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Operational Guidelines and Modalities of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units
- Following government's acceptance of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)'s recommendation that an Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit should be set up in each Ministry, Agency and Parastatal and since such Units are already in operation in, at least fifty eight (58) Ministries, Agency, etc, it has become necessary to put in place uniform operational guidelines/modalities for their use.
- Also, in view of certain developments, it has not been possible for the Commission to implement fully, the prescriptions in the Head of Service of the Federation's Circular No. OHCSF/MSO/192/94 of 02/10/01; consequently, the Commission has recently advised the Head of Service as follows:
- the total staff composition of each Unit should be between four (4) and seven (7), depending on the size or other peculiarities of the Ministry or Agency concerned;
- both the financial and other associated needs of the Units should continue to be met by the respective Ministries and Agencies; and
- the Units should have their budgets separately reflected in the Approved Book of Estimates with separate sub-heads.
- As anti-corruption monitoring outfits, the Units shall function as the main link between Ministries and Government Agencies on the one hand and the Commission on the other. They will also assist the Commission in the following specific areas:
(i) Receive oral and/or written reports of conspiracy to commit/attempt to commit an offence of corruption.
(ii) To Submit both the initial report and their comments to the Secretary of the Commission with copies to the Permanent Secretary/Chief Executive. All these shall be completed within thirty (30) working days.
(iii) To examine the practices, systems and procedures in the Ministries, Agencies, etc., and where in the opinion of the Unit, such practices, systems or procedures aid – facilitate fraud or corruption, it shall submit a detailed report with recommendations to the Secretary of the Commission for appropriate action with copies to the Permanent Secretary/Chief Executive.
(iv) Arising from
(iii) above, proffer recommendations with regard to the specific number of days a file should “spend or stay” on officer's desk. In arriving at the recommendations, the special peculiarity of each subject matter should be borne in mind.
(v) To educate all officials of the Ministries, Agencies, etc., on and against bribery, corruption and related offences by organizing seminars, lectures, placing of appropriate and well reasoned anti-corruption posters in very conspicuous places within the Ministries' premises and also the distribution of anti-corruption handbills to visitors to the Ministries, Agencies, etc.
(vi) To meet at least once every month to discuss/review its activities. Minutes of such meetings shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the Commission.
(vii) To submit at the end of every quarter, a Report of its activities to the Secretary of the Commission.
(viii) To submit at the end of every year, a detailed Annual Report of its activities to the Secretary of the Commission.
(ix) To prepare Action Plan for the Unit's activities before the beginning of every year and make copies available to the Secretary of the Commission for approval.
(x) Without prejudice to sub-paragraph 3 (iv) – (viii) above, the Units shall have constant consultations with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
PLANING, RESEARCH AND REVIEW DEPARTMENT
For further enquiries, please contact:
08032422447, 08042681056, 08045088247.
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