The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening integrity, transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.
The Chairman of the Commission, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, stated this at the opening of a five-day sensitisation and capacity-building workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) for newly recruited officers at the Commission’s headquarters and state offices in the North-West geopolitical zone.
The programme is aimed at strengthening ethical conduct and promoting accountability among staff of the Commission.
Speaking through the Federal Commissioner representing Kwara State and Provost of ACTU in the Commission, Hon. Ismail Muhammed Agaka, Shehu appreciated the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for its continued partnership with RMAFC in strengthening integrity, accountability and transparency in the public service.
According to a statement by Maryam Umar Yusuf, the Chairman noted that the constitutional responsibilities entrusted to RMAFC placed the Commission at the centre of Nigeria’s fiscal governance and required not only competence and diligence but also an uncompromising commitment to integrity.
He said public trust was earned when public officers discharged their duties honestly, transparently and responsibly in the overall interest of the public.
Shehu emphasised that the fight against corruption was not the responsibility of ACTU or ICPC alone, but a personal and institutional responsibility shared by every public officer entrusted with public resources, official responsibilities and the affairs of government.
“Every decision we take, every public resource we handle and every official process we undertake must withstand the tests of legality, accountability, fairness and transparency.”
He posited that corruption did not begin only with the taking of bribes or diversion of public funds, but could also manifest through abuse of office, conflict of interest, favouritism, manipulation of official processes and deliberate disregard for established rules and procedures.
Shehu therefore charged officers to develop a culture in which integrity was not merely preached but consistently demonstrated through their daily conduct, professional decisions and interactions with members of the public.
He urged participants to take full advantage of the five-day programme by deepening their knowledge, engaging actively with resource persons and translating the lessons learnt into improved professional conduct and service delivery in their respective offices.
“As officers of the Commission, we must be above reproach. Let integrity guide our decisions, accountability define our actions, and service to the Nation remain our overriding commitment,” he said.
The RMAFC chairman further advised participants to regard the workshop as an important foundation for their professional careers and encouraged them to demonstrate humility, mutual respect and professionalism in their dealings with colleagues and members of the public.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of ACTU in the Commission, Dr Idris Musa, also emphasised the need for every public servant to recognise the fight against corruption as a collective responsibility.
Musa urged participants to ensure that their decisions and actions were consistently guided by integrity and accountability in the interest of the nation.
He cautioned officers against practices capable of undermining public confidence in government institutions, including abuse of office, conflict of interest, favouritism, manipulation of official processes and deliberate disregard for established rules and procedures.
The ACTU chairman called on participants to uphold transparency and accountability in the handling of public resources and execution of official responsibilities, stressing that the conduct of public officers must continually justify the confidence and trust reposed in them by Nigerians.
In her remarks, the ICPC representative at the occasion, Dr Anike Adeshina, an Assistant Director of Public Education, said the sensitisation workshop was part of the broader anti-corruption drive of the Federal Government.
She said the programme was designed, among other objectives, to induct new staff into a culture of ethical and responsible public service.
Adeshina added that the workshop sought to strengthen participants’ understanding of the importance of conducting government business in accordance with established laws, regulations, procedures and ethical standards.
She explained that participants were expected to develop a deeper appreciation of the need to promote and protect integrity within the workplace while actively rejecting practices that contradicted the ethics of the public service.
She commended the RMAFC chairman for organising the workshop.