Mr Stephen Pimor, ICPC Commissioner for Oyo and Ogun offices, says its collaboration with banks would smoothen anti corruption operations in the states.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday after the commission’s collaborative meeting with Compliance Officers of commercial banks in Oyo State.
Pimor said that the commission had facilitated the collaborative meeting to ensure smooth operations in its anti corruption war.
“Commercial banks are very critical stakeholders in the fight against corruption. When people steal money, the first place they think of taking it to is the bank”
“It is after keeping it in the banks that they will even move it to the second bus- stop which is to invest in properties and other things.
‘So, you can see that the banks are very important stakeholders in the fight against corruption.
“We cannot do without them. It was that strategic position they occupy in the anti-corruption war that made us to have to parley with them and that parley was very productive,” he said.
The ICPC commissioner said that the collaborative meeting held with the bank officers was productive, saying they would facilitate smooth execution of their assignments.
“Now that we are talking together to overcome some likely areas that may cause hiccup, I think it will facilitate the response time of our activities too,” he said.
Mr Elijah Adegboye, Zonal Head of Compliance for one of the commercial banks, said that ICPC was interested in bringing compliance officers in the banks together to forge a harmonious working relationship.
According to him, the essence of the meeting was to collaborate and discuss areas where there had been challenges in their relationship with the commission.
Adegboye said that they were able to share some of their challenges with the commission and affirmed their support in the fight against corruption.
“So, I believe that in going forward, some of the reference in our relationship has been smoothened. We have gotten to interact to get to know ourselves better.
“We now know ourselves by name and the agents of the commission as well as compliance agents of the banks. By this interactive session our working relationship is going to improve from now ” he said.
The session was well attended by compliance officers from the various commercial banks operating in the state. (NAN)
