The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to address existing workforce imbalances and ensure the effective deployment of personnel across the commission.

The ICPC Chairman, Dr.

According to him, the commission will conduct a comprehensive audit of its workforce and structure to align personnel with its anti-corruption mandate.

The chairman noted that the exercise was necessary to ensure the effective deployment of personnel across the commission.

The audit, he said, was one of the most consequential internal exercises being undertaken by the commission.

Aliyu said that this would provide a verified basis for determining the appropriate workforce structure, skills, and deployment required to deliver on ICPC’s mandate effectively.

He explained that since the establishment of the commission in 2000 and the recruitment of its first 88 officers in 2002, recruitment had taken place at irregular intervals without a deliberate policy to ensure coherent workforce progression.

The chairman noted that this had resulted in an imbalance in the workforce, with a disproportionate concentration of middle and senior-level officers in some areas compared to personnel at the operational level.

He said the audit would therefore examine the commission’s approved structure alongside its actual workforce, deployment, and operational needs, with a view to identifying gaps and recommending appropriate interventions.

The chairman emphasised that the exercise must be guided by evidence rather than assumptions.

He stressed that recommendations should be based on verifiable institutional records, including case-tracking data, court schedules, petition registers, and other relevant operational records.

He also cautioned against relying solely on numerical ratios in determining workforce requirements, noting that the complexity of cases handled by the Commission and the need for specialised expertise must be taken into consideration.

Aliyu also stressed the need to strengthen the Commission’s law-enforcement culture, noting that ICPC’s institutional identity must consistently reflect its mandate as a law-enforcement and anti-corruption agency.

The chairman stressed that the exercise was not intended to victimise staff or reduce the workforce, but to ensure effective deployment, strengthen institutional capacity, and build a merit-based structure that supports the commission’s mandate.

In his remarks, the Secretary to the Commission, Clifford Oparaodu, commended the chairman for initiating the exercise, stressing that the commission must continue to move forward in strengthening its institutional capacity.

Oparaodu urged members of the Committee to give the assignment their best efforts and ensure that the objectives of the exercise are fully achieved.

 He appealed to the members to support the chairman and the management of the commission in finding practical and sustainable ways of strengthening the institution and leaving a lasting legacy for the commission.

The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Oche Godwin, who is the Chairman of the Committee, thanked the commission for finding them worthy and promised to bring to bear all principles of integrity and expertise on the assignment.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to urgