ICPC flags off extensive corruption risk assessment exercise at seaports

 The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) is embarking on a corruption risk assessment (CRA) project at Nigerian seaports in collaboration with the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reform (TUGAR).

CRA is a corruption prevention tool which works with an organisation’s management to identify vulnerable areas that are prone to corruption, proffer solutions and develop integrity plans that would strengthen accountability, transparency and enhanced service delivery.

At a recent stakeholders meeting to flag off the project, Ekpo Nta, ICPC chairman, said the commission was determined to prevent the occurrence of corruption at the port and had therefore deployed 20 trained and certified corruption risk assessors who would work with an Inter-Agency Advisory Committee and a team of consultants to assess corruption risk at the ports.

According to him, the assessment would be carried out in all Nigerian ports, including Lagos, Onne, Calabar and Warri, because the port sector is very essential to the growth and development of the nation’s economy.

“The port is the industrial lifeline and hub that performs multiple functions in the local and foreign commerce as well as massive job creation. Therefore, the sector must be guarded jealously to avoid loss of resources and for efficient running of facilities,” he said.

The CRA, according to him, is not a tool of criminal investigation; rather it is a tool for prevention of occurrence of corruption. “We are not here to apportion blames but to carry out system study since it is much better to prevent occurrence of corruption than to spend huge revenue on investigation and prosecution of offenders after damage has been done.”

The ICPC boss, who solicited the support of all stakeholders in the port industry to enable the commission achieve its set objectives, also said the commission was carrying out the assignment in collaboration with other international partners that include United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN).

Also speaking, Sam Egwu, UNDP team leader, said UNDP was proud to be associated with the initiative and had supported the CRA initiative from its inception because it’s in the heart of the mandate of its three core partners: ICPC, TUGAR and BPP.

“The support of UNDP for this exercise derives from our commitment to respond to priorities set by Nigerian government, which include fighting the malaise of corruption and achieving the country’s broader development goals, one of which is to increase foreign direct investment, to which the port industry is very crucial,” he said. 

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UZOAMAKA ANAGOR