By Grace Nwafor
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, has called on the National Assembly to pass the Whistleblower Act Bill into law to aid the fight against corruption in the country.
Dr. Aliyu made the call on Monday during the ICPC Roundtable meeting with State Attorneys General in the North West on Strengthening ICPC’s Capacity for Corruption Prevention, held in Kano.
He disclosed that passage of the bill was essential to spur those wishing to expose corrupt acts.
In his words,”Let me use this occasion to call on the National Assembly to pass the Whistleblower Bill into law so that those wishing to expose corrupt practices will have the confidence to do so.”
Dr. Aliyu called for a united effort towards the fight against corruption and charged the Attorneys-General of the North West to collaborate closely with ICPC in order to strengthen systems of accountability and transparency serving the people.
“No single individual or government can fight corruption alone; we need to come together to tackle this issue,” the ICPC Chairman said, adding “ICPC, as an agency responsible for fighting corruption, will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to combat the issue within the bounds of the law.”
“Under Section 6 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission Act, ICPC is empowered to investigate and prosecute corruption across all sectors of public service, but your support and local knowledge are vital to making this effort more effective,” he added
He stated that the meeting, which saw key stakeholders at the sub-national level in attendance, stressed the need for a united front in the fight against corruption, adding that tackling corruption is crucial to nations growth.
He further urged stakeholders to intensify effort in encouraging the people of the North West and the country at large to resist bribery demands.