CACOL condemns 92 MDAs for ignoring anti-corruption mandate
By Kehinde Olatunji
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has condemned the refusal of some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government (MDAs) to set up Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) in their respective organizations.
In a statement on Wednesday, signed by the Director of Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo, on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated that the revelation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that 92 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have failed to establish Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs), more than two decades after the Federal Government mandated their creation, is not only alarming but a damning indictment of the pervasive culture of impunity and institutional resistance to transparency in Nigeria’s public sector.
The Commission also disclosed that, of the 303 MDAs assessed as of the end of 2024, only 84 have functional ACTUs.
It noted that another 127 operate with weak or ineffective units, while five have units existing in name only, undermining the fight against institutional corruption.
“This disclosure, made public during an investigative hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption on Tuesday, confirms what civil society organizations and anti-corruption watchdogs have long feared: that many MDAs have willfully refused to prioritize integrity, accountability, and openness in governance.”
More disheartening is the disturbing pattern that even the organisation also noted that, in MDAs where ACTUs exist, these units have largely become compromised and co-opted by the very institutions they were meant to oversee.
“Most ACTUs have become ceremonial structures, lacking the independence, will, or authority to challenge perennial corruption or enforce ethical conduct in the various organizations where they are domiciled.
“Their inability to make any remarkable impact in curbing corruption within their respective MDAs underscores the need for urgent reform. This situation betrays the spirit and intent behind the establishment of ACTUs and weakens public confidence in the Federal Government’s fight against corruption.
“The ICPC itself is not diligent in following up on the MDAs. There ought to be a system in place where the ICPC would be able to prosecute and sanction heads of erring MDAs because it is a gross violation of extant laws.
“Also, the revelation showed that the legislative committee that is vested with the oversight functions of those MDAs and the ICPC itself had been very weak in their oversight functions because they ought to have discovered this anomaly long ago.
“Since ICPC is under the Presidency, the Presidency should also ensure that all those appointed into various positions carry out their duties completely without letting anything out since they are funded to perform these functions.”
The group therefore recommended that ACTU members should be individuals of proven integrity who are not direct staff of the MDAs they are tasked to monitor.
This, the organisation argued, will help insulate them from internal pressures, victimisation, and administrative interference.
Additionally, CACOL suggested that the Federal Government should consider including credible civil society actors in ACTUs, particularly those who have demonstrated a consistent commitment to anti-corruption and transparency advocacy.
Furthermore, CACOL emphasised the need for a clear legislative and institutional framework that guarantees the independence, protection, and operational autonomy of ACTUs across all MDAs.
It also called on the National Assembly and relevant oversight bodies to enforce sanctions against any MDA that fails to comply with this critical anti-corruption mandate.
