Budget tracking, tax interventions… ICPC recovers ‘N117bn in eight months’

Bolaji Owasanoye, chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), says the agency has recovered over N117 billion between January and August 2022.

According to a statement on Thursday, Azuka Ogugua, ICPC spokesperson, said Owasanoye spoke when he appeared before the house of representatives committee on anti-corruption to defend the agency’s 2023 budget.

Giving a breakdown of the recoveries, the ICPC boss said N1.413 billion and $225,965 is in the ICPC/TSA recovery account, while N1.264 billion was recovered cash through tax intervention.

Owasanoye listed other recoveries to include plots of land, completed buildings, vehicles, electronics, and jewellery valued at N679.13 million, N2.603 billion, N81.1 million, N1.55 million, and N195,500, respectively.

According to the ICPC chairman, 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),” the statement reads.

Owasanoye listed other achievements to include “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 Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs); 14 corruption monitoring activities undertaken; and public enlightenment and education of Nigerians on and against corruption through various platforms”.