Posted by By Segun Olatunji, Kaduna on
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, on Tuesday in Kaduna, described the nation's civil service as a breeding ground for corruption in Nigeria.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, on Tuesday in Kaduna, described the nation's civil service as a breeding ground for corruption in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the commission, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, said this while delivering an address at the opening of a three-day workshop organised by the office of the Head of Service of the Federation in conjunction with the ICPC for members of the anti-corruption and transparency units in federal agencies.
Ayoola lamented that corruption and other fraudulent practices had become rampant in the nation's civil service, with officers seeing the scourge as the norm.
According to the ICPC boss, 'Corruption in the civil service is so widespread and involves common occurrences of delayed files, making wrong claims, favouritism, truancy, outright demand for bribes and abuse of office, among others.
'Vouchers of contractors and pensioners are delayed by officers who claim to be very busy, but in actual fact, they are mere well rehearsed and orchestrated ploys to collect bribes or make contractors or pensioners play ball before processing their documents.
'Available reports also indicate that public funds are commonly disbursed frivolously for personal gain. In some cases, fictitious contracts are awarded just to siphon funds from votes.'
The ICPC boss added that the brazen manner in which civil servants engaged in corrupt practices had further dented the image of the country before the international community.
'These practices are carried out brazenly and with impunity. Indeed, it would appear that many public servants today do not even know that these practices define the inefficiency of the service or that they are wrong or are part of what constitute corrupt practices for which the country is now internationally notorious,' he added.
Also on Tuesday, an executive member of the ICPC, Mrs. Julie Onun-Nwariakwu, blamed Nigerians for not demonstrating enough courage to fight corruption in the country.
She told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna that Nigerians' inability to check the excesses of their elected representatives was responsible for the increasing rate of corruption in the country.
'When they fail to report cases of corruption to the authorities, how can the cases be investigated and the culprits brought to book?‘‘ she asked.
Onun-Nwariakwu said the slow dispensation of justice in the country was also partly responsible for the high rate of corruption in the country.