Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye has revealed how the commission blocked N143 Billion accounts of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country in its desire to keep financial records of the government clean.
Professor Owasanoye, who spoke today, December 1, at a round table session in Abuja, with top median managers from across the country, said that such accounts were issued what he called “negative warrant” because they were questionable.
Professor Owasanoye explained that some of the MDAs were used to keep such monies as extra from the budgetary allocations, saying that when the commission discovered that the extra monies were not tied to any particular project or programme from the point of budget provision, it wrote to relevant authorities to allow the Commission declare the account “negative warrant.”
He said that currently, the commission’s operatives are all over the country investigating the constituent projects which Senators enjoy from budget provision, adding that any Senator found wanting would be properly sanctioned.
The ICPC boss said also that the allegations against top military leaders on none payment of allowances to those in the junior cadres has been investigated and found to be untrue
He stressed that the Commission is open to genuine cases of corruption and would prosecute anyone, irrespective of his or her status in the country confirmed to be corrupt in anyway
Professor Owasanoye disclosed that some operatives of the Commission who were confirmed to have compromised in the discharge of their duties are now being prosecuted.
