‘Whistle -blowing System Soars Petitions To ICPC’
The chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and other Related Offences (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta has revealed that the whistle -blowing system adopted the federal government has tremendously increased the number of petitions received by the commission.
Nta who said unlike before when people were not encouraged to give out information to the commission, noted that now received petitions relating to corrupt practices in hundreds on daily basis from different quarters of Nigeria through whistle- blowing system.
The commission boss who made the disclosure at a convocation lecture he delivered at the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State at the weekend, said the anti-corruption agencies in the country could not alone curb corruption without cooperation of the citizens.
At the lecture which was titled : Ethical Deficit, Corruption and Crisis of National Identity : Integrity of termites, Nta, however warned the people against sending malicious petitions to the commissions in the name of whistle-blowing.
His words : “Anti-graft agencies can not curb corruption, The victims of corruption are the ones who will drive the curbing of corruption because they are the ones paying for it.
“When we were operating in a system where we are not getting whistle-blowing tips from citizens. If you are lucking in a month, you will get anonymous petitions may be five to ten.
“Suddenly we have put money on that business, there is hardly any day we will not get hundreds of petitions. Even your drivers when they see you carrying Ghana-must-go bag of shirts you have collected from the laundry, they will write that there is money in the bag.”
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor of the university, Mr. Bode Ayorinde said the management of the institution would set up an ICPC club on the campus to further entrench discipline in the institution.
The lawmaker, currently representing Ose/Owo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives urged the ICPC chairman to come back to the institution to inaugurate the ICPC club as soon as it was set up.
