Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has drawn up guidelines to ward off graft practices in the management of relief funds by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
The spokesperson of the ICPC, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday. She said the guidelines were in the continued propagation of the objectives for which the commission recently set up a monitoring team to collaborate with PTF in ensuring the transparent utilization of funds, donations, and other receipts mobilized towards combating the outbreak of the virus in the country.
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The statement reads, “Salient among the several provisions of the guidelines are: first, the Bank Accounts Policy, which allows PTF chairman the discretion to designate bank accounts solely for the collection of funds and donations, as well as a specific bank account that receipts are swept into for expenditure whose signatories, though appointed by PTF chairman shall not have approving powers. Reconciliations of the accounts and books maintained shall be submitted to PTF chairman monthly.
“Also, there are the expenditures and payment provision which requires payments to vendors, suppliers and ad hoc staff to be mainly by bank transfer after they have made supplies or rendered service in order to leave trails,” the statement said in addition.
ICPC categorically stated that the PTF chairman was responsible for procurements, pointing out that all such procurements should be in strict adherence to the provisions of Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 in the emergency period.
Furthermore, all post-COVID procurements must be in sync with the full provisions of the procurement law.
The statement added that the guidelines also required all cash advances to be subject to the Financial Regulations (FR) and Public Service Rules (PSR), while petty cash advances may be made to an officer for petty cash transactions as approved by PTF chairman.
“Officials who receive such advances shall be personally accountable and financially liable for the custody and management of the advances. They must account for the advances at any given time and are to report weekly to the chairman or as he may direct.
”What is more, the guidelines make quite useful and specific provisions to take care of approval thresholds, audit, monitoring, and evaluation, while encouraging the task force to engage the active participation of individuals or groups outside the public sector to enhance accountability, transparency and promote public participation and contribution.
“This is to ensure that information is made available to the public and for them to provide feedback through ICPC toll-free telephone lines, email, social media platforms, etc to eliminate the suspicion of corruption,” the commission concluded.
ICPC said the guidelines should not apply to donations and receipts from the private sector unless given to the task force to manage.
ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, had set up the independent COVID-19 Funds Monitoring Team with the responsibility of preventing possible financial abuses that may arise in the management of the funds.
