By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has convened a high-level strategic roundtable with Attorneys-General from the South-East geopolitical zone.
The move is part of efforts to reinforce institutional integrity and advance the fight against corrupt practices at the subnational level.
The one-day engagement, held in Enugu State, brought together Attorneys-General from Enugu, Abia, Anambra, and Ebonyi States, the Chief Judge of Enugu State, senior ICPC officials, legislative leaders, civil society advocates, and governance experts.
It was part of ICPC’s nationwide push to deepen preventive anti-corruption strategies, foster institutional collaboration, and domesticate integrity-based practices across state structures.
Speaking during the event, Enugu State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kingsley Tochi Udeh, described the roundtable as “timely and strategic,” given rising demands for accountability, public trust, and transparency in governance.
“As Attorneys-General, we stand at the intersection of law, governance, and public trust. Our duty goes beyond prosecution, we must actively work to design and sustain systems strong enough to prevent corruption before it occurs,” he stressed.
Dr. Udeh reaffirmed Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to institutional reform, citing several initiatives currently underway in the South-East State, including the domestication of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS); development of a Code of Conduct for public officials; and the integration of compliance mechanisms across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government.
Udeh commended the ICPC’s new approach to partnering with state governments, describing the shift from reactive enforcement to preventive collaboration as “a welcome evolution and a much-needed course correction.”
Delivering the keynote address, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, emphasized that sustainable anti-corruption efforts require consistent, multi-level cooperation between federal institutions and state governments.
“The preventive approach remains central to our mandate at the ICPC. Real success in the anti-corruption fight must be grounded in systemic reform and inter-governmental synergy,” he said.
Dr. Aliyu acknowledged the strategic role that Attorneys-General play in leading state-level reforms and fostering a culture of ethical compliance within public institutions.
Also contributing to the discourse, former Attorney-General of Kano State, Dr. Ibrahim Mukhtar, proposed the establishment of state-level anti-corruption forums led by Attorneys-General, supported by ICPC, civil society organizations, and government agencies.
These fora, he noted, could serve as localized think tanks for policy development, monitoring, and implementation.
On the legislative front, Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Udende, reassured participants of the National Assembly’s full backing for anti-corruption reforms at both national and sub-national levels.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Kayode Moshood Akiolu, pledged sustained parliamentary support for ICPC-led initiatives.
The roundtable also featured technical presentations on a range of subjects, including corruption risk assessments, inter-agency coordination frameworks, legal compliance toolkits, and global best practices in institutional integrity.
For Enugu State, the engagement underscored the Mbah administration’s reform-driven agenda which prioritizes transparency, rule of law, and ethical governance as cornerstones of public service.
The event marked a significant step toward building a resilient, corruption-resistant governance culture across Nigeria’s federating units, setting the tone for future collaborations between federal anti-graft agencies and state legal institutions.
