The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) said on Thursday it has set up a team to monitor the spending of the COVID-19 intervention fund in the country.
This was made known in a statement by the spokesperson of the Commission, Rasheedat Okoduwa, adding that the move was in line with Section 6 (b)-(d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
According to her, the action was vital to preventing financial abuse in the management of the funds, including money donated to battle the pandemic.
The statement read: “ICPC in the execution of its preventive mandate in Section 6 (b)-(d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, has set up an independent COVID-19 Funds Monitoring Team charged with the prevention of possible financial abuses that may arise in the management of the COVID-19 special intervention funds.
“The team will monitor the disbursement and utilisation of the funds, donations and other receipts mobilised towards combating the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.”
“Its work will complement the efforts of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 with regard to transparency and accountability in the management of the funds.
“While the commission salutes all those in the frontline of battling the outbreak and everyone facilitating the national effort behind the scene, it hereby reiterates its earlier advisory to all actors in the management chain of the COVID-19 response to steer clear of all unethical and corrupt acts that could result in criminal investigation and consequences”, the ICPC said.