To enable the Area Councils Staff Pension Board (ACSPB) provide a stable and rewarding future for its “senior citizens for their meritorious service and dedication to fatherland”, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC), has inaugurated an Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) for the Board.

The Unit is expected to ensure accountability, probity and transparency in the management of staff pension funds of area councils within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

It is also to serve as an internal check mechanism, conduct periodic sensitization of staff against corruption; develop a Code of Ethics/Conduct for staff and ensure compliance with same; monitor budget implementation; carry out study and review of corruption-prone processes and procedures; and conduct preliminary investigations into complaints and reports.

In a brief ceremony which took place at the ACSPB headquarters in Abuja recently, ICPC acting Chairman, Dr. Musa Usman Abubakar, represented by Olayinka Aiyegbayo of Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED), spoke about the objective of ACTUs which was to assist in entrenching transparency and accountability in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

He noted that in view of the mandate of the Board which is to supervise pension obligations to the Area Council’s staff, it was important for it to be above board by ensuring strict adherence to operational guidelines and extant rules for better service delivery to pensioners whenever they retire from active service.