The controller-general of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Haliru Nababa, has warned officers and men of the service not to compromise their positions, as anyone found culpable would be severely sanctioned.

Mr Nababa said this at a one-day lecture to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day 2023 on Thursday in Abuja.

The Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the NCoS organised the event in partnership with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters Commission (ICPC) to mark the 2023 International Anti-corruption Day.

The prisons boss said Nigerian leaders had recently prioritised the anti-corruption campaign in their policy directions, signalling the level of damage corrupt practices had visited on the country. He also said the position was further emphasised by Nigeria’s current rating in the global corruption perception index.

“It is on the strength of the above that the NCoS has keyed into this firm anti-corruption posture of the federal government in actualising its statutory mandate,” he said.

Mr Nababa said the theme for this year’s celebration, ‘Uniting the World Against Corruption,’ was apt and underscores the fact that corruption is a global phenomenon.

“No doubt, if all national governments make individual commitments to this noble cause through integrity and forthrightness, the entire world will be the better for it,” he said.

According to him, today’s event offers yet another opportunity to chart this cause further.

“For us in the NCoS, our call to shun all corrupt tendencies is a higher one, considering the sensitivity of our mandate and the need to promote a high sense of morality, discipline, probity and professionalism. Our zero tolerance for any form of sharp practice among officers and men has remained sacrosanct.

“The service has never hesitated to sanction any personnel found culpable of any established corrupt practice and has responsibly supported all anti-corruption organs of government in carrying out their operations as it concerns our service and personnel,” Mr Nababa explained.

The prisons chief reiterated the commitment of his administration to fight corruption, saying the authorities of the service had kept its personnel on the path of development through due diligence. He added that the service had also maintained a commendable rating in the ICPC’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard for several years.

Mr Nababa called on all officers and men to imbibe the core values of the service, which revolved around discipline, patriotism, integrity and professionalism. He charged them to pay attention to standard operating procedures of government and due process at all times.

ICPC chairman Musa Aliyu commended the efforts of the management and staff of the NCoS for the bold initiative.

(NAN)