Officials of leading anti-corruption body in Nigeria, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have expressed excitement with the sack of the erstwhile chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye.
The staff at the commission’s headquarters on Wednesday were seen in jubilant mood, celebrating Owasanoye’s removal whom they accused of being “tyrannical” along with the Secretary, Musa Usman Abubakar.
Officials of the commission who spoke on the condition of anonymity accused Owasanoye of also being abusive, treating top management officials with disdain.
They alleged that in some cases, Owasanoye verbally abuses even Directors of the commission in management meetings at slightest provocation.
“The Chairman and Secretary have sacked more staff within five years of their reign than the number of staff sacked since the inception of the Commission.
“Staff deliberately denied promotion even when there were several vacancies”, an excited official said anonymously for fear of being witch-haunted.
The officials who declared Wednesday a work-free day in celebration of the removal of Owasanoye and his Secretary, will fetch further accused them of denying staff their due allowances and entitlements.
From department to department, the feeling was the same as the staff were seen in small groups, discussing the development with excitement.
“They were more corrupt than the people they chased after”, another staff added.
President Bola Tinubu had relieved Owasanoye of his duty and appointed as replaced with a lawyer and Attorney-General of Jigawa State, Musa Aliyu.
Tinubu also appointed Clifford Oparaodu as the Secretary to the commission, a statement by presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, said on Tuesday.
Owasanoye, whose statutory tenure still remains over three months is “to proceed on pre-end of tenure leave beginning on 4 November 2023”, the statement added.
His tenure is statutorily due to expire on 3 February 2024.
