By Taiwo Scholarstica
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has inaugurated its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) as part of efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency and good governance across its operations in the Niger Delta region.
The commission said the move reflected its commitment to promoting ethical conduct and reinforcing public confidence in the interventionist agency.
Inaugurating the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, described ACTU as a critical mechanism for promoting ethical conduct, preventing corruption and strengthening public confidence in the Commission.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledei Thompson-Wakama, Ogbuku, who was represented by the NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Boma Iyaye, charged the newly inaugurated members to uphold the highest standards of integrity in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He noted that corruption remained a global challenge and urged ACTU, the in-house anti-corruption unit of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to strengthen internal systems that promote transparency and accountability within the Commission.
Ogbuku also directed the Commission’s Internal Audit Department to work closely with the unit in reinforcing accountability across departments and sustaining the agency’s positive public image.
“As members of the ACTU, your integrity must remain unquestionable. If those entrusted with fighting corruption become compromised, everything is at stake. You must lead by example and uphold the values of transparency and accountability,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to the Chairman of the ICPC for the Commission’s collaboration and support, noting that members of the ACTU were selected based on their competence and integrity. He added that the current NDDC Board and Management remained committed to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu by entrenching transparency, accountability and effective service delivery in the Niger Delta.
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, commended the NDDC for inaugurating the new ACTU executives, describing the initiative as an important step toward strengthening institutional integrity in public service.
Represented by the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner for the Rivers and Bayelsa Zonal Office, Mrs Ekere Usiere, Aliyu explained that ACTU was established in 2001 by the ICPC in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to identify and address systemic weaknesses that could encourage corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
He urged members of the committee to perform their duties with fairness, professionalism and integrity, warning against witch-hunting or abusing the confidence placed in them.
In her acceptance remarks, the Chairperson of the NDDC ACTU, Mrs Deinma Ebong, pledged to build a strong bridge between the ideals of the ICPC and the Commission’s daily operations. She said the unit would focus on strengthening systems rather than policing staff through ethics education, continuous sensitisation, open communication and collaboration with all directorates, departments, units and state offices to prevent corruption before it occurs.
Ebong thanked the Managing Director and the Commission’s management for the confidence reposed in the committee and appealed to members of staff for their cooperation in advancing the Commission’s transparency and accountability agenda.