Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta, has bowed out of office after six years.
He handed over to Alhaji Abdullahi Bako, a board member, who will serve in acting capacity pending the assumption of duty by the Chairman designate who is awaiting Senate confirmation.
In his address, Nta stated that he came into the Commission at a time when the Commission had a crisis of identity as to whether it was a law enforcement or civil service organisation.
He highlighted some of his achievements to include ”a high rate of investigation and prosecution of corruption cases; the introduction of preventive measures to check corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); and the spike in publicity for the Commission’s activities on its website and in the media.
”Publishing of three volumes of ICPC law reports; improving the staff clinic to cater for the health of suspects in the Commission’s custody as well as the intervention and support by UNODC for the Commission’s work, among others.”
Nta commended the management and staff of the commission for what he described as a wonderful working period, stating that the Commission had intellectuals as staff who usually stood out at trainings and workshops featuring participants from other organisations.
Acting Chairman, Bako, acknowledged that Nta did a lot to project a positive image for the Commission.
He noted that the achievements made Nta to be the first African to be appointed a Board Member of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), Vienna, Austria.
Bako pleaded for the support of the management within the period he would act as Chairman while urging all staff to continue to be disciplined.
Ekpo Nta was appointed acting chairman, ICPC by former President Goodluck Jonathan in November, 2011 before he became the substantive Chairman in 2012 for a period of five years.
Bako, a current 2-term Member of the ICPC Board, is a lawyer, Notary Public and Fellow of Charted Institute of Arbitration.
He represents the North–East geopolitical zone. He was first appointed a board member of the ccommission in 2009, an appointment renewed for a second term in 2014.
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