Civil Society groups have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over what has been described as ‘ineffectiveness’ of the agency in recent times.
The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, while reacting to alleged fraud report against the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, accused the commission of witch-hunting and lopsidedness in the ongoing fight against corruption in Nigeria.
The statement was jointly signed by the president of Competent Governance for Accountability and Civic Trust (CGACT), Omoba Michael; deputy national chairman, Urhobo South-South Youth Peace Mission (USYPM), Godwin Erheriene; and executive director, Beyond Boundaries Legacy Leadership Initiative (BBLLI), Omaga Daniel.
“We, the Coalition of Civil Societies are using this medium to call on the presidency for total overhaul of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as the anomalies recorded in recent time, is far more than the right they have recorded under this present leadership,” the statement partly read.
ICPC had earlier queried the minister and arraigned the director-general of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Kawu, alongside the managing director of Pinnacle Communications, Dipo Onifade, founder and chairman, Board of Directors of Pinnacle, Lucky Omoluwa, and Pinnacle Communications Ltd., over N2.5 billion fraud spent on Digital Switch Over.
It further said, “This record is not good for a growing nation like Nigeria as it will discourage many well-meaning Nigerians both within and outside the country, who intend to contribute their quota to the development of this nation. We are having growing worries over the too many ‘unprofessional acts’ being displayed by the commission, just to score cheap political points.
“We are not unaware of the recent misinformation on some organisations which are too important to this nation and sensitive but being dragged to the mud by the ICPC.”
