The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has inaugurated a new executive of its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), reaffirming its commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and ethical governance in the commission’s operations.
Speaking during the inauguration at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, described the ACTU as a vital mechanism for strengthening integrity, preventing corruption and enhancing public confidence in the intervention agency.
Represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye, Ogbuku charged members of the unit to discharge their responsibilities with integrity and ensure there was no room for corrupt practices within the commission.
“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.
The managing director noted that corruption remained a global challenge and urged the ACTU, which serves as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC) in-house anti-corruption unit, to strengthen internal systems that promote accountability and transparency.
He also directed the commission’s Internal Audit Department to work closely with the unit to reinforce accountability across departments and sustain the commission’s positive public image.
Ogbuku expressed appreciation to the ICPC for its continued collaboration with the NDDC, stating that members of the ACTU were selected based on their competence and integrity.
He added that the current board and management of the commission remained committed to implementing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by entrenching transparency, accountability and effective service delivery across the Niger Delta.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, commended the NDDC for inaugurating the new ACTU executive, describing the move as a significant step toward strengthening institutional integrity in the public sector.
Represented by the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner for the Rivers and Bayelsa Zonal Office, Mrs. Ekere Usiere, Aliyu explained that the ACTU was established in 2001 through a collaboration between the ICPC and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to identify and address institutional weaknesses that could encourage corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He urged members of the committee to carry out their duties with fairness, professionalism and integrity.
“You must discharge your responsibilities with fairness, professionalism and integrity, and avoid witch-hunting or abusing the confidence reposed in you,” he said.
In her acceptance speech, the Chairperson of the NDDC ACTU, Mrs. Deinma Ebong, pledged to strengthen the commission’s internal accountability systems by aligning the unit’s activities with the anti-corruption objectives of the ICPC.
She stressed that the unit would prioritise institutional reforms and preventive measures rather than targeting individual staff members.
“Our focus will be on strengthening systems rather than policing staff. We will promote ethics education, continuous staff sensitisation, open communication and collaboration with all directorates, departments, units and state offices to prevent corruption before it occurs,” Ebong said.
She thanked the NDDC management for the confidence reposed in the committee and appealed to members of staff to support the unit in advancing transparency, accountability and good governance within the commission.