By John Ikani
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has reaffirmed its commitment to preventive mechanisms against corrupt practices in its internal operations and interface with stakeholders as well as transparency in local content implementation processes.
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe made the commitment on Thursday at the Nigerian Content Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at an event organised by the Board to mark the international anti-corruption day.
He disclosed that the NCDMB is deliberate in its efforts to curb instances of corruption and has signalled its firm resolve through adequate support to the Board’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACTU-NCDMB) by providing it with a functional office and giving it a free hand to discharge its functions.
Among crucial steps taken by the Management of the Board is a partnership with the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria, an arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where staff of the Board undertook capacity-building training in corruption prevention techniques, strategies for effective workplace anti-corruption campaign, bribery and corruption risk assessment, among others.
Ogbe stated further that the Board “has instituted corruption risk assessment covering major functions” of the organisation including “human resources, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, planning, research and statistics…in a bid to mitigate vulnerabilities to corruption across the board.”
He enjoined staff to be diligent in their work and to avoid corrupt or fraudulent practices while reiterating his resolve to protect the institution from all forms of corrupt tendencies through preventive strategies.
Engr. Ogbe said in marking and celebrating International Anti-corruption Day (IACD), the focus is on raising the consciousness of our youths on the ills of corruption and “to send a strong message for extra vigilance by all of us in combating the menace of corruption from all fronts.”
In a welcome address, the Chairman, ACTU-NCDMB, Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu, thanked the Executive Secretary for the support he provides to the ACTU Unit, which ensures that it discharges its functions in line with established protocols.
He said ACTU-NCDMB was impressed with far-reaching measures put in place internally to eliminate fraudulent practices, including the creation of the Projects Inspectorate Directorate “to ensure that our processes were established to drive execution of the Board’s projects and also interface with industry.” He also applauded the approval for the automation of Board processes.
He explained why the Board marked the International Anti-corruption day by organizing a debate competition among select federal government colleges in the country, with each six geopolitical zones of the country represented by one school.
According to him “we are celebrating this International Anti-corruption Day by exploring the latent potentials of the next generation of leaders as agents of change in the fight against corruption in all facets of our lives.”
He added that “enhancing effective citizen engagement depends on the pervasive participatory culture among citizens,” pointing out that schools as effective agents of socialisation were a proper ground for campaigns on ethical reorientation and inculcation of cherished values.
At the end of the keenly contested debate competition, Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State emerged winners. The school, represented by Miss Osanoritse Blessing Kowe and Miss Eyituoyo Anne-Marie Awala, scored 76.4% to defeat Federal Government Girls College, Kazaure, Jigawa State, represented by Miss Sabiu Rabiatu Ibrahim and Miss Khadiya Shamsuddin, who obtained 74.4%.
To qualify for the grand finale of the debate competition, Team FGC Warri had defeated Team FGC Maiduguri, while Team FGGC Kazaure had edged out Team FGC Abuja.
Each of the four students who reached the finals of the debate, titled “Impact of Integrity on the Expansion of Public Trust and Confidence in Governance,” received a top-of-the-range HP laptop, in addition to a plaque for the team, among other prizes.
Other activities marking the day included the presentation by the Anti-corruption Commissioner for Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs. Ekere Usiere. She commended the Management of the NCDMB for its unstinting support to ACTU-NCDMB and the campaigns of the ICPC.
Her paper entitled “From Fear to Courage: Overcoming Barriers to Whistleblowing in Nigeria” addressed issues such as the Nigerian Whistleblowing Policy, Objectives of the Policy, Guidelines for Whistleblowing, Important Milestones Recorded by the Policy, Institutional Recipients of Whistleblowing, Overcoming Psycho-cultural and Systemic Challenges to Whistleblowing in Nigeria, and Leveraging on Information and Technology to Advance.
The Anti-corruption Commissioner was emphatic that “Citizens need to overcome cultural, psychological and systemic challenges to blow the whistle against corruption and other ills bedevilling our country Nigeria.”
She urged Nigerians to get involved in whistleblowing, pointing out that “We are in an age of breakthrough in information and technology where geographic boundaries have become almost irrelevant.” According to her, “We can leverage on information and social media platforms to advance whistleblowing in Nigeria.”
NCDMB ranks as Nigeria’s foremost public sector agency for institutional integrity and high standards in service delivery, having been named the Best Performing Agency in transparency and efficiency by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) back-to-back from 2022 to 2024.
