‘Civil servants mostly aid politicians in corrupt practices’- Kano anti-graft commission boss
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission, PCACC, has said the most corrupt practices in government are done in active connivance with civil Servants.
The commission Chairman, Barr. Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, stated this on Saturday at a capacity building organized for civil service directors on anti-corruption principles, by the anti-graft agency in collaboration with the Head of the Civil Service and International IDEA (ROLAC 11) held in Kano
Rimingado said civil servants are often coerced into corrupt acts by political officeholders.
He said, “In the 101 cases of bribery and corruption we investigated 99 percent were carried out with the active knowledge and connivance of the civil servants, making them dangerous tools for perpetuating corruption”.
According to the anti-graft agency boss, investigations had shown that highly-placed government officials engage civil servants in corrupt practices in the state.
He said that is why the commission decided to organize the capacity-building workshop for civil servants to know the dangers and repercussions of corrupt practices.
“We intend to sensitise the Civil Servant from being used by politicians against the law. They are caught in the middle of corrupt practices. All the major corrupt practices the agency is investigating in Kano, civil servants are the ingredients and tools in the hands of those elements who operate at a high level.
“Again, 90 percent of corruption cases are perpetrated through procurement services. When politicians want to steal they use procurement as cover-up.
“So we are here to sensitize them on Anti-Corruption law, public procurement and financial management laws. We are here to detail them on how to deal with the public finances of Kano State and Anti-Corruption laws and other relevant laws that will guide them on their mandates.
“We also have the local government staff here because we have a case where the politicians used local government cashiers’ personal accounts to siphon public funds. The cashiers volunteered to withdraw the monies, take them to Bureau de Change and make returns.
“We want to warn them about the consequences of corrupt acts. Whoever is found in any case of corruption will be penalized. We are determined to impose the zero tolerance to corruption principle of the state government,” he explained.
Earlier in a remark, the state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf lamented how the immediate past administration looted the state’s treasury dry, saying ” they spent all the eight years looting the state’s money”.
He urged the state civil service Directors to shun all forms of corruption and embrace honesty, dedication and selfless services for the development of the state.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Abdulsalam Gwarzo the governor said the NNPP administration is implementing zero tolerance to corruption, hence all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, should be guided.
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