The Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) in Zamfara State has emerged first among Nigerian federal universities in the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Ethics and Integrity Compliance list.

This was contained in a statement issued by the FUGUS spokesperson on Saturday.

The statement also said university was ranked number 32 out of 368 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) assessed by the ICPC in 2023.

It noted: “The Commission is inclined to initiatives, measures and programmes that hold public agencies, bodies and their officials accountable and ethical.

“This disposition is founded on the preventive mandate of its establishment Law, the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.

“It is in the best interest and advancement of public institutions and the nation that ethics and compliance are understood, imbibed and made the foundation of public agencies operations and activities.

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“In ensuring that organisations work in line with ethical provisions, the Commission has since 2019 deployed the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS).

“This tool basically measures three key Performance Indicators (KPI), namely, Management Culture and Structure, Financial Management System and Administrative System along with sub indicators under each KPI.

“The aim of the EICS deployment in MDAs is to diminish corruption risks, system abuse and to revive ethics and integrity benchmarks in government offices while ensuring good service delivery.

“For 2023, the tool was deployed between March and July, 2023 in 404 MDAs. A total of 368 made responses on the assessment and were rated according to their level and degrees of compliance.

“The 36 MDAs who declined to make any response were classified as Non-Responsive; and Highly Corruption Risk Agencies (HCRAs) and are envisaged for further inquiries and actions by the Commission.”

Speaking on the development, the FUGUS Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mu’azu Abubakar Gusau, said the news did not come to him as a surprise because he had put all measures in place in the university to ensure ethics and integrity compliance are promoted and sustained in the institution as requested by the ICPC.

He, however, called on staff and all students’ anti-corruption associations to support him in getting rid of all forms of corruption in the university.

Idris Salisu

The Star