Lawan-Led Senate Fails To Whittle Down ICPC Chair’s Powers As Green Chamber Winds Down Without Concurrence

The Senate’s bid to amend the Act establishing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which steeply cut down on the power of the commission’s chairperson, has been rejected by the House of Representatives.

The Senate on 30th May 2023, passed the amended bill at a plenary following the consideration of a report of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes presented by its chairman, Suleiman Kwari.

The red chamber amended Section 3 of the Principal Act by inserting a new subsection 3(11), creating offices for commissioners in the commission.

The new subsection 3(11) states, “The commissioners of the commission shall have the following offices:

i. Commissioner (Investigative Matters),

ii. Commissioner (Legal Matters),

iii. Commissioner (Prevention, Systems Review and Financial Intelligence),

iv. Commissioner (Asset Recovery and Management),

v. Commissioner (Anti-Corruption Education and Mobilisation),

vi. Commissioner (Forensics and Emerging Technologies),

vii. Zonal Commissioner, North-East,

viii. Zonal Commissioner, North-Central,

ix. Zonal Commissioner, North-West,

x. Zonal Commissioner, South-East,

xi. Zonal Commissioner, South-South, and xii. Zonal Commissioner, South-West.

The amendment provided further that in assigning responsibilities to the commissioners, the President shall have regard to the appointees’ geopolitical zones and discipline.”

The amendment of Section 3 of the Principal Act and the new subsection 3(11) was believed to have reduced the powers of the ICPC Chairman and invariably reduced the powers of the ICPC itself.

On Friday, the amendment Act sought by the Senate hit a dead end.

A member of the House of Representatives stated that the amendment of the ICPC Act was against the United Nations and African Union Conventions which the country is a signatory.

The amendment bill by the Senate failed to get the concurrent of the Ninth House of Representatives before the latter’s valedictory session and shut down of the green chamber on Wednesday.

It was gathered that the House of Representatives failed to list the amended ICPC Bill forwarded by the Senate on its Order Paper despite intense pressure mounted by some senators and members of the board of ICPC.

The outgoing lawmakers were said to have ignored the amendment bill due to time limitation as it would require rigorous legislative processes and holding a public hearing.