ICPC tracks N219.8bn across 176 MDAs in five years

In five years, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been able to track a total of N219,843,922,945.48 across 176 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Musa Aliyu, the commission’s chairperson, made this known to journalists at a press conference held in Lagos on Monday.

He said this was made possible through the commission’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Group (CEPTG) initiative, conceived in 2015.

“This tracking exercise focuses on critical sectors like education, agriculture, healthcare, and infrastructure, spanning 26 states and the FCT across all 6 geo-political zones.

“This initiative ensures government funds are directed towards impactful projects that benefit the most vulnerable Nigerians,” Mr Aliyu said.

Mr Aliyu described CEPTG as a powerful tool against corruption in government projects.

He noted that the initiative tackles corruption at every stage, from investigating shady procurement to recovering stolen funds.

“They monitor project progress, ensure contractors deliver, and even analyse budgets to identify red flags. With successful recoveries and prosecutions under their belt, the CEPTG is working to ensure government projects translate into real benefits for Nigerians,” he added.

According to him, phase six of the exercise, which commenced in November through the first quarter of 2024, covers the health, agriculture, education, water resources, and power sectors across 26 states and the FCT.

The anti-corruption boss disclosed that a final report of the exercise will be published and made public.

He noted that a total of 1,721 government-funded projects were tracked within the phase six tracking cycle.

“The commission is conducting further investigations on some infractions discovered. These include underperforming projects, shoddily executed projects, abandoned projects, and certification of projects as completed when such projects have not been completed.

“Hoarding of projects such as empowerment projects meant to be distributed to intended beneficiaries to empower them or serve to alleviate their poverty were hoarded, while some other items were distributed through proxies,” Mr Aliyu said.

He further observed that some agencies were in the habit of handing over empowerment items to stakeholders for onward distribution to the intended beneficiaries.

He noted that the practice encouraged hoarding and politicisation of the empowerment-sharing processes.

Collaboration

Mr Aliyu, who assumed office in December, said that the commission was not just an enforcement agency, but a “change agent” driving an open, ethical and accountable Nigeria.

He pointed out that since assuming office, he had “prioritised strengthening anti-corruption prevention at the ICPC through strategic collaboration,” an approach that had yielded significant progress.

“The commission has also partnered with organisations such as the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and others,” he said.