The Nigerian Senate has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for its commendable and consistent adherence to the principles of Federal Character in the composition of its workforce and distribution of positions within the organisation.
This recognition was given on Wednesday at the National Assembly in Abuja by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, during the appearance of the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, and his management team before the Committee to present the Commission’s staff profile and deployment statistics.
Speaking after the presentation, Senator Onyesoh expressed deep satisfaction with the Commission’s transparency and inclusive practices.
He praised the ICPC for demonstrating a clear commitment to fairness, equity, and national representation in its appointments and promotions. He urged other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to emulate the Commission’s exemplary model.
In his words, “ICPC has shown that due process is not only possible but also achievable. What you have presented today gives us hope that we still have institutions and individuals committed to building a better Nigeria. You have honoured this institution by being open and transparent about how you conduct appointments and elevate officers to high positions.”
Senator Onyesoh lamented that several MDAs deliberately avoid appearing before the Committee, largely due to a lack of transparency and poor compliance with federal character requirements.
He also noted that many of those who have appeared before the Committee have failed to meet basic expectations, contrasting them with the ICPC’s outstanding performance.
The Senator went further, “Whenever we encounter challenges with any MDA regarding compliance with federal character principles, we will direct them to you so they can learn from your example. I am very pleased with the level of openness and accountability that ICPC has demonstrated today. It is truly worthy of emulation.”
Other members of the Committee also commended the ICPC, noting that the Commission has distinguished itself by maintaining a balanced and transparent workforce. They described the ICPC’s nominal roll and manpower distribution across the six geopolitical zones as unparalleled among government institutions.
Presenting the Commission’s personnel statistics, the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed that the Commission currently has 1,163 staff members, fairly distributed across the six geopolitical zones as follows: North Central – 19%, North West – 19%, North East – 16%, South South – 16%, South West – 16%, and South East – 14%.
The ICPC Chairman further revealed that the Commission has ten directors overseeing its various departments, with nine substantive directors and one in acting capacity, also equitably distributed across the six zones.
According to Dr. Aliyu, “The Commission, as Nigeria’s leading anti-graft agency, is proud to be practicing what it preaches. We are fully committed to upholding all extant rules and regulations, including the Federal Character Balancing Index, and we have been repeatedly commended by the Federal Character Commission for our consistent compliance.”
He reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to promoting equity and inclusiveness, noting that these values are central to its mandate of fostering integrity and good governance in Nigeria.
