The Federal Ministry of Education has inaugurated its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) Committee, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and ethical governance in the education sector.
The inauguration, held in Abuja, aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is aimed at reinforcing institutional integrity, promoting due process and enhancing effective public service delivery.
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Speaking at the ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, described ACTU as a vital preventive mechanism for entrenching ethical conduct, ensuring compliance with public service regulations and promoting transparency across the Ministry and its agencies.
He stressed that as the institution responsible for formulating and implementing national education policies, the Federal Ministry of Education must uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability to sustain public confidence and deliver quality education.
Enitan identified corruption as one of the greatest obstacles to national development, noting that it weakens institutions, diverts resources meant for education and undermines public trust. He charged members of the newly inaugurated committee to discharge their responsibilities with courage, diligence, patriotism and impartiality.
The Permanent Secretary also urged staff of the Ministry to embrace its EPIC values—Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centred—describing integrity as the foundation for excellence in public service and improved educational outcomes. He assured the committee of management’s full support in carrying out its mandate.
Representing the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, the Commission’s representative, Mr. Olusegun Adigun, commended the Ministry for revitalising its ACTU, describing the move as a major milestone in strengthening the Ministry’s internal anti-corruption framework.
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Adigun explained that ACTU, established through collaboration between the ICPC and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, serves as a preventive and advisory mechanism for institutionalising integrity and accountability in the public service.
He noted that although the Ministry previously had an ACTU, its activities were not sustained, adding that the reconstituted committee would operate in line with the 2023 Standing Order for the Operation of ACTU in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to him, the committee will spearhead anti-corruption awareness campaigns, ethics promotion, corruption risk assessments, system reviews, budget implementation monitoring, promotion of the Ethics and Integrity Pledge, as well as preliminary investigations into complaints relating to unethical conduct.
Earlier, the Director of Special Duties, Mr. Murtala Tanko, described the inauguration as a demonstration of the Ministry’s commitment to institutionalising transparency, preventing corruption and promoting ethical standards across its departments, agencies and schools.
Responding on behalf of the committee, its Chairman, Mr. Malik Guni Kuje, expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in members and pledged to provide transparent, accountable and collaborative leadership.
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He assured that the committee would strengthen preventive measures against corruption through sustained sensitisation, policy reviews and strict compliance with public service rules and ICPC guidelines, while working to make the Federal Ministry of Education a model of integrity, accountability and good governance.
The event featured the administration of the Oath of Allegiance on members of the committee, underscoring the Ministry’s renewed commitment to ethical governance, institutional excellence and the transparent management of public resources in advancing quality education in Nigeria.