News

FG Urges Workers To Foster Culture of Integrity In Government Business

Published

2 years ago

April 6, 2024

…. Call on Directors to harness collective expertise to drive meaningful change

Joel Ajayi

The Federal Government has called on Civil Servants in the country to uphold the highest degree of principles, standards, transparency, accountability and ethical values in the conduct of government business.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya gave the advice in Abuja Thursday, when she flagged-off the first sensitization workshop for the year 2024, organised for the Directorate Cadre Officers (GL 15-17) by the Ministry’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) under the Special Duties Department.

She stated that corruption, in all its forms, poses a grave threat to the foundation of our society, as it destroys trust, erodes justice and also impedes progress.
Represented by the Director, Special Projects, Hajiya Aisha Omar, the Permanent Secretary informed that the sensitization workshop provides an opportunity to delve into the intricacies of our systems and practices, guided by the beacon of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), System Study and Evaluation Scorecard.

“As leaders entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the public trust, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to integrity and excellence. We must lead by example, inspiring those around us to uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct and accountability, in accordance with the ICPC Scorecard Template, she said.

Mrs Jafiya stated that as part of efforts to continue to raise awareness and identify existing gaps in the anti-corruption initiatives that had been put in place by the Federal Government, there was the need to sensitise officers on transparency, discipline and accountability in the service.

The Permanent Secretary informed that the Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), had considered and approved the request of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the establishment of ACTU in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with a view to ensuring that workers properly understand what constitutes corruption and how they could collectively and individually support the efforts of government in checking corrupt practices.

She emphasised the need for civil servants to key into the anti-corruption war of the government, which is one of the operational mantras of the present administration and an integral part of the crusade for national rebirth and social regeneration.

“Corruption goes beyond financial crimes. It includes other forms of malpractices in the conduct of government businesses such as acts of omission, negligence and asking for commission in the discharge of official responsibilities”, Mrs Jafiya said.

While calling on the Directors to harness the collective expertise and wisdom to drive meaningful change and foster a culture of integrity within our institutions, the Permanent Secretary said, *we are expected to engage wholeheartedly and share insights with our wealth of experience and collaborate in charting a course towards a corruption-free future for Federal Ministry of Finance in line with the policy objectives of government. We should stand united in our resolve to achieving this”

The sensitization workshop according to her was put together to conscientize and sensitise the Directors on the need to continue to exercise their supervisory roles of educating staff of the Ministry to imbibe the culture of integrity and shun corrupt practices while discharging their statutory functions as civil servants, with a view to promoting transparency, discipline and accountability at the work place.

*We must all join hands together with the Honourable Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun in his quest to ensure sound work ethics that would position the Ministry, not only as a leading, responsive and responsible Ministry amongst the MDAs with zero tolerance for graft but also in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration*

Earlier in her welcome address, the Director, Special Duties Mrs. Egundebi Yemisi stated that the workshop aims at providing the opportunity to deepen staff understanding of the systematic evaluation of processes and procedures of systems study and review.

*As Directors, it is imperative that we ensure our systems are not only efficient but also seen to be transparent through examination and collaborative discussion, we aim to identify areas for improvement and enhance organizational effectiveness*
She said that it has become imperative to recognize the importance of the ICPC Scorecard Template in gauging performance and progress towards our goals, stating further that, the scorecard serves as a compass, guiding us towards excellence by providing a comprehensive overview of performance indicators and the benchmarks of Anti-Corruption measures.

*By leveraging this tool effectively, we can measure our success, identify areas of excellence and address issues requiring attention with precision and clarity*, Mrs. Egundebi said.

She commended the Honourable Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya and the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Finance Mr Okokon Ekanem Udo, for their avowed determination to ensuring the entrenchment of the Anti-Corruption crusade through the creation of an enabling environment to ensure the successful flag-off of the sensitization workshop for the Directorate Cadre Officers in the Ministry.
She expressed optimism that the aftermath of the workshop will spur the Directors to put more effort into combating corruption and anti-ethical behaviour of staff in the conduct of government business.

Earlier in a paper presentation entitled *Integrity Scorecard and System Study*, the Deputy Director, *System Study and Review* ICPC, Mr Obaniyi Adebayo said corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the society and has portrayed Nigeria in a bad light over the years.

He spoke on the concept of integrity, causes of lack of integrity, indiscipline and corruption as well as practical mechanisms for upholding integrity and combating corruption.
On the importance of ACTU in MDAs, Mr Adebayo said, it promotes and protects the image of the organization, assists in building an honest and transparent workforce as well as supports the Management to efficiently and effectively implement government policies, projects and programmes.

