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ICPC Reviews Anti-Corruption Curriculum

Oluwasina Phillip

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of key public sector agencies of the Government are to undergo programmes on Social Norms and Behavioural Change following the review of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN).

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),

Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, said this while declaring open a three-day anti-corruption workshop for social norms, behavioural change and the review of ACAN curriculum and programmes.

The Academy, which is a training arm of the ICPC is being upgraded to accommodate the revised anti-corruption curriculum and programmes of the ACAN to enforce compliance with the public and civil service rules and law.

Owasanoye said it was imperative to combine behavioural change policy with law and order.

“Basically, what we want to do is to look critically and evaluate ACAN curriculum and programmes. How do we engage effectively with CEOs of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government?

“This project of reviewing the ACAN curriculum and programmes and the infusion of social norms and behavioural change in the revised curriculum falls within the mandates of the Commission which are enforcement, prevention, and public enlightenment and education,” he said.

Also speaking, the Provost of ACAN, Prof. Olatunde Babawale, made a presentation on the relevance of social norms and behaviour to the public sector agencies.

He listed some of the social norms to include: community expectation from people in office; community protection for persons accused or convicted of corruption and expectation of loyalty from people helped or supported into office.

Others include the expectation of donation of huge sums of money at public functions from people in high office, and government officials being expected to enrich or confer benefits on themselves from their office.

He added, “The social norms can underlie corrupt behaviour, including embezzlement, bribery, nepotism, fraud, and abuse of office. The norms can also inform, refusal to report corrupt practices and non-acceptability of anti-corruption initiatives”.

At the workshop, a Senior Research Fellow at ACAN, Dr Elijah Okebukola, gave an overview of social norms and the importance of incorporating social norms and behaviour change in the academy’s curriculum and training.

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