Buhari nominates ICPC to implement AU treaty

President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission as an additional focal agency in Nigeria under the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.

The nomination of ICPC, according to a statement issued on Tuesday night by its Spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, was conveyed to the AU Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by the Nigeria Embassy in Addis Ababa, which is also the country’s Permanent Mission to the AU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

The nomination letter reads, “The embassy wishes to request the esteemed commission to facilitate the necessary processes in furtherance and to ensure the operationalization of the above-mentioned nomination by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’’

Okoduwa said, “By President Buhari’s nomination, ICPC becomes the second Nigeria anti-corruption agency designated under the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. The nomination will help strengthen the work of the Commission, and enhance its relevance within the African continent.

“The President’s action is a testimony to and recognition of ICPC’s positive impact on the anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria. Nigeria is a state party to the AUCPCC, which was adopted on July 1 2003.

Its objective, among others, is to ‘promote and strengthen the development in Africa by each State party, of mechanisms required to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption and related offences in the public and private sectors.’’