The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has recovered over N5.3bn from local government accounts in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory following a review of their finances.
The commission said it was also working with the National Information Technology Development Agency to ensure that all 774 local government areas publish their financial records and other relevant information online.
A statement on Thursday by the ICPC’s spokesman, John Odey, said the agency’s chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, disclosed this in Nasarawa State, during the kick-off of the ICPC-NITDA Local Government Websites Pilot.
Aliyu said the initiative, which began in Nasarawa, was designed to strengthen transparency and accountability at the grassroots through digital disclosure.
He said the recovery of over N5.3bn demonstrated the scale of financial risks at the local government level and the importance of scrutiny in preventing corruption.
“The ICPC has recovered over N5.3 billion from a review of local government accounts in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, and is now moving to make councils across the country publish their finances online.
“The recoveries show both the scale of the risk at the grassroots and what scrutiny can achieve, and the websites are the preventive side of the same effort,” he said.
