The House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The Committee is investigating whether these units are fulfilling their mandate to combat corruption from within the public service.
At the opening of a public hearing to launch an investigation into the operations of the ACTUs in Abuja, Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Koyode Akiolu, questioned the current relevance and integrity of ACTUs, as he noted that some may have strayed from their original purpose or become compromised. “While we recognize the challenges posed by the insidious nature of corruption, we must also confront the realities that not all actions taken in the name of anti-corruption have been entirely above board,” Akiolu said.
The ACTUs were established in over 400 MDAs by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to monitor, report, and prevent corruption. However, concerns have emerged regarding their operational efficiency and independence.
The Committee has been informed that only 84 MDAs have functional ACTUs, while 92 are yet to establish the units. Additionally, 127 MDAs have weak or ineffective ACTUs, and 5 others have units in name only.
The ICPC has attributed the ineffectiveness of ACTUs to lack of funds, direct reporting to CEOs, interference, lack of political will, and resistance to change.
The public hearing aims to gather testimonies and data from stakeholders to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the ACTU framework and explore legislative solutions to strengthen their operations.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by Umar Ajilo, said the hearing is not a witch-hunt, but a proactive effort to assess the performance of ACTUs and strengthen institutional integrity.
The Committee’s findings and recommendations are expected to inform policy decisions and reforms aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of ACTUs and promoting transparency and accountability in the public service.
