The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has partnered with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to identify fraudulent practices that threaten the efficiency of aid delivery to vulnerable communities across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
Speaking during a familiarisation visit to the office of the UN OCHA in Maiduguri on Tuesday, the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner of the ICPC overseeing Borno and Yobe states, Linus Gubbi, said the visit was to formally introduce the agency to the organisation and create direct channels of communication between the two institutions.
He acknowledged UNOCHA’s role in coordinating life-saving humanitarian assistance, mobilising resources, and bringing relief to millions of people across the North East and the Lake Chad areas.
He said, “Our presence today is driven by three primary objectives: to formally introduce the ICPC Borno State leadership to OCHA and establish direct channels of communication between our institutions”
“To identify key areas where corruption risks, supply chain leakages and fraudulent practices threatens the efficiency of aid delivery in the region. To also lay the foundation for a robust long-term partnership that integrates anti-corruption safeguards into humanitarian frameworks,” he noted.
The ICPC boss further stated that through the partnership, the UN organisation could benefit from the agency in terms of capacity building, access to information, safe reporting and swift action.
He said, “UN OCHA could benefit from specialised training for humanitarian staff and local partners on anti-corruption protocols. Early access to information concerning suspected diversion or misuse of humanitarian resources.
“Secure direct channels for reporting corruption risks, paired with prompt, discreet investigations where infractions occur. Technical advice to strengthen internal control systems” he stated.
Gubbi however appreciated the UN for it’s open door policy, while urging them to embrace and take advantage of the partnership extended to the organisation.
“Let me express our profound appreciation to UN OCHA for the warm reception accorded to us. We profoundly acknowledge OCHA’s indispensable role in coordinating life-saving humanitarian assistance, mobilising resources, and bringing relief to millions of vulnerable people across Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and the wider Lake Chad region,” he said.
In her remarks, the Head of Office of UN OCHA, Maiduguri, Patricia Mucheche, called for capacity building to ensure that stakeholders understand accountability procedures, including how to report suspected misconduct, the processes that follow a report, expected timelines, confidentiality safeguards and possible outcomes.
She said “such clear reporting mechanisms and effective information sharing would help build stakeholder confidence and promote the responsible management of humanitarian resources”.
Mucheche, however, described the ICPC partnership as timely, while assuring that UNOCHA will continue to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure transparency in the delivery of relief to vulnerable people across the Northeast region.