Federal Govt. fighting corruption with modern technologies, says ICPC boss; Rates Bayelsa among states with least corruption cases

CHINEDU WOSU, YENAGOA

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta on Thursday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Capital said his commission is using modern technology to reduce corruption in the country.

The Commission’s Chairman  insisted that any corrupt person or officer would be severely sanctioned if caught and prosecuted according to the law even as he appeal to Nigerians to be truthful while dealing with cases of corruption, saying that no corrupt person or officers should come to his office for a plea bargain.

He spoke in Yenagoa during the Bayelsa State Anti Corruption Summit with the theme: ‘Transparency and Accountability, institutionalization Good Governance for Sustainable Development’

Accompanied by top ICPC officials, Nta said the mission of the commission is to change the negative perception of Nigerians as a corrupt country, insisting that offenders would be sanctioned.

Nta, said, ‘don’t ever come to my office for a plea bargain when you steal public funds.  We must be truthful in fighting corruption in this country,”  he said

He also  commended the government of Bayelsa State for its anti-corruption campaign, noting that the Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, through his monthly transparency briefing showcases what is accruable to the state and how it is expended as a government.

The ICPC Chairman equally described Bayelsa State as one of the states in the country with the least corruption cases.

The commitment of the present administration to fighting corruption in the state, he said, is very commendable ‎and urged Governor Seriake Dickson not to relent, as his brave efforts will continue to produce good results’.

Earlier, Governor Dickson appreciated the ICPC for the great job it is doing to reduce corruption in the country and expressed the willingness of his government to partner with the commission to give more bite to its anti-corruption campaign in Bayelsa State.
He explained that, different committees were set up and are working hard ‎to rid the state’s public service of various forms of corruption like ghost names, payroll fraud, amongst others and assured that, his administration will continue to be accountable to the people as part of its cardinal objective.
In his remarks, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson said the Transparency Law initiated by the government has brought about ‎a huge public trust, as Bayelsans are month after month, religiously following the state’s income and expenditure.
The Stat‎e’s Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri noted that, like never before, the judiciary is truly independent, which has made it to effectively carry out its duties, without any interference and also lauded Dickson for providing modern electronic gadgets to record court proceedings, which has further made  adjudication of cases less cumbersome.