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Politics

Wike’s Loyalists in PDP Suspend Acting Chairman Damagum, Spokesman Ologunagba, Others

Published

12 hours ago

November 2, 2025

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

The Peoples Democratic Party has plunged deeper into crisis as fresh divisions emerged within its leadership, with a faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, announcing the suspension of the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and five other members of the National Working Committee.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Saturday on behalf of the factional NWC, the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, announced the party’s National Vice Chairman (North Central), Mohammed Abdulrahman, as the Acting National Chairman.

He stated, “First of all, we want to commend the judiciary over the judgment of yesterday, which is a victory for the entire PDP members all over. Nobody can claim victory over the judgment of the court. It is a judgment against impunity, against illegality. We promote unity, peace, and cohesion in the party.

“Having said that, the party did not overlook the activities of some members of the NWC who have already decided to cause disaffection in the party, which has made most of our leaders and governors leave the party in droves. I would say that this is the time to arrest such a situation and call it to order.

“On this note, after the emergency meeting, we decided, as a party, to suspend Ambassador Damagum, the National Chairman of the party, for incompetence, misappropriation of party funds, and flagrant disobedience of court judgments. We decided that we should suspend him for one month, and we will send him to the Disciplinary Committee for him to be able to answer questions.

“Secondly, we have overwhelming evidence against the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba. We have seen the frequent press releases by the National Publicity Secretary which was confirmed that even at a point, the then National Vice Chairman suspended him for appearing or defending the party because of the unapproved frequent press releases. For us to have sanity in the party, we have suspended him.”

Anyanwu also announced the suspension of the National Deputy Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, accusing him of failing to properly advise Damagum against engaging in anti-party activities and reckless behavior.

He continued, “On that note, he is also suspended for 30 days. Now, we talk about the National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyenguikoro. We have discovered that in the last few days and months, there have been congresses and sales of forms meant for our congresses, which were bought and paid into two different accounts controlled by the National Financial Secretary. So, on this note, he has been suspended, and we are sending him to the Disciplinary Committee. We are also going to involve the financial agencies to look into those activities.

“Again, the Youth Leader, Sulaiman Kadade, PDP Youth all over, if you watched yesterday, the youth leaders all over the country met and said that they don’t want Mohammed Kandede to be their youth leader again because he has never activated the youth wing of our party, and that wing has been abandoned. For that reason, he has also been suspended for one month.

“Finally, the Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo who is supposed to be my deputy, is also suspended for one month. He resumed the office of the National Secretary illegally, signed all kinds of letters, especially to some states, where he has caused disaffection among our party members in those states. For that reason, he has also been suspended for 30 days.

“All of them are sent to the Disciplinary Committee to show cause why they should not be expelled from the party. The judgment of yesterday confirmed the reason why this suspension should be effective. In their place, especially the National Chairman, we are asking the National Vice Chairman (North-Central), Mohammed Abdulrahman to act as National Chairman. In the place of the National Publicity Secretary, we are going to ask the Director of Publicity of our party, Chinwen Nnorom, to take over all the activities of the party in terms of information.”

According to Anyanwu, ten members of the NWC were in attendance.

Earlier, the NWC under Damagum’s leadership announced the suspension of Senator Anyanwu, National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and two other members.

Despite the scheduled National Elective Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, internal strife continues to grip the party.

Supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, remain dissatisfied with the leadership of the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum.

Their grievances revolve around unresolved disputes concerning the South-South zonal leadership and control of party structures in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Plateau States. In addition, disagreements over the micro-zoning arrangement ahead of the convention have further deepened divisions within the PDP.

These ongoing conflicts eventually escalated into a legal confrontation aimed at halting the planned convention. On Friday, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim injunction restraining the PDP from proceeding with the convention until further notice.

In case number FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, the court ruled that the PDP must suspend its convention pending full compliance with its own constitution, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act of 2022.

The case was filed by three aggrieved PDP members Austin Nwachukwu, the Imo State PDP Chairman; Amah Abraham Nnanna, the Abia State PDP Chairman; and Turnah Alabh George, the PDP Secretary for the South-South zone.

They argued that the planned convention violated both the Electoral Act and the party’s internal regulations, citing the PDP’s failure to conduct valid congresses in 14 states before issuing the convention notice.

Justice Omotosho upheld their arguments, ruling that the PDP had indeed breached its constitution, the 1999 Constitution, and INEC’s guidelines by neglecting to conduct proper state congresses and failing to provide the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC.

Consequently, the court ordered the suspension of the planned convention until all internal irregularities are corrected in accordance with the law.

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