ABUJA, Nigeria – Mediaage NG News – The Deputy Director, Reform Coordination Service, Code of Conduct Bureau, Isaac Simon Abu on Friday, revealed in Abuja, that it would take a gradual process for corruption to be extinguished out of the Nigerian system.
He also said the Code of Conduct Bureau, described as the foremost anti-corruption body in the country, gave tutelage to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), created during the adminstration of ex President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He disclosed that corruption has become so rife in the country and has negatively affected public service operations.
“Looking at the historical antecedent of the Nigerian society, corruption was about consuming the entire country. There was contract inflations, shady jobs were been done. It would have destroyed a whole lot in the country. People were selling appointments, people were into nepotism and all forms of corruption. However, the government cannot allow the country go down as a result of corruption”, he said at the 4th Edition of the 2023 Anti-Corruption Star Awards, themed ‘Inspiring Change By Recognising Integrity Champions’.
“Agencies to curtail the excesses of public workers, manipulating issues in offices, contract awards and other ills seen in the society today, was birthed – the EFCC and ICPC, including NAFDAC and the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the National Assembly are all functions of anti corruption bodies.
“Honestly, we have to put more efforts to fight corruption”, he said.
“It’s a gradual process to fight corruption. Things that were prevelant in the past, are carefully not practised in the open today. That is to show that the anti corruption bodies are into proactive measures, checkmating the excesses of public and private sector workers.
“Gradually, we will assume the ethos of civility, the ethics of good conduct in our society. Once the Nigerian psyche has accepted that corruption is killing us, people will realise that it has destroyed lots in this nation. We should be patient, it will come to pass, just like other political climes. They have corrupt tendencies but, the difference is, here we have a lot of challenges and we are overcoming them”, he stated.