ICPC Releases 2024 Ethics And Integrity Compliance Scorecard.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has unveiled its 2024 Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), highlighting significant disparities in the ethical performance of government institutions.
Prominent bodies, including the Supreme Court and the Nigeria Press Council (NPC), scored zero in the assessment, while organisations such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) excelled with scores exceeding 80 percent.
Unveiled on Thursday at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, the report also listed the Federal University of Agriculture Umudike, Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Federal Polytechnic Ede, and the University of Ibadan among the institutions that failed to meet ethical compliance standards.
Speaking at the event, ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare emphasised the importance of the scorecard, describing it as “a preventive tool to assess and enhance compliance of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures.” The evaluation covered key areas, including leadership, financial management, and policies related to ethics and whistleblower protection.
Out of 330 government agencies assessed, none achieved perfect compliance. The agencies were categorised as follows:
– 29.55% demonstrated significant compliance.
– 51.62% exhibited moderate compliance.
– 15.91% showed weak compliance.
– 2.92%failed to comply entirely.
The report identified common shortcomings, including inadequate whistleblower protection policies, ineffective inventory management, delayed internal audits, and missing financial reports. These issues, the ICPC noted, hinder transparency and operational efficiency across agencies.
In a related development, ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu reported on Wednesday that the commission secured 16 convictions and monitored 1,500 projects valued at N610 billion over the past year. He added, “The commission processed 851 petitions, fully investigated 95 cases, and filed 72 cases in court, achieving 16 convictions.”
The findings underscore the urgent need for Nigerian institutions to prioritise ethical governance and accountability in the fight against corruption.