Abuja: The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu, SAN, has emphasized the need for a stronger partnership between Parliament and anti-corruption agencies to effectively combat corruption. Aliyu addressed this issue during a One-Day Interactive Session on ‘The Role of Parliamentarians in the Fight Against Corruption’ held on Thursday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Aliyu highlighted that no anti-corruption agency can succeed in isolation, underscoring the necessity for support from all stakeholders. He pointed out that corruption remains a significant hurdle to Africa’s development, diverting scarce public resources, weakening institutions, impairing service delivery, discouraging investment, and eroding public confidence in government. The consequences of corruption are evident in abandoned infrastructure, underperforming healthcare and educational systems, and reduced economic opportunities.
Aliyu stressed that addressing these challenges requires collective commitment, resilient institutions, and sustained political will. While the ICPC is tasked with combating corruption through enforcement, prevention, and public education, he noted that Parliament holds a uniquely strategic position in this battle. The constitution entrusts Parliament with three critical responsibilities indispensable to effective anti-corruption governance: lawmaking, appropriation, and oversight.
He urged lawmakers to ensure continuous legislative reforms to keep pace with the evolving nature of corruption, highlighting the need for laws to adapt to technological innovations, sophisticated financial crimes, and emerging governance challenges.
During the session, participants engaged in discussions on the Role of Parliamentarians in the Fight Against Corruption and the launch of the Joint Tracking Report conducted with the Ministry of Works. Dr. Aliyu emphasized the importance of transparency in budgeting and described the commission’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI) as a partnership tool, not an adversarial mechanism. CEPTI is designed to ensure proper implementation of constituency and executive projects.
Aliyu further called on parliamentarians to provide moral leadership, as their conduct shapes public attitudes towards integrity and accountability. The Senate Committee Chairman on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Sen. Emmanuel Udende, represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Tsumbu Michael, noted that fighting corruption requires collective action, with Parliament leading through legislation, oversight, and accountability to protect public trust and resources.
Udende advocated for technology-driven reforms to tackle digital fraud and illicit flows, urging Parliament to adopt e-procurement, open data, whistleblower protection, and integrity education to prevent corruption and strengthen democratic governance. He pledged Senate support for ICPC’s preventive work and project tracking, emphasizing that sustainable progress depends not just on punishment but on prevention.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Kayode Akiolu, pledged legislative support for ICPC in its war against corruption. The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, delivered a keynote address calling for a review of existing anti-corruption laws to close loopholes that encourage corruption. He stressed that corruption extends beyond misappropriation of funds and requires collaborative efforts to address.
Umahi also cautioned that oversight should not be seen as confrontational but as a constitutional mechanism for ensuring effective utilization of public funds. Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, Bureau of Public Procurement, among others.