The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has reconstituted and inaugurated its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) as part of efforts to strengthen institutional integrity, entrench accountability and reinforce transparency in its operations.
Speaking during the inauguration of the new ACTU at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, described the unit as a vital instrument for promoting ethical conduct, preventing corruption and sustaining public confidence in the Commission.
Represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye, Ogbuku charged members of the committee to discharge their responsibilities with integrity and impartiality, stressing that corruption had no place in the Commission.
He noted that although corruption remained a global challenge, the ACTU, as the in-house anti-corruption mechanism of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), must strengthen internal systems that promote transparency, accountability and good governance.
The Managing Director also urged the Commission’s Internal Audit Department to work closely with the unit to reinforce accountability across all departments and preserve the agency’s growing reputation.
“As members of ACTU, your integrity must remain unquestionable. If those entrusted with fighting corruption become compromised, everything is at stake. You must lead by example and uphold the values of transparency and accountability,” he said.
Ogbuku commended the ICPC for its continued partnership with the NDDC and noted that members of the newly inaugurated committee were selected based on proven competence and integrity.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Commission’s Board and Management to advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu through transparent governance and effective service delivery across the Niger Delta.
Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, lauded the NDDC for strengthening its internal anti-corruption framework, describing the inauguration of the ACTU as a significant step towards enhancing institutional accountability in the public sector.
Represented by the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner for the Rivers and Bayelsa Zonal Office, Mrs Ekere Usiere, Aliyu explained that the ACTU initiative was introduced in 2001 through a collaboration between the ICPC and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to identify and eliminate systemic weaknesses that encourage corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He urged members of the committee to carry out their assignment with professionalism, fairness and integrity, warning against victimisation or abuse of the trust placed in them.
In her acceptance speech, the Chairperson of the NDDC ACTU, Mrs Deinma Ebong, pledged to align the Commission’s operations with the anti-corruption ideals of the ICPC by strengthening institutional systems rather than policing employees.
She said the unit would prioritise ethics education, continuous staff sensitisation, open communication and collaboration with departments, directorates, units and state offices to prevent corrupt practices before they occur.
Ebong thanked the NDDC management for the confidence reposed in the committee and appealed to members of staff to support the unit in advancing transparency, accountability and ethical governance across the Commission.
