ICPC Commenced One-Month Pre-retirement Workshop For Selected Staffs

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced a one-month pre-retirement workshop for selected staff members, as part of efforts to prepare them for a smooth and productive transition into post-service life.

The 2026 workshop, currently being held in Abuja, has fourteen (14) retiring officers participating.

Declaring the workshop open on Monday, the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clifford Okwudili Oparaodu, DSSRS, congratulated the participants on attaining retirement honourably, noting that such a milestone is worthy of celebration.

He observed that not all public servants are able to complete their careers successfully, citing instances where officers are suspended, interdicted, or dismissed before retirement.

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According to him, “We have had incidents of people working after four to five years; they are suspended, interdicted and dismissed from service, but yours is not like that. From all I know, you have run a full course, and you are retiring honourably with all your privileges and entitlements. That is something that is worthy of celebration.”

Mr. Oparaodu encouraged the participants to view retirement not as an end, but as the beginning of a new phase of life filled with opportunities.

“I urge you not to look at retirement as the end but see it as the beginning of life. Retirement gives you the opportunity to fend for yourself. Even while in active service, one should always plan ahead for retirement. You do not need so much money to start planning,” he said.

He further advised the retirees to remain active and engaged in order to avoid boredom, stressing that purposeful engagement would provide them with a reliable means of livelihood after service.

“Nobody would like to be weighed down by boredom, but if you actively keep yourself engaged, you will have something to fall back on,” he added.

ICPC

The Secretary also tasked the workshop facilitator to tailor the training modules to reflect the professional background of the participants, particularly their experience in law enforcement and other regimented institutions.

He urged the participants to take full advantage of the training, emphasizing that the knowledge gained would be instrumental in helping them achieve a fulfilling and rewarding retirement.

The pre-retirement workshop is designed to equip participants with essential skills and insights in areas such as financial planning, entrepreneurship, health management, and personal development, thereby ensuring they remain productive and self-reliant beyond their years of service.

Nigerians Cannot Eat GDP Figures, Says ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Federal Government’s celebration of Nigeria’s reported GDP growth, describing it as disconnected from the harsh economic realities facing ordinary citizens.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party argued that “people do not eat GDP,” insisting that economic growth is meaningless if it does not translate into lower food prices, job creation, stronger purchasing power, and improved living conditions.

The ADC stated that millions of Nigerians remain trapped in hunger, inflation, unemployment, and rising business costs despite government claims of economic progress, adding that “growth that only exists in official reports while citizens descend deeper into hardship is not meaningful progress.”

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The party urged the government to stop “celebrating statistics” and focus instead on policies that directly improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

The full statement read:

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) rejects the Federal Government’s attempt to use headline GDP figures to whitewash the deep economic suffering Nigerians are currently enduring across the country.

No government should be celebrating economic statistics while millions of its citizens are battling hunger, poverty, collapsing purchasing power, and rising hopelessness.

The reality of the Nigerian economy is not what is written in government presentations. The reality is what Nigerians confront every day in markets, on farms, in factories, in shops, and in their homes.

Food prices are unbearable. Transportation costs have become punitive. Small businesses are shutting down daily under the crushing weight of inflation, energy costs, and weak consumer demand. Salaries have lost value. Families who once lived modestly are now struggling to survive.
Yet this government wants Nigerians to applaud GDP growth figures.

People do not eat GDP.

Economic growth that does not reduce suffering, create jobs, improve incomes, or restore dignity to citizens is empty growth. Growth that only exists in official reports while citizens descend deeper into hardship is not meaningful progress. It is economic abstraction disconnected from human reality.

The purpose of governance is not to manage public relations for economic statistics. The purpose of governance is to improve the living conditions of the people.

What exactly should Nigerians celebrate? The fact that food inflation continues to devastate households? That millions of young Nigerians remain unemployed or underemployed? That businesses are collapsing faster than new ones are emerging? That more citizens are slipping into poverty despite working harder than ever?

A government that is serious about economic recovery would show humility, acknowledge the pain Nigerians are experiencing, and focus on delivering measurable improvements in living conditions instead of celebrating figures that have no meaning to hungry citizens. The ADC believes that the true test of economic policy is simple: Can Nigerians live better today than they did yesterday?

ADC

For millions of Nigerians, the answer is no.

Nigeria needs an economy that works for ordinary people, not an economy that only looks impressive in presentations to investors and international institutions.

Until growth is felt in the homes of ordinary citizens, through affordable food, stable electricity, decent jobs, lower business costs, and improved purchasing power, this government has no moral basis to declare economic success.

Signed,
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress (ADC)

ICPC Called On University Of Ibadan To Deepen Its Commitment To Ethical Standards, Integrity

Oyo State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called on the University of Ibadan to deepen its commitment to ethical standards and integrity in the administration of public institutions. The appeal came recently during the induction and inauguration of members of the university’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU).

Speaking at the event, Barr. Chile Ogwuegbu emphasised that the ICPC is mandated not only to investigate and prosecute corruption offences but also to prevent corruption through system reviews, public education, and the strengthening of institutional integrity.

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He noted that one of the key preventive mechanisms introduced by the Commission across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) is the establishment of ACTUs. According to him, these units serve as internal integrity mechanisms designed to promote ethical compliance, monitor corruption risks, and support management in enhancing transparency and accountability within public institutions.

Barr. Ogwuegbu further stressed that the fight against corruption cannot be left solely to enforcement agencies. He explained that it requires the collective responsibility of public institutions, public servants, and the private sector, adding that every public official has a role to play in ensuring integrity and accountability.

Reinforcing this message, Mr. Oscar Ndukwe of the System Study and Review Department emphasised the need for ACTU members to adhere strictly to international best practices and standards when carrying out their mandate. He described the ACTU as an in‑house mechanism for curbing corruption and promoting ethical governance within institutions.

University Of Ibadan

In his opening remarks, the Vice‑Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kayode Oyebode, stated that the inauguration of the ACTU is not merely a routine exercise but a bold recommitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical stewardship. He urged members to act decisively, fearlessly, and impartially, and to lead by example.

The ACTU Chairman, Prof. J.O. Ajiboye, pledged the unit’s commitment to discharging its responsibilities diligently and collaboratively, assuring that members would work to fulfil the mandate of the ACTU with integrity.

The programme concluded with the administration of the oath of allegiance, as ACTU members pledged to carry out their duties with integrity and in line with the Commission’s mandate.