•I’ll tackle corrupt officials in civil service, Olaopa vows
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, swore in the new Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliu; and the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa. They were recently confirmed by the Senate.

Tinubu performed the swearing-in ceremony before he proceeded to preside over the week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in the B Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The new ICPC czar was confirmed by the Senate, following Tinubu’s approval of the former Chairman’s request to proceed on pre-end of tenure leave, beginning on November 4, 2023, ahead of the expiration of his tenure on February 3, 2024.

Olaopa will serve as the Chairman of FCSC with 11 federal commissioners.

Other members of the FCSC, who took oath of office were: Dr Daudu Ibrahim Jalo, Obong Ededet Eyoma, Dr Charmberlain Nwele, Rufus Godwins, Dr Adamu Hussien and Aminu Nabegu.

Others are Hindatu Abdullahi, Shehu Aliyu, Odekunle Rukiyat Aduke, Sarah Adebisi Sosan and Dr Festus Oyebade.

MEANWHILE, Olaopa has said his first task as the head of the FCSC would be to make scapegoat of corrupt officials, who soil the service’s image.

Olaopa gave the hint while speaking to newsmen after his swearing in.

Fielding a question on what plans he has about reports and cases of corruption in the civil service, Olaopa, who lamented the situation, said he plans to collaborate with security and law enforcement agencies in the process of redeeming the service’s image.

“Certainly, it is very disturbing. The commission, by its conception, is supposed to be a beacon of integrity and those that founded, our predecessors in the glorious days of the service, gave civil service commission a great name.

“So, I’m disturbed by the whole cash-and-carry reputation about the commission and we will do everything possible, in collaboration with some of the intelligence and security agencies, to make a few scapegoats and communicate a new image for the commission.

“That will be our first charge and we would all be committed to bring back values, institutional values, to the public service of Nigeria,” he said.

He said the charge given to commission indicates that the Tinubu administration has put the civil service in the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“So there is a specific charge for every stakeholder, including the Office of the Head of Service, to collaborate, to come to the sense that the civil service has challenges and that we need to reposition,” he said.

According to him, repositioning means capability readiness, modernising by deploying technology, and reinstituting professionalism and competency-based human resource management.

He added that repositioning means reforming civil service to help government to deliver on its agenda.

“From the end of the commission, we want to rebrand. We want a commission that represents integrity. We want a commission that promotes the cherished values of the public service in everything that it does”, he said.

Also fielding questions, the new ICPC Chairman, Aliyu, said he would be leading the Commission by example, just as he hopes to work to realise the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“I have taken the oath of office, I’ll abide by the oath of office, and I will discharge my duties in accordance with the ICPC Act, to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President. I want to assure Nigerians and Mr President that I will lead by example and I’ll also live above board and I will abide by my oath of office,” he said.

According to a citation read by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the new ICPC Chairman served as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Jigawa State, between 2019 and 2023.

Olaopa, from Oyo State, is an academic and former Permanent Secretary, who has had a stint both at the university and served as Permanent Secretary across five ministries.