ICPC Recovers Looted N117bn In 8 Months
Pharmacists under the auspices of West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) Abuja zone have called on the government to promote free awareness and screening in the management of diabetes in the country.
The zonal coordinator of the WAPCP, Abuja zone, Dr Abubakar Danraka, made this call during the free diabetes screening and dispensing of free medicine to indigent patients at the Maitama District Hospital, Abuja in commemoration of the World Diabetes Day, organised by WAPCP in collaboration with Megalife Science Ltd.
Danraka stated that the prevalence of diabetes in Nigeria is 3.6 per cent in age 20 to 79 adding that the government can go a long way to reduce these numbers if it organizes free screening and management in terms of medication for the masses.
He said this year’s theme, ‘Access to Diabetes Education’, coincides with the event which was organised in order to bring to light the public health issues on diabetes as a lot of studies and surveys have revealed that enlightenment improves management of diabetes and promotion of healthy living.
Danraka added that apart from the Health Talk in three different clinics in the hospital, the pharmacists will organise free screening for over 500 indigent patients and end the event with engagement among the fellows to improve their capacity and professional service delivery.
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye has said that the agency has recovered over N117 billion between January and August 2022.
While speaking on the 2022 budget performance, the chairman gave a breakdown of the recoveries to include N1.413bn and $225,965 in ICPC/TSA recovery account and N1.264 billion cash through tax intervention.
Other recoveries include plots of land, completed buildings, vehicles, electronics and jewelries valued at N679.13 million,
N2.603 billion, N81.1 million, N1.55 million and N195,500 respectively.
ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, said Owasanoye made the disclosure before the House of Representatives’ committees on Anti-Corruption and Appropriation during the Commission’s defense of the 2023 budget proposal in Abuja.
Owasanoye added that the commission restrained N49.9 billion through system study and review intervention; N6.435 billion cash through budget tracking; N53.91 billion through ICPC advisory and N614.2 million in other accounts.
Apart from the recoveries, the chairman also highlighted other accomplishments of the Commission during the 2022 budget cycle to include but not limited to completion of 672 investigations as well as 565 non-petition-led investigations; securing of 15 convictions; 538 projects tracked under Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI); deployment of Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard on 260 MDAs; Review of Open Treasury Portal in 30 MDAs; System Study and Review of 10 MDAs; inauguration of 26 AntiCorruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs); 14 Corruption Monitoring activities undertaken; and public enlightenment and education of Nigerians on and against corruption various platforms.
Making his contribution during the budget defense, the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Nicholas Garba Shehu, lauded the ICPC chairman and his board members for providing dynamic and visionary leadership, noting that their leadership style has completely turned around the fortunes of the Commission to a vibrant and viable anticorruption agency.
He therefore called on the federal government to release the remnant of the Commission’s 2022 budget to enable it to accomplish its target. through