By Isaac Aregbesola
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has unveiled a service charter to help track, monitor, and hold the commission accountable.
Dr Musa Aliyu, the Chairman of ICPC, who said this at the inauguration of the charter in Abuja on Tuesday, said that it
was in a bid to ensure excellent service delivery to the nation.
Represented by the commission’s secretary, Mr. Clifford Oparaodu, Aliyu said that with the charter in place, the ICPC was being repositioned to serve the nation better.
According to him, the charter will help the commission to monitor its performance rigorously, seek feedback from stakeholders, and adjust its strategies to ensure that it consistently delivers high-quality services.
“The Service Charter outlines 27 services rendered by the commission, ranging from the administrative functions such as general administration, procurement, training, and operational functions.
“The services also include investigation, prosecution, systems study and review, public enlightenment, and education.
“The Charter also lists seven performance targets and timelines for some of the administrative functions, such as acknowledgement of petitions and response to communications,“ he said.
Aliyu said that those activities were tied to timelines, which the commission was under obligation to meet.
The ICPC boss said that the charter, however, acknowledged that some of the activities could not be tied to timelines.
He listed the services that timelines could not be provided with specific accuracy to include investigation of petitions, prosecution of cases, recovery of looted funds, and benefits for petitioners and victims of corrupt activities.
He pledged the commission`s commitment to undertake, pursue, and deliver service with utmost commitment and intensity as reasonably expected.
“The charter contains obligations of the different stakeholders, including our “customers,” visitors, contractors, as well as staff, management, and the board of the commission.
“There is the Grievance Redress Mechanism, which outlines the channels for complaining when services are not rendered as they should be.
“The mechanisms include our toll-free number (0800-CALL-ICPC), the phone numbers of the complaints desk officer and the nodal officer, email addresses, and state office addresses,“ he said.
He urged all the heads of departments and resident anti-corruption commissioners to give utmost cooperation when there is a request for information on these services and during their monitoring exercises to assess service delivery.
The Nodal Officer, SERVICOM, ICPC, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, said that the charter would help the commission achieve its goals in many ways.
“It is going to improve our operational services; we now have a template in which we can hold ourselves accountable; if we are not meeting up with the standards we set, we will query ourselves.
“The public should expect a more structured, more focused ICPC in the way we do things because we now know that the public is aware that we have a service charter.
“When they write to ICPC, they are going to get a response, not just acknowledgement, within the time stated, which is 14 days; this is the standard, and it can be reviewed.
“It is to assure the public that the ICPC is listening and will serve them better,“ she said.
The National Orientation Agency`s (NOA) Nodal Officer, Mr. Obinna Nwosu, in his remarks lauded the commission for developing the charter.
He said that the unveiling of the charter showed that the commission prioritised quality service and stakeholders’ satisfaction, which is an indicator of a responsive and responsible public service.
“It is instructive to note that, as service providers, our stakeholders expect much from us, and when we match their expectations with quality service, we gain their trust.
“At NOA, we believe that quality service delivery is a result of positive values, attitudes, and behaviours. In fact, it is the bedrock of public trust,“ he said.