Prime Business Africa
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offices Commission (ICPC), has denied media reports on certificate and age scandals rocking the commission, urging the public to disregard such publication.
Spokesperson for the Commission, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, said this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
Ogugua stated that the commission strongly refuted in its entirety attempts by the publication to malign its Chairman and Board members with spurious claims.
“This is to set the record straight regarding the ongoing certificate verification exercise by the commission, as the report seems intended to undermine the reforms being undertaken by the current leadership of the ICPC.
“The certificate verification exercise commenced in 2019 with the request by the current Board for screening of all officers by the Department of State Services (DSS).
“The verification by the DSS is aimed at making the process independent and transparent.
“The exercise is on-going and not yet concluded. Verification exercises have been conducted in the past by the DSS, and therefore the current exercise is not a new one.
“The report titled “Certificate, Age Scandal Rocks ICPC” published that a plan had been hatched to exonerate offenders tagged “loyalists” and those it claimed have been recruited under the current Board is totally false, ” she said.
She explained that another routine verification exercise in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) had commenced by the Federal Government through the IPPIS earlier in the year.
She added that this was to clear discrepancies in public service personnel records.
“The commission created an in-house team to carry out verification of its staff records as supplementary to the one set up by the Government.
“This internal verification exercise is still on-going and no report of anomaly has yet been received from the Committee by the Board.
“That being the case the issue of “soft landing” therefore does not arise and the publication is preemptive and erroneous.
“The commission will act on the findings and recommendations of its Verification Exercise Committee, including prosecution of offenders, where necessary, ” she said.
On the issue of an ex-female staff that left the ICPC to join the NDIC, but was later sacked upon discovery that she was parading forged credentials, Ogugua said this was also inaccurate.
She added that the case of the ex-female staff occurred prior to the assumption of office by the current Board.
“The ICPC will not be distracted by sponsored reports in the media, and threats to the Board as it will continue to execute its mandate and reforms in the Commission without fear or favour.”
Prime Business Africa is a business, economy and policy news platform founded in 2021 by veteran journalist and media scholar, Dr Marcel Mbamalu, after he left The Guardian as Editor.
Dr Mbamalu, who serves as Founder and Publisher, set up Prime Business Africa to deliver sharp, data-driven reporting on Nigeria’s markets, trade, investment, and governance trends for decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders.
He also writes The Bottom Line, a backpage column for Punch Newspaper every Thursday.
Under his leadership, Prime Business Africa combines deep newsroom experience with a focus on accountability journalism, aiming to bridge information gaps between Africa’s private sector and the global economy.
