The chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, has said that the war against corruption is key to good governance.
He said ICPC was willing to go all out in its bid to stamp out corruption as one of the keys to actualising good governance, growth and development in the country.
Aliyu made this assertion during a strategic meeting with delegates from the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) at the commission’s headquarters on Wednesday.
The ICPC boss stated that the commission owed it to the citizenry to detect and tackle corruption that has negatively impacted the image of Nigeria for so long.
According to him, the impact of corruption is manifested in underdevelopment and poverty, which makes the prospect of investment unappealing. He insisted, however, that the responsibility for projecting the country in a positive light must be a collective effort.
Aliyu stated that his predecessors had left a legacy of strategic partnerships with organisations, which he intended to build upon, pointing out that there was a viable track record of ICPC and NEPAD working together on various projects, including election monitoring.
He added that future collaborations must be geared towards projecting a positive image of Nigeria to encourage internal and foreign investment while fostering development.
Speaking from a larger perspective, the ICPC chairman pointed out that eradicating corruption in Nigeria would be infectious to neighbouring countries and the continent as a whole, which in turn would significantly boost development through improved socio-economic values and infrastructure.