BY EMMA PETER, ABUJA
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has called for a stronger culture of integrity in Nigeria, saying the country’s development depends on public institutions that operate transparently, responsibly and in the interest of citizens.
Aliyu made the call in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Verbatim Pillars of Integrity in Public Service Awards held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre.
The event, organised by Verbatim Magazine in partnership with the ICPC, brought together senior government officials, public institutions, members of the diplomatic corps and other stakeholders to recognise organisations that have demonstrated commitment to ethics, accountability and integrity in public service.
Representing the ICPC Chairman at the ceremony was Mr. Kupolati Kayode Olatunji, Deputy Director, System Study and Review Department, ICPC, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of the Commission’s Chairman. He also received the Pillars of Integrity Award on behalf of the ICPC.
Speaking on the theme, “The Power of Integrity in National Development: Strengthening Public Institutions, Restoring Trust, and Driving Prosperity,” Aliyu said integrity should not be viewed merely as a personal moral virtue but as a critical foundation for national development.
According to the ICPC Chairman, integrity is the invisible architecture upon which the visible structures of roads, hospitals, schools and industries are built, warning that physical development cannot be sustained where institutions are weakened by corruption, impunity and disregard for due process.
He said corruption does more than deprive government of financial resources, stressing that it also takes away opportunities and undermines the future of citizens.
“Corruption does not just steal money; it steals futures,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC Chairman noted that the Commission had prosecuted offenders, recovered assets and reviewed systems as part of its mandate, but stressed that enforcement alone could not solve Nigeria’s corruption challenges.
He said prevention, public education and the deliberate development of an ethical culture must complement prosecution.
“Prosecution, while necessary, isn’t sufficient,” he said, calling for a transition from merely reacting to corruption to building institutions where integrity becomes part of everyday practice.
Aliyu challenged public institutions to develop systems that work even when no one is watching, stressing that rules must be followed rather than circumvented and public contracts awarded on competence rather than connections.
He also called on the media, religious institutions, parents and educational institutions to play stronger roles in promoting ethical values.
The ICPC Chairman urged the media to stop glamorising unexplained wealth and called on religious institutions to preach integrity alongside other moral teachings.
He further urged parents to teach children that ill-gotten wealth should not be celebrated, noting that corruption ultimately affects the collective future of society.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, His Excellency, Senator Prof. Iyorwuese Harry Hagher, CON, said Nigeria must make integrity honourable and corruption culturally unacceptable.
Hagher said Nigerians demonstrate love and solidarity within families and communities but often fail to extend the same values into public institutions.
He warned against a culture where unexplained wealth is celebrated because of philanthropy, stressing that generosity should not be allowed to obscure wrongdoing.
According to him, awards for ethics and integrity are important instruments of moral education because they draw public attention to institutions and individuals who uphold honesty and responsibility.
“Law can punish corruption after it occurs. Culture can make corruption shameful before it occurs. Conscience can stop the hand before the crime is committed,” he said.
He called for integrity to be taught in schools, universities, religious institutions, political parties, the civil service and professional organisations, while stressing that leaders must demonstrate the values they expect citizens to uphold.
The ceremony also featured a goodwill message from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
Mrs. Onye Chinelo, Director of Administration, Code of Conduct Tribunal, represented the Chairman of the Tribunal, Dr. Mainasara Umar Kago, at the ceremony and received the Pillars of Integrity Award on behalf of the Tribunal.
Delivering the goodwill message on behalf of the Tribunal Chairman, Mrs. Chinelo said public office was a position of trust and that every public officer entrusted with responsibility was expected to exercise such responsibility honestly, impartially, transparently and accountably.
She said the Tribunal appreciated the significance of the gathering, describing it as an important platform for recognising institutions and public servants that demonstrate commitment to integrity, ethical conduct, accountability and responsible public service.
Mrs. Chinelo commended Verbatim Magazine and the ICPC for creating a platform that promotes a culture of integrity within Nigeria’s public service.
She stressed that the recognition of ministries, departments and agencies should go beyond the presentation of awards, saying it should encourage institutions to sustain the standards that earned them the recognition.
She also called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, oversight bodies, the media, civil society organisations, professional bodies and individual public officers in building an ethical public service.
Among the other institutions recognised at the ceremony were the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), alongside other ministries, departments and agencies that received recognition for their commitment to integrity and ethical public service.
The Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Dr. Basilia Igbokwe, was among the institutional leaders associated with the award recognition, with representatives of various recipient organisations receiving their honours on behalf of their respective institutions.
The awards were linked to the ICPC’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), which assesses institutional compliance with ethics and integrity standards.
The ceremony ultimately reinforced the message that the fight against corruption requires more than enforcement. It requires institutions, leaders and citizens to make integrity, accountability, transparency and responsible service enduring features of public life.
