In 2003, the Federal government considered and approved the request of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to establish the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) in MDAs. In the year 2014, operations and adoptions of ACTUs started across the Federation. On 26th July 2019, the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy was inaugurated. The Unit consists of members from the various departments in the Ministry
7.1-2: Cases involving Ministers and Permanent Secretaries shall be copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of Civil Service of the Federation respectively, for the information of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; while those involving Managing Directors, Directors-General or Executive Secretaries shall be copied to the supervising Minister as the case may be.
7.1-3: The UNIT shall monitor, report on and provide advice with respect to compliance with the prohibitions covering behaviours that bear on corrupt practices as contained in the following sections of the ICPC “Corrupt Practices Act 2000, as follows:
a) Section 8: Gratification by an official
b) Section 9: Corrupt offer to the public officers
c) Section 10: Corrupt demand by persons
d) Section 11: Counseling offences relating to corruption
e) Section 12: Fraudulent acquisition of property
f) Section 13: Fraudulent receipt of property
g) Section 14: Penalty of offences committed through postal system
h)Section15: Deliberate frustration of investigation by the Commission
i) Section 16: Making false statement or return
j) Section 17: Gratification by and through agents, and definition of agent
k) Section 18: Bribery of public officer
l) Section 19: Offences of using offices and position for gratification
m) Section 20: Penalty for offences under section 8-19
n) Section 21: Bribery in relation to auctions
o) Section 22: Bribery for giving assistance etc, in regard to contracts
p) Section 23: Duty to report bribery transactions
q) Section 24: Dealing with, using, holding, receiving or concealing gratification
r) Section 25: Making of statement which is false or intended to mislead, etc.
s) Section 26: Attempts, preparations, abetments and criminal conspiracies punishable as offence, delegation of Attorney-General’s power to prosecute.
t) Section 27: Power to investigate reports and enquire into information
7.1-4. The UNIT shall undertake the preliminary investigation of each petition with minimum delay and forward findings to the Commission. The decision as to whether further investigation and possible prosecution should be undertaken shall be that of the Commission as provided in the Act 2000.
MANDATE OF THE UNIT
1. To identify, monitor and manage risks to the Ministry’s integrity systems. 2. Promote prevention strategies to mitigate integrity vulnerabilities and ethical breaches 3. Design compliance programs to ensure adherence to statutory standards, rules, regulations, codes, laws, procedures, timelines, with respect to the implementation of ethics and integrity regime within the Ministry 4. Implement capacity development programs to empower and enhance ethics capabilities 5. Provide tools on how to resolve ethical dilemmasPOWERS AND FUNCTIONS
7.1-1: The UNIT shall perform all the duties detailed in Section 6 (a)-(f) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act (2000), except that of prosecution. It shall report all allegation of corruption to the Commission. Copies shall be sent to the Permanent Secretary, Director-General or Executive Secretary, except where any of the aforementioned officers is directly involved.7.1-2: Cases involving Ministers and Permanent Secretaries shall be copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of Civil Service of the Federation respectively, for the information of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; while those involving Managing Directors, Directors-General or Executive Secretaries shall be copied to the supervising Minister as the case may be.
7.1-3: The UNIT shall monitor, report on and provide advice with respect to compliance with the prohibitions covering behaviours that bear on corrupt practices as contained in the following sections of the ICPC “Corrupt Practices Act 2000, as follows:
a) Section 8: Gratification by an official
b) Section 9: Corrupt offer to the public officers
c) Section 10: Corrupt demand by persons
d) Section 11: Counseling offences relating to corruption
e) Section 12: Fraudulent acquisition of property
f) Section 13: Fraudulent receipt of property
g) Section 14: Penalty of offences committed through postal system
h)Section15: Deliberate frustration of investigation by the Commission
i) Section 16: Making false statement or return
j) Section 17: Gratification by and through agents, and definition of agent
k) Section 18: Bribery of public officer
l) Section 19: Offences of using offices and position for gratification
m) Section 20: Penalty for offences under section 8-19
n) Section 21: Bribery in relation to auctions
o) Section 22: Bribery for giving assistance etc, in regard to contracts
p) Section 23: Duty to report bribery transactions
q) Section 24: Dealing with, using, holding, receiving or concealing gratification
r) Section 25: Making of statement which is false or intended to mislead, etc.
s) Section 26: Attempts, preparations, abetments and criminal conspiracies punishable as offence, delegation of Attorney-General’s power to prosecute.
t) Section 27: Power to investigate reports and enquire into information
7.1-4. The UNIT shall undertake the preliminary investigation of each petition with minimum delay and forward findings to the Commission. The decision as to whether further investigation and possible prosecution should be undertaken shall be that of the Commission as provided in the Act 2000.
