The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is a government agency in Nigeria aimed at fighting corruption, ensuring transparency, and promoting accountability in public and private sectors alike.
The agency was formed in the year 2000 under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo as part of the strategies to fight against endemic corruption in Nigeria.
ICPC’s importance in protecting public sector institutions and promoting democracy cannot be overstated. Even at the bottom of society, every level aims to ensure corruption cannot go unpunished.
It is the second most influential body in Nigeria, after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), when it comes to fighting corruption, and it has played a major role in promoting integrity in the service of the people.
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Functions of ICPC
1. Investigating and Prosecuting Cases of Corruption
ICPC’s primary duty is to investigate and prosecute corruption-related cases and undertake other legal measures to reduce and eliminate such crimes. This includes the offences of bribery, acts of deceit, stealing, abuse of power by citizens, civil servants, or enterprises, or any other forms of corruption. The commission can arrest any individual, regardless of their rank or status in society, regarding corruption cases. After completing the investigations, ICPC may also take these matters to court to obtain a conviction addressed to potential other offenders.
2. Preventing Corruption
The ICPC’s strategy is not limited to simply punishing the guilty. Instead, the commission actively works to prevent corruption. The commission drafts and enforces political measures and procedures aimed at combating corruption that businesses can rely on to mitigate the odds of corruption within their internal processes.
3. Mobilisation of the Public for Education and Advocacy
Another major responsibility of the Commission is Public education. Through various campaigns, workshops, and public awareness programs, the Commission aims to inform the Citizens of Nigeria of the evils of corruption and the advantages of being transparent and accountable.
4. Inter-Agency Cooperation
Corruption cannot be combated in isolation. Thus, the ICPC collaborates with local, regional, and international organisations to support and strengthen efforts to tackle corruption. The commission joins forces with other Nigerian outfits like the EFCC, Central Bank of Nigeria, and the international agency, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to eradicate corruption in the country and around the globe.
5. Stolen Wealth Recovery
The ICPC’s core mandate features arguably one of the most potent functions, that of the recovery of assets. This entails the recovery of properties that have been obtained through illegal, corrupt means. This includes everything from properties, money to other valuables that have been acquired through illegitimate means. After retrieval of these properties, they are usually deposited back to the state’s left over cash or employed back into the society through government funded projects. Recovery of lost property is more than a means of deterrence; it is a strategy aimed at compensating for the losses brought about by corruption.
6. Advisory Role to Government Institutions
The ICPC is an advisory body that supports government agencies and departments in improving their internal mechanisms to fight corruption. The commission looks into the processes, systems, and structures of public institutions and advises on how they may be made more open and less prone to corruption.
7. Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Projects
Another activity of the ICPC is to control the implementation of the public projects and ensure that the funds allocated to these projects are put to due use. This helps to eliminate the risks of premature project suspension, pilferage of funds and poor quality of work. By controlling the public projects, the ICPC makes sure that impels confined to public use are managed prudently for the good of Nigerians.
8. Protection of Whistleblowers
In a bid to encourage citizens to report corruption, the ICPC also protects whistle-blowers. The commission protects individuals who reveal the practice of corruption in public and private entities from any sort of punishment, which enables the fight against corruption to be more aggressive.
