ICPC recruits Nigerians to spy on govs, LG bosses
Lanre Adewole, Abuja - 10.08.2007

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) disclosed on Thursday in Abuja that it had recruited a total of 10 million Nigerians under the National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps to battle the scourge of corruption.

The volunteers were to serve as the commission’s foot-soldiers in monitoring the spending of states and local governments in the country.

The Resident Consultant to the commission, Mr. Folu Olamiti, who disclosed this at a workshop for members of the National Anti-Corruption Coalition, said the volunteers were spread across the country in order to take the battle against corruption in public offices to every corner of the nation.

He also said the volunteers’ briefs included monitoring the state and local government allocations with a view to ensuring accountability and transparency in public offices.

“The volunteers will have access to all the allocations that come to the states and local governments. They will also monitor award of contracts and how it is executed. This will help us keep tracks of what goes on at the state and local government levels,” he said.

He, however, said all information supplied to the ICPC by the volunteer corps would be verified under strict guidelines before the commission would take any action, adding that any volunteer that turned in false information would be heavily disciplined.

In his remark, the chairman of the commission, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola described corruption as the bane of Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development, adding that the Commission was poised to give the scourge a run for its money.

While noting that the Commission was totally committed to restoring the country to the path of progress and development, Ayoola said; “No society can achieve anything near its potential if corruption becomes a full blown cancer. It has become systematic and endemic in our society. Riding Nigeria of corruption is therefore a clarion call for every body; it is not a task for that can be carried out by the ICPC alone.”

Justice Ayoola called on the foot soldiers and the over 110 non-governmental organisations working on the crusade against corruption in the country to employ all available means to rid Nigeria of greed, avarice and all vestiges of corruption and promote transparency, probity, accountability and integrity in the public and private lives of all Nigerians.

10 million incorruptible Nigerians? Sounds like a tall order

Mamajama:

10 Million I can hardly Blvd the number. where did they find all this people? the Nigerian police only has 350,000 policemans.

Xris74:

10 million incorruptible Nigerians? Sounds like a tall order