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Policemen, NEPA officials most
corrupt, says Akanbi
THOMAS IMONIKHE,
Deputy Political Editor.
CHAIRMAN,
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),
Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd) alleged yesterday that police personnel and
officials of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) were adjudged the most
corrupt in the country.
Justice Akanbi said an independent study
by an undisclosed group took such position.
He also said two policemen including an
Inspector serving with the Edo State Police Command, have been arrested by ICPC
investigators for alleged bribery, signalling a major crackdown on corrupt
personnel of the force.
Akanbi who disclosed this in Lagos while
delivering a lecture titled: "Corruption and the challenges of Good Governance
in Nigeria", said he has personally, written the Inspector-General of Police (IGP),
Mr. Tafa Balogun, on the issue.
According to him, the ranking of policemen
and NEPA officials as the most corrupt was contained in a recent survey done by
an independent group.
He added at his Abuja office had been
inundated with complaints by members of the public on alleged corruption by
personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The ICPC, he said, has introduced a "fast
track" approach to deal decisively and promptly with reported cases of
corruption even as he made a strong case for the entrenchment of the ICPC Act
into the 1999 Constitution.
Between January and June this year, he
said, the ICPC received about 1350 complaints of corrupt practices while 76
individuals are facing trial for corruption and other related crimes.
He said the ICPC was very determined to
tame corruption at all levels and ensure that the purveyors of the crime no
longer have a field day.
Said he: "The ICPC law today is move
stringent. Novel offences have been created, all of which are designed to plug
the loopholes in earlier legislations. Changes in certain special rules of
evidence have been effected and the burden of proof in certain cases has been
shifted to the defendant".
Contrary to the impression, he said the
ICPC is not a "tool" in the hands of the ruling People�s Democratic Party (PDP)
to victimise political opponents of those in government.
He, however, identified inadequate
funding, manpower shortage as some of the problems facing the ICPC, stressing
that a situation where only 26 investors and 21 prosecutors are saddled with
fighting corruption in a nation of over 120 million people was worrisome.
Earlier, the chairman on the occasion and
former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande regretted that
corruption had permeated every strata of our society and urged leaders to lead
the crusade against the menace.
On his part, the quest of Honour and
retired Bishop of the Diocese of Akure, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion),
Rev. Emmanuel Bolante Gbonigi expressed deep concern over the recent ranking of
the country as the second most corrupt in the world by Transparency
International.
This, he noted, was a paradox considering
the fact that Nigeria has been rated the most religious nation in the globe.
In his welcome address, the
Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe said
the ranking by Transparency International was degrading and called on all
Nigerians to support the fight against corruption.
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