Large Unreceipted Cash Payments In Dollars Has Reduced, CBI Tells ICPC

Convention on Business Integrity (CBI) has said the incidents of large unreceipted cash payments in dollars has dramatically reduced.

CBI said when its delegation headed by Soji Apampa visited the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa A. Aliyu at the ICPC headquarters.

According to Apampa, after his organisation’s meeting with ICPC in 2019 to discuss issues around Nigeria’s ports, the Commission in collaboration with some other agencies, immediately swung into action through a sting operation.

He noted that the operation yielded positive results, which led to increased productivity and efficiency over the years.

He said: “In 2019 we recorded 266 cases of demands of large unreceipted cash payments in dollars. Because of the sting operation by ICPC, this fell to 128 incidents. At first, we thought it was because of COVID that the officials are too scared. But the following year it came down to 84 cases.

“The year after that, it fell to only 48 cases and last year there were 45 cases. So, we can see that year in, year out, it continues to fall. Productivity and efficiency have gone up as a result of all these.”

Apampa told the Chairman that because of this achievement, countries like Egypt, Ukraine and India are now working to replicate the Nigerian “miracle”.

He said: “We have also introduced it to Ghana, Senegal and Togo. And the sentiment around the world is that if Nigeria can produce something that leads to change, then it is worthy of emulation. People are happy. We are receiving requests for support.”

The CBI leader appealed to the ICPC boss to continue to partner with them to amplify this achievement in various ways considering the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) which consistently shows Nigeria as though nothing is happening.

Meanwhile, the ICPC boss noted that he was happy at the records and promised that the Commission will continue to partner with them, and give all the necessary support to sanitise our ports.

According to him, Nigeria needs business and foreign direct investment to come into the country.

“I am happy that some countries are now yearning to replicate this thing. Nigeria as a country has many good people.

“ICPC will continue to partner with you and support you because we need businesses and foreign direct investments to come into this country.

“We have to continue to partner to sanitise the ports. The fight is a collective fight by all of us,” Dr Aliyu said.