The Senate has passed a bill to amend the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Act.
But little was known about the details of what the senators passed in the “committee of the whole” when they considered 70 clauses seeking to amend the principal act of ICPC.
What was widely reported was that the upper legislative chamber amended section 25 of the law establishing the anti-graft commission to imprison writers of false petitions for two years without an option of fine.
While presenting his report, Chairman of the Senate Anti-corruption Committee, Abdu Kwari, had said there was need to make the punishment for writing false petitions stringent to deter people from misleading the commission.
Contributing to the debate, the Senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero, said people, including senators, suffer in the hands of the commission as a result of false petitions.
Details of the bill, however, show how the senators whittled down the chairman’s powers.
By virtue of the modifications, the ICPC chair will be a figurehead and will be susceptible to contestations within the commission.
ICPC chair’s powers whittled down
Section 7(1) of the ICPC principal act provides that “the chairman may issue administrative orders to be called ‘standing orders’, which shall conform with the provisions of the general control, training, duties and responsibilities of officers of the commission, and for such other matters as may be necessary or expedient for the good administration of the commission and to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the commission.”
However, the senate amended the provision and substituted “chairman” with the word “commission”.
The amendments made by the senators provide that the commission would have “deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, superintendents, assistant superintendent, senior investigators, investigators” in section 4(7) – the make up of the anti-graft agency.
