Nigeria’s Supreme Court and 14 other government bodies have failed ethics and integrity tests for 2024, the latest in the annual series of assessments by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ICPC report is consistent with general perception of pervasive corruption and irregularities in the judiciary, which both serving and retiring justices of the Supreme Court have confirmed at various times.
The ICPC unveiled the 2024 Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) at its headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
The anti-corruption agency said none of the 330 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) assessed in 2024 achieved full compliance.
The assessment covered key indicators, including Management Culture and Structure (MCS); Governance and Executive Management; Financial Management Systems (FMS); Finance, Revenue, and Audit Processes; and Administrative Systems (AS), which encompass policies, ethics education, and whistle-blowing mechanisms.
It was revealed that the 15 non-compliant MDAs failed due to systemic issues such as the absence of whistleblower policies, inadequate strategic plans, and ineffective stock verification systems.
More so, many of the institutions examined also failed to produce financial reports or conduct audits, further contributing to the erosion of public trust.
The Supreme Court and others at the bottom of the list scored zero per cent overall, compared with an agency like the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which scored 89.75 per cent.
The 15 institutions with 0.00 score include: Supreme Court of Nigeria, Nigeria Press Council (NPC), Legal Aid Council (LAC), National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), and Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON).
The rest are Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Gombe; National Obstetrics Fistula Centre, Ningi, Bauchi State; Institute of Archaeology and Museum Studies, Jos; Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State; Federal College of Forestry Mechanization (FCFM), Mando, Kaduna State; Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State; and Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, and University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Strengthening the perception of extensive judicial corruption and lack of transparency in the institution, a retiring Justice of the Supreme Court, Dattiji Mummad, in his valedictory remarks in October last year, made scathing comments about alleged corrupt handling of the judiciary’s funds and the judiciary’s affairs.
He said this questionable conduct permeated the Nigerian judiciary from the Supreme Court down the country’s court hierarchies.
Earlier in May in 2023, a retiring Justice of the Supreme Court, Ejembi Eko, similarly lamented the corruption in the Nigerian judiciary, especially in the handling of its finances. He, therefore, called on anti-graft agencies to probe the financial records of the judiciary.
The ICPC report comes amid ripples generated by activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi’s book, alleging widespread corrupt practices in the Supreme Court and other courts.
The book, a raw and unfiltered account of the author’s views about the Nigerian justice system, is titled, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
Mr Farotimi is facing criminal and civil defamation cases as a result of the book.
High performing agencies and other findings
A review of the report by PREMIUM TIMES showed some high performers, including JAMB with 89.75 per cent.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), scored 88.73 per cent, while the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) scored 88.73 per cent
ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, represented by spokesperson Demola Bakare at the unveiling of the report on Thursday, noted the commission’s role in fostering compliance through the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) in MDAs.
He said the units are expected to monitor the effectiveness of accountability systems within institutions, contributing to improved service delivery and public welfare.
Mr Bakare said out of the MDAs evaluated, 29.55 per cent obtained substantial compliance, 51.62 per cent had partial compliance, and 15.91 per cent showed poor compliance.
While only 2.92 per cent were deemed completely non-compliant.
Risk assessment plan
“Common gaps included a lack of whistle-blower policies, strategic plans, and effective stock verification units.
“Many MDAs failed to conduct any forms of system studies or render financial and audit reports,” he noted.
He said while ICPC continues to enforce penalties for non-compliance, the commission’s primary focus is on helping agencies align with ethical standards.
“Our approach is to support MDAs in improving their internal systems, but if they fail to comply after due processes, we will pursue legal action,” said Mr Bakare.
“The Supreme Court of Nigeria, for example, has been flagged for non-responsiveness to several requests and will be closely monitored in the coming year.”
Mr Bakare said the commission is set to launch sectorial rankings of government agencies, including corruption risk assessments, aimed at identifying high-risk institutions and guiding them toward better compliance.
“We’re taking a proactive approach by assessing corruption risks in sectors and enforcing accountability,” Mr Bakare added. “While we understand the challenges in many MDAs, we are committed to using these rankings to prioritise reforms.”
Whistleblower, recovery
On the issue of whistleblower protection, Mr Bakare reassured the public that it is dedicated to safeguarding individuals who report corruption.
He said that there have been no recent reports of retaliation because ICPC has intervened in the past to protect whistleblowers.
Mr Bakare explained that between December 2023 and December 2024, the ICPC tracked 1,500 projects across 22 states valued at N610 billion.
He said during this period, the commission recovered N346 million in cash and assets worth N400 million and helped the government save N30 billion.
“Many of these projects were either abandoned or poorly executed due to lack of oversight,” Mr Bakare noted. “Our focus is on ensuring that the funds meant for these projects are used properly and that public services meet their intended objectives.”
Call for systemic reform
He urged the federal government to implement deeper reforms to address the persistent gaps in governance spotlighted by this year’s EICS.
The commission called for stronger whistleblower protections, better management systems within MDAs, and more rigorous oversight mechanisms to prevent the misuse of public funds.
“We cannot fight corruption alone,” Mr Bakare added. “The support of Nigerians and the media is essential in ensuring the success of our efforts to bring transparency and integrity to the public sector.”
Constituency projects monitoring
Meanwhile, the Head of the Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), Jimoh Sulaiman, explained the positive impact of project tracking on governance.
He emphasised that the initiative had significantly improved project completion rates while fostering greater public awareness and engagement with constituency projects.
“Nigerians now realize that funding for these projects comes from the Federal Government, not the personal finances of politicians. This understanding has driven them to demand greater accountability,” Mr Sulaiman remarked.
