The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged State Attorneys-General to uphold the rule of law by implementing the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), made the call on Monday in Akure during a one-day roundtable with South-West Attorneys-General on strengthening the Commission’s capacity for corruption prevention. The event was themed “Institutional Integrity and Regional Cooperation: The Role of Attorneys-General in Advancing a Corruption-Free South West.”
Aliyu disclosed that the ICPC had begun sensitising local government councils and citizens about the implications of the Supreme Court decision.
“There are court orders restraining us from monitoring remittances and expenditures of local government funds in some states,” he said.
“It is the duty of ministers in the temple of justice, who are empowered to enforce the law, to give effect to the Supreme Court judgment.”
He lamented that local communities across Nigeria continue to suffer from inadequate welfare and denied access to public resources, 65 years after independence.
“The ICPC cannot do it alone. Nigeria is vast, and corruption remains a complex problem that has hindered our development,” he added.
Rule of Law Depends on Character, Not Just Laws — Onigbanjo
Delivering the keynote address, former Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), stressed that the effectiveness of justice institutions hinges more on the character of officeholders than on existing legislation.
“It is not so much about the laws, but about the character of the people in these offices. Do you have a governor who wants the rule of law to thrive? Do you have an attorney-general committed to advising the executive to do the right thing?” he asked.
Onigbanjo also opposed proposals to separate the offices of Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, arguing that such a move would raise governance costs unnecessarily.
“We don’t need two Ministries of Justice. Instead, we need structural reforms, capacity building, and technology to enhance transparency and public trust,” he said.
Dignitaries in Attendance
The roundtable was attended by Attorneys-General from Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun States. Also present were the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Udende, and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Prince Kayode M. Akiolu.
