The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has drawn up guidelines for Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Management.
It will no longer be business as usual as the Chairman of the ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye has drawn up corruption prevention guidelines for the management of relief funds by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Commission, Rasheedat Okoduwa, the guidelines are in furtherance of the objective for which the Commission recently set up a monitoring team to collaborate with the PTF in ensuring the transparent utilisation of funds, donations and other receipts mobilised towards combating the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus disease in the country.
Among several provisions of the guidelines, only the PTF Chairman shall have powers on the bank accounts solely designated for the collection of funds and donations, as well as a specific bank account that receipts are swept into for expenditure.
Reconciliations of the accounts and books maintained shall also be submitted to the PTF Chairman monthly.
Also, there is the expenditures and payments provision which require payments to vendors, suppliers and ad-hoc staff to be mainly by bank transfer after they have made supplies or rendered service in order to leave trails.
The responsibility for procurements rests on the shoulders of the PTF Chairman and all such procurements are required to adhere to the provisions of Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 in the emergency period.
All post-COVID procurements must comply fully with the comprehensive provisions of the procurement law.
The guidelines also require all cash advances to be subject to the Financial Regulations and Public Service Rules .
Petty cash advances may be made to an officer for petty cash transactions as approved by the PTF Chairman and such advances shall be personally accountable and financially liable for the custody and management of the advances. They must account for the advances at any given time and are to report weekly to the Chairman or as he may direct.
The ICPC said the idea is to ensure that information is made available to the public and for them to provide feedback through the ICPC toll-free telephone lines, email, social media platforms, etc. to eliminate the suspicion of corruption.
The guidelines shall not apply to donations and receipts from the private sector unless they are given to the Task Force to manage.
ICPC Chairman had set up the Independent COVID-19 Funds Monitoring Team with the responsibility of preventing possible financial abuses that may arise in the management of these funds.
Owasanoye would be working in collaboration with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to ensure value for money, fairness, transparency, accountability, and integrity, in order that the COVID-19 funds achieve their intended outcomes in the overall interest of the country.
