The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said no fewer than 40 retiring directors and deputy directors in the Ministry of Water Resources will soon be charged to court for stealing 40 vehicles.
Mr. Ekpo Nta, disclosed this in Abuja , while returning the vehicles recovered from the former officials to the ministry.
Among the vehicles recovered were eight Toyota Prado, two Toyota RAV4, one Audi Q7, one Ford Explorer, one Land Rover, one Nissan Patrol; three Toyota Avensis; 14 Hilux Pick-up vans; seven Toyota Corolla; one Toyota Camry and one Audi A6.
Nta, who was represented by a commissioner, Bako Abdullahi, stated, “This formality should not just be for handing over of recovered vehicles from one anti-corruption agency to another public institution. Rather, it should be a moment for solemn reflection on our avowed commitment to public service and the thought processes of the public servant going into retirement.
“It is not so much that official vehicles of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources were dishonestly made away with by retiring public servants.
However, what is more significant is the need to ask some questions and consistently interrogate how 40 government vehicles were removed without authorisation?”
The vehicles were recovered by the ICPC Assets Tracing team and handed over to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry.
Nta vowed that the those who took the vehicles will be prosecuted. He also added that those who watched as the vehicle were stolen and said nothing were also complicit.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Water Resources, the Permanent Secretary, Rabi Jimeta, noted that recovering 40 vehicles at a time, when the ministry was lacking operational vehicles, was highly appreciated.
