The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged community and religious leaders to support the anti-corruption fight at the grassroots level.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said the war should be taken to the communities through the enthronement of intergrity, transparency and accountability among the people.
He spoke in Owerri at a workshop on behavioural change, national ethics and integrity policy and constituency projects tracking initiative.
It was organised by the commission for traditional and religious leaders as well as community-based civil society groups.
Owasanoye, represented by the South-East member on the ICPC board, Sen. Anthony Agbo, said that all hands must be on deck for the anti-corruption war to succeed.
He identified the endemic corruption level as the root of the country’s problem, from insecurity to poor infrastructure development.
He alleged that the biggest cases of corruption in Nigeria “are perpetrated by civil servants in active service and not politicians as erroneously believed”.
Owasanoye argued that crimes, such as budget padding and project duplication, “are some of the ways corruption is proliferated in the civil service and resources misappropriated”.
He, therefore, urged community and religious leaders to keep track of government’s projects in their areas and the funds appropriated for them for transparency and accountability.
He further urged them to use their influence to bring about the desired behavioural change and promote the national ethics and intergrity policy.
The ICPC boss also challenged more whistleblowers to expose persons engaged in coruption in order to arrest the situation before it degenerates.
