Director General of the National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC), Jos, Prof Linus Asuquo has called for collective efforts in tackling corruption across board.
Prof. Asuquo made the call during the inauguration of a seven-man committee of the Anti Corruption and Transparency Unit of the Centre in Jos, the Plateau state capital.
According to him, since 1963 when Nigeria got political Independence the fight against corruption has been very conspicuous in the blueprints of successive administrations.
Prof Asuquo recalled that the problem of military thwarting the democratic governments of first and second republics were not unconnected with the issue of corruption.
He pointed out that despite humongous financial resources injected by both successive Military and Democratic Governments to fight corruption, lasting therapy has not been administered to cure the plague.
The Director General thanked the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo for establishing a statutory organisation, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), charged with the responsibilities of prohibiting and prescribing punishment for corrupt practices and other related offences in the ICPC Act of 2000.
Asuquo applauded the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for its relentless efforts in reducing to the barest minimum wastages of public funds through the establishment of Efficiency Unit, Presidential Continuous Audit, (PICA), Treasury Single Account, TSA, Cash Management Office etc.
“These and other measures are frantic efforts of the present administration to curb and if possible, eradicate corruption and block leakages that abet corruption to thrive in public sphere” he added.
The NMDC Boss said that for any meaningful development to take place in any country, all hands must be on deck to defeat the parasitic ‘Monster’ called corruption.
Prof Asuquo while thanking the government and ICPC Management for domesticating the Commission in MDAs through the establishment of Anti Corruption and Transparency Units, (ACTU), challenged the ACTU Committee Members to discharge their duties with diligence, probity and passion.
The NMDC helmsman, assured the Chairman of the ICPC, that the Centre as a Research and Development Centre charged with the responsibility of adding value to all Minerals and Metals in Nigeria will leave no stone unturned to ensure that corruption has no hiding place in the Centre.
Responding, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye who was represented by the Resident Anti Corruption Commissioner, ICPC, Benue State Office, Mr. Menge Tiku, stressed that though the fight against corruption has been an age-long one, the fight could only be won totally if it starts from families to public institutions.
The Chairman of the ICPC, while administering Oath of Office to the seven man Committee of ACTU in NMDC reminded them of the efficacy of Oath taking for public offices.
He educated them on the need to synergize with the Zonal office for updated information that will aid them in the discharge of their duties.
The Chairman of the Committee is Mr. Bulus Ewa while Mr. Bala Bosan will serve as Secretary.
