Kalejaiye Urges ICPC To Speed Up Investigations on Petitions Against Public Officers

• Kehinde Kalejaiye has urged ICPC to beam its searchlight on petitions against public and civil servants
• Kalejaiye commended the ICPC Chairman for his dynamic and visionary leadership, especially for his anti-corruption drive at the agency
• He urged the Commission to speedily investigate other petitions before it, especially in the Lagos state office of the Commission

A traditional ruler in Lagos community, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, has urged the anti-graft commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to beam its searchlight on petitions bordering on illegal property and wealth acquisitions by public and civil servants.

Kalejaiye made the call while reacting to the recoveries and accomplishment by the Commission between January and August 2022, Legit.ng reports.

The Chairman of ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, during the defence of the Commission’s 2023 budget proposal in Abuja before the House of Representatives committees on anti-corruption and appropriation disclosed that 672 investigations were completed while 565 non-petition-led investigations and 15 convictions were secured amongst others.

Reacting to the accomplishments by the Commission, Kalejaiye commended the ICPC Chairman for his dynamic and visionary leadership, especially for his anti-corruption drive at the agency.

He however urged the Commission to speedily investigate other petitions before it, especially in the Lagos State office of the Commission.

He said:

“I must commend the gallantry deploy by the Professor Bolaji Owasanoye led Commission in the fight against corruption in the country. Without doubt, Prof Owasanoye’s anti-corruption fight has completely turned around the Commission to a vibrant and viable anti-corruption agency.

"Having said this, a lot still needs to be done by the Commission in the area of opening and concluding investigation on petitions before it particularly in the Commission’s Lagos office.

"Corruption in public offices has been identified as bane on economic growth and development. This, found expression in increasing rate of unemployment, absence of infrastructural amenities and denied access to quality healthcare and educational facilities.

"We have seen public officers converting public properties for their personal use and many of them are wandering the street as freemen. It is interesting to know that there are petitions to these allegations before the Commission but not much is heard about the petitions.

"So I am imploring the Commission to intensify efforts to investigating these cases and bring the erring officers to justice and their ill-gotten wealth forfeited to the government.”

Kalejaiye thereafter commend the Lagos State Commissioner of ICPC, Mr Kabiru Elelu for being thorough and detailed in his response to petitions submitted before the Commission.

Alleged corruption: Order investigation of NIMASA DG now, Coalition sends powerful message to Buhari

Meanwhile, President Muhammdu Buhari has been urged to order the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to commence an investigation into the alleged corruption leveled against the director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh.

Legit.ng reports that the plea was made on Wednesday, November 16, at a press briefing organized by the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) and Civil Society Partners, in Lagos.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the executive director of CPA, Olufemi Lawson, alleged that the chairman of the Economic and Finance Crime Commission (EFCC), Abdurasheed Bawa, has failed to investigate the allegation of diversion of funds against Jamoh.

Source: Legit.ng