Korede Abdullah in Lagos
In a renewed push to combat corruption through regional partnerships, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has collaborated with State Attorneys-General from Nigeria’s South-South region in a one-day strategic conference held in Asaba, Delta State.
Themed “Institutional Integrity and Regional Cooperation: The Role of Attorneys-General in Advancing a Corruption-Free South-South,” the event brought together key legal officers, ICPC officials, and representatives of the Delta State Ministry of Justice to discuss a unified approach to promoting transparency and accountability across the region.
Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, who declared the conference open on Monday, underscored the necessity of intergovernmental collaboration in strengthening good governance.
In his keynote address, former Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN, emphasized the pivotal role of Attorneys-General in designing frameworks that deter corruption.
ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, in his remarks, called for “strong partnerships at the state level” to enhance the Commission’s prevention-based strategy. Goodwill messages from the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau and other top officials echoed a collective commitment to institutional integrity and the rule of law.
The conference concluded with a communique outlining key resolutions, including strengthening partnerships between the ICPC and state Attorneys-General, promoting e-procurement and real-time monitoring tools, and enhancing investigative and prosecutorial capacities through joint capacity-building initiatives.
“This conference marks another strategic step in ICPC’s ongoing engagement with sub-national actors,” disclosed Spokesperson for the Commission, Demola Bakare, in a statement, adding that the resolutions reaffirm the “shared responsibility of all levels of government in building a corruption-free Nigeria.”
