From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu has declared that the Commission will vigorously pursue any official or individual who defies the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Councils.
The court’s seven-member panel, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, unanimously supported a suit brought by the federal government to reinforce local governments’ independence and rejected attempts by state governments to dissolve democratically elected councils.
Speaking at the 6th Annual General Assembly of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), recently, Aliyu stressed the Commission’s commitment to ensuring accountability and combating corruption.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the ICPC Spokesperson, Demola Bakare, on Friday.
The statement quoted the ICPC boss saying, “What we have been focusing on is ensuring that critical stakeholders in this country are held accountable, and working to reduce corruption. Next month, in September, we will hold a summit with these stakeholders to discuss collaborative efforts.
“As I have stated before, local governments must be politically independent, and any state-level official who violates this Supreme Court decision will be held accountable for gross misconduct and abuse of office.
“The ICPC is prepared to take action against anyone who goes against the Supreme Court’s decision on local government autonomy.”
During the event, Aliyu also highlighted the transnational nature of corruption, stressing the need for collective action by nations and expressed confidence in the objectives and guiding principles of NACIWA, which signal a strong commitment to tackling corruption among member states.