The Nigerian Senate has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for its outstanding adherence to the principles of Federal Character in its staffing and deployment practices
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Senate has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for its outstanding adherence to the principles of Federal Character in its staffing and deployment practices.
The commendation was delivered on Wednesday at the National Assembly, Abuja, by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator Allwell Onyesoh. He gave the remarks during the appearance of ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, and his management team before the Committee to present the Commission’s staff profile and deployment statistics.
Senator Onyesoh, visibly impressed by the presentation, praised the ICPC for its transparency and commitment to fairness, equity, and national representation in its appointments and promotions.
“ICPC has shown that due process is not only possible but also achievable,” he said. “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.”
Onyesoh lamented the reluctance of several Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to appear before the Committee due to poor compliance with federal character requirements. He contrasted their conduct with ICPC’s, describing the Commission as a model institution.
“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,” he said. “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 echoed his sentiments, hailing the ICPC for maintaining a balanced and transparent workforce. They described the Commission’s nominal roll and manpower distribution across the six geopolitical zones as unrivalled among public institutions.
Presenting the personnel statistics, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed that the Commission currently has 1,163 staff members, distributed as follows: North Central – 19%, North West – 19%, North East – 16%, South South – 16%, South West – 16%, and South East – 14%.
Dr. Aliyu also revealed that the Commission has ten directors overseeing its departments — nine substantive and one acting — all equitably distributed across the geopolitical zones.
“As Nigeria’s leading anti-graft agency, we are proud to be practicing what we preach,” Dr. Aliyu said. “We are fully committed to upholding all extant rules and regulations, including the Federal Character Balancing Index. The Federal Character Commission has repeatedly commended us for our consistent compliance.”
He reaffirmed the ICPC’s commitment to equity and inclusiveness, stressing that these values are central to the agency’s mission of promoting integrity and good governance in Nigeria.