Why we under-perform —ICPC, EFCC

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have given reasons for their inability to perform as they would.

Representatives of both anti-graft commissions were at the media roundtable on Approaches/Strategies for Combating Impunity for Local Government Corruption, organized by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

The programme was held yesterday at the Ondo Hall of the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

The Head of Investigations of the ICPC, Kayode Adedayo, who represented the Chairman of the commission, Ekpo Ita, stated that for corruption to be tackled in the country, there was the need to strengthen the nation’s institutions.

He also said there was the need to improve budgeting and budget control.

Adedayo, however, regretted that the ICPC only had between 700 t0 800 staff to serve 200 million Nigerians.

The official population figure for Nigeria is 170 million.

Adedayo said the law establishing the ICPC stated that there must be an office in all the 36 states but the Commission only had offices in the 15 of the states.

During the interactive session, Hallmark sought to know how independent ICPC was with regard to its freedom from political interference.