The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has charged its newly recruited officers to uphold integrity, transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in the discharge of their official responsibilities.
Chairman of the Commission, Dr Muhammed Bello Shehu, gave the charge at the opening of a five-day sensitisation and capacity-building workshop organised by the Commission’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) for newly recruited officers at its headquarters and state offices across the North-West geopolitical zone.
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The workshop,was organised in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Representing the RMAFC Chairman at the event, the Federal Commissioner representing Kwara State and Provost of ACTU, Hon. Ismail Muhammed Agaka, said the workshop was part of the Commission’s broader efforts to strengthen a culture of integrity and compliance with the principles of legality, accountability, transparency and due process.
He conveyed Shehu’s appreciation to the ICPC for its continued partnership with RMAFC in promoting integrity and accountability in public service.
According to him, RMAFC’s constitutional responsibilities place the Commission at the centre of Nigeria’s fiscal governance, requiring officers to demonstrate not only competence and diligence but also an uncompromising commitment to integrity.
Shehu said public trust could only be sustained when public officers discharged their duties honestly, transparently and responsibly in the overall interest of Nigerians.
He stressed that the fight against corruption was not the responsibility of ACTU or ICPC alone, but a collective responsibility shared by every public officer entrusted with public resources and official responsibilities.
“Every decision we take, every public resource we handle and every official process we undertake must withstand the tests of legality, accountability, fairness and transparency,” he said.
The RMAFC Chairman warned that corruption could manifest beyond bribery and diversion of public funds to include abuse of office, conflict of interest, favouritism, manipulation of official processes and deliberate disregard for established rules and procedures.
He therefore urged the participants to cultivate a culture where integrity was not merely preached but demonstrated through their daily conduct, professional decisions and interactions with members of the public.
Shehu also encouraged the officers to take full advantage of the training by engaging actively with resource persons and translating the knowledge acquired into improved professional conduct and service delivery.
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“As officers of the Commission, we must be above reproach. Let integrity guide our decisions, accountability define our actions, and service to the Nation remain our overriding commitment,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of ACTU, Dr Idris Musa, described the fight against corruption as a collective responsibility of all public servants.
Musa urged participants to ensure that their decisions and actions were guided by integrity and accountability, warning against practices capable of undermining public confidence in government institutions.
He specifically cautioned against abuse of office, conflict of interest, favouritism, manipulation of official processes and disregard for established rules and procedures.
The ACTU Chairman also called on the officers to uphold transparency and accountability in the management of public resources and execution of official duties.
Representing the ICPC, Assistant Director, Public Education, Dr Anike Adeshina, said the sensitisation workshop was part of the Federal Government’s broader anti-corruption efforts aimed at inducting new employees into a culture of ethical and responsible public service.
She said the programme would strengthen participants’ understanding of the need to conduct government business in accordance with established laws, regulations, procedures and ethical standards.
Adeshina urged the officers to promote and protect integrity in the workplace while rejecting practices that contravene public service ethics, commending the RMAFC Chairman for organising the programme.
Some participants expressed optimism that the training would strengthen their ethical conduct and improve service delivery across the Commission.
An Accountant at the RMAFC Zamfara State office, Aminu Sani, said the training would provide him with additional knowledge and experience to effectively discharge his responsibilities.
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Similarly, Aminu Ibrahim Imam, a Manager and Chartered Accountant in the Audit Department, identified accountability, transparency and integrity as key values expected of participants after the workshop.
He noted that the principles were particularly important to RMAFC given the Commission’s critical role in the management and allocation of the nation’s revenue.