By Kehinde Ibrahim, Lagos
THE Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s basic education sector through enhanced collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Dr. Aliyu made this known when he received the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, and her management team during a courtesy visit to the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja.
The visit, which had been long anticipated but delayed due to scheduling constraints, marked a major milestone in strengthening institutional cooperation between the two agencies toward improving governance and service delivery in Nigeria’s education system.
In his remarks, Dr. Aliyu emphasized the shared responsibility of both institutions in ensuring transparency, accountability, and good governance in the management of public resources, particularly those allocated to basic education.
He noted that the partnership would help ensure that funds dedicated to educational development are effectively utilized for the benefit of Nigerian children.
Commending Dr. Garba’s leadership at UBEC, the ICPC Chairman reiterated that the Commission’s anti-corruption efforts go beyond enforcement, encompassing preventive measures, education, and system studies aimed at strengthening integrity in public institutions.
Dr. Aliyu also highlighted the ICPC’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI) as a key tool in monitoring UBEC-funded projects across the country. He explained that the initiative ensures value for money, quality delivery, and transparency in the execution of educational infrastructure and programmes—objectives that align with UBEC’s mission to expand equitable access to quality education nationwide.
In her remarks, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, reaffirmed the Commission’s zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, stressing that UBEC has taken proactive steps to entrench integrity and accountability in its operations.
She disclosed that the Commission has established Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) across all its offices to promote ethical conduct and transparency within the organization.
Dr. Garba further revealed that UBEC has achieved full compliance with the Public Procurement Act, following a successful procurement audit conducted by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). According to her, the audit outcome underscores UBEC’s commitment to financial discipline and due process.
She added that all public officers within the Commission—at headquarters, zonal, state, and local levels—have subscribed to a Code of Transparency, ensuring accountability at every level of operation.
Describing the partnership with ICPC as strategic and essential to strengthening preventive mechanisms against corruption, Dr. Garba sought the Commission’s technical support in implementing anti-corruption frameworks across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The visit concluded with a shared commitment to deepen collaboration between the two agencies. Dr. Aliyu proposed the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize and strengthen the existing partnership, thereby enhancing efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s educational resources and promote integrity in governance.
