Bauchi State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission ICPC in collaboration with stakeholders has hosted financial managers of the Yobe State Ministry of Finance on a 2 Day Training Workshop in Bauchi.
The workshop organized by an NGO, Steim Energy Limited for Directors of Finance, Accountants and Internal Auditors of the Yobe Ministry of Finance has as its theme “Upholding Integrity, Good Governance, Transparency and Anti Corruption.
Speaking on Integrity, Transparency and Accountability as veritable tool in good governance: The ICPC Experience, the Director of Education ICPC National Headquarters, Mohammed Ashiru Baba described transparency and accountability as some of the basic tenets of a corruption-free and ensuring egalitarian society.
He said the choice of government officials as participants of the workshop is indeed apt as recently a World Bank survey indicated that 70 percent of corruption in Nigeria occurs in the public sector due to mismanagement of resources.
Ashiru Baba noted that ICPC in the last 3 months through it Constituency Projects Tracking Initiative, recovered huge amount of money in 12 states of the federation, and reaffirmed the determination of the Commission to support the present administration to get rid of corruption and provide good governance.
Declaring the workshop opened, the Permanent Secretary, Yobe State Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Abatcha Geidam described the theme of the workshop as timely and very crucial considering the dwindling of economic resources where all forms of leakages in public finance need to minimized if not completely eradicated.
Represented by the Director Internal Audit, Mohammed Garba Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary tasked the participants to make good use of the knowledge acquired by contributing towards ensuring that Nigeria is free from all forms of corruption and corruptive practices.
“I would like to appreciate the resolution and efforts of ICPC Bauchi Office for its insight to organize this crucial training workshop for Public Officers. I would also like to appreciate Steim Energy Limited for providing all administrative logistics necessary for actualization of the workshop”.
In a Goodwill Message, the Commissioner ICPC Bauchi Office, Abdullahi A Dutsinma, said ICPC is building and promoting integrity in the public through education and enlightenment in addition to pursuing its enforcement and preventive mandates of fighting corruption.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Head of Administration, Bukar Musa assured that the commission is ready to partner with government agencies and individuals willing to serve as change agents by contributing positively to the fight against corruption.
“There is no gain saying that corruption, which is rampant in all sectors and at all levels of government, has been the bane of our nation’s sustainable growth and development since independence. Instead of bringing good governance, most of the government institutions in the country have been turned into conduit of siphoning of public funds, thereby distancing the majority of our rural populace far away from good governance.”
