INVESTIGATION OF THE EFCC AND ICPC AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE

INVESTIGATION OF THE EFCC AND ICPC AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Background of the Study

On the international stage, countries and nations that have good governance are those in which individuals and institutions are known to demonstrate a high sense of accountability and transparency. These countries and nations also observe the rule of law, respect human rights, and many other important norms and values (Adamolekun, 2021). Accountability stands out as the most important characteristic of successful government, and it is included on this list. According to Ezeibe and Iwuoha (2011), accountability is the fundamental prerequisite for preventing the abuse of power and for ensuring that power is directed towards the achievement of efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, and transparency in the business of government. Furthermore, accountability is the fundamental prerequisite for ensuring that power is directed towards the achievement of efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, and transparency in the business of government. The responsibility for accountability must be shouldered by both the public and private sectors of each and every economy (Adamolekun, 2021). Accountability in the public service is given a greater degree of significance as a direct result of the enormous amount of duty that is placed on it (the public service). According to Agbese (2021), the provision of public services has been a driving force behind economic growth in countries still in the process of industrialization. According to Adamolekun (2021), the responsibility of putting policy decisions into action and providing residents with services that are of value comes squarely within the purview of the public sector. In certain instances as well as in the majority of them (particularly in the nations of the third world such as Nigeria), the problem of accountability continues to be an open subject. This highlights the fact that organizations in Nigeria such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) came into being as a result of the country's political and economic climate (Agara et al., 2021). According to the self-restraining theory of the political science discipline, democratic governments and institutions are unable to solve all of the social, economic, and political problems that they face (Agara et al., 2021). Nna and Jacob (2012:116) explain that the self-restraining theory is home grown machinery that is directed on independent, non-elective specialized bodies of oversight. It is evident that democratic governments and institutions are unable to solve all of the social, economic, and political problems These entities are independent institutions of accountability that are meant to be immune to the influence of powerful individuals and the government. In other words, these institutions are able to boldly supervise the activities of individuals and other institutions (including those institutions that created them) in the three tiers of government, and they are expected to present an impartial and unquestionable report card that is free from any form of interference (Agara et al., 2021). The Nigerian government established a number of agencies, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), amongst others, in order to assist in the upkeep of good governance and credible leadership. This was done in addition to the regular institutions of the state, which are the judiciary, the legislature, and the (Adamolekun, 2021). It is a matter of public record that the EFCC and ICPC have been operational for more than five (5) years; nonetheless, there are claims and counter – claims regarding the accomplishments of these two organisations (Agbese, 2021). Within this context, the purpose of this study is to evaluate how the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) has affected public service accountability in Nigeria. The outcomes of this investigation will give some recommendations for the next steps to take.

1.2      Statement of the Problem

There is a general opinion that the public service has failed to achieve the purpose for which it was established, many have also have opined that the public service is an epitome of inefficiency, corruption and laziness, it also constitute a cog in the wheel of implementation of government policies (Adamolekun, 2021). Esu and Inyang noted that the Nigerian nation has been beset with the problems of integrity, transparency and accountability thus the EFCC and ICPC were establish to drive Nigeria quest for transparency and accountability and well as overall good  governance Feature of good governance include, accountability, transparency (openness), maintenance of rule of law, non-violation of human rights etc. EFCC and ICPC are to fight social vices such as corruption especially bribery, gratification, misuse of official privileges, financial crimes such as advance fee fraud, money laundering etc. success in the fight against these vices will no doubt improve our rating in the global transparency  index (Agbese, 2021). There are, however, conflicting opinions among the public and researchers as to what EFCC and ICPC have or have not achieved. This study therefore intends to investigate the influence EFCC and ICPC have had on public service accountability; it will also investigate how the roles of the two bodies are perceived and finally proper suggestions on how their performance can be improved.

BUY THIS TOPIC ON WHATSAPP

Related Project Materials

ABSTRACT

This work presents the design, fabrication and performance evaluation of a multiple sandcrete blocks moulding machine (MSBMM) fo...

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Micro-finance is the supply of loans, savings, and other basic financial servic...

ABSTRACT

The general objective of this study is to determine The effect of teenage pregnancies on the academic progr...