The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with other government agencies to support Federal Government’s anti-corruption campaigns.
The reaffirmation is consistent with the Commission’s recognition as an ethically compliant public institution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Director, Human Capital and Administration at the NCC, Mr. Usman Malah, who represented the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, stated this while hosting a delegation from the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), which was on a courtesy visit to commend NCC for its role in enabling the embrace of digital culture in the country.
Malah said the NCC earned a score of 81.15 per cent in the year 2020, putting it in the top 10 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government among 352 MDAs assessed on Ethics Compliance and Integrity Scorecard (ECIS) by the ICPC.
Malah told the PCC delegation that “with this performance, the Commission also emerged as the most ethically compliant government regulatory agency for the year 2020 under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.”
According to Malah, it was natural for NCC to support efforts geared toward tackling corruption in the country. Therefore, the NCC was willing to collaborate with the PCC to boost the anti-corruption campaign of the Federal Government aimed at curbing corruption and negative tendencies among the Nigerian youth.
The Commission acknowledged PCC’s enlightenment programme on anti-corruption targeted at the Nigerian public, the youths, and students, who, he said, can be great stakeholders for the sustainability of the anti-corruption campaign, and support for telecom sector initiatives to boost the national economy.
“NCC also strongly associates with the central objective of PCC, which is to redress all forms of administrative injustice in Nigeria, and the noble goal of promoting social justice, especially in a world that is increasingly complex and sophisticated for the average individual, given the rapid advancements in technology and diversity of practices,” Malah said.
Earlier, the PCC Secretary, Philip Enyali, who represented the Chief Commissioner (Ombudsman of the Federal Republic), Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf, commended Danbatta for maintaining zero tolerance for corruption and for the noble achievements of the Commission under his leadership.
Ayo-Yusuf said the NCC strides have seen the telecommunications sector contributing immensely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and overall economic growth of the nation.
Enyali stated that the PCC’s purpose of visiting the NCC was to inform the telecom regulator on the scheduled Anti-Corruption Marathon at Eagle Square, Abuja, as well as the National Youth and Students Summit which will take place later in December 2022.
“We are here to request the support and partnership of the NCC in hosting the two events targeted at curbing anti-corruption tendencies among the Nigerian youth as well as creating opportunities to discourage young people from indulging in corrupt practices,” Ayo-Yusuf said.
