandated their creation, is not only alarming but a damning indictment of the pervasive culture of impunity and institutional resistance to transparency in Nigeria’s public sector.”
The Commission also disclosed that of the 303 MDAs assessed as of the end of 2024, only 84 have functional ACTUs. Another 127 operate with weak or ineffective units, while five have units existing in name only, undermining the fight against institutional corruption.
This disclosure, made public during an investigative hearing organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption on Tuesday, confirms what civil society organizations and anti-corruption watchdogs have long feared: that many MDAs have willfully refused to prioritize integrity, accountability, and openness in governance.
More disheartening is the disturbing pattern that even in MDAs where ACTUs exist, these units have largely become compromised and co-opted by the very institutions they were meant to oversee. Most ACTUs have become ceremonial structures, lacking the independence, will, or authority to challenge perennial corruption or enforce ethical conduct in the various organizations where they are domiciled.
Their inability to make any remarkable impact in curbing corruption within their respective MDAs underscores the need for urgent reform.
This situation betrays the spirit and intent behind the establishment of ACTUs and weakens public confidence in the Federal Government’s fight against corruption.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) itself, is not diligent in following up on the MDAs, there ought to be a system in place where the ICPC would be able to prosecute and sanctioned heads of erring MDAs because it is a gross violation of extant laws.
Also the revelation showed that the legislative committee that is vested with the oversight functions of those MDAs and the ICPC itself had been very weak in their oversight functions because they ought to have discovered this anomaly long ago.
Since ICPC is under the Presidency, the Presidency should also ensure that all those appointed into various positions carry out their duties completely without letting anything out since they are funded to perform these functions.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A REFORMED AND INDEPENDENT ACTU SYSTEM:
ACTU members must be individuals of proven integrity who are not direct staff of the MDAs they are tasked to monitor.
This will help insulate them from internal pressures, victimization, and administrative interference.
The Federal Government should consider the inclusion of credible civil society actors, particularly those who have demonstrated consistent commitment to anti-corruption and transparency advocacy, as part of ACTUs in various MDAs.
There must be a clear legislative and institutional framework that guarantees the independence, protection, and operational autonomy of ACTUs across all MDAs.
The National Assembly and relevant oversight bodies must enforce sanctions against any MDA that fails to comply with this critical anti-corruption mandate.
As Nigeria continues to battle systemic corruption, no agency of government should be above scrutiny.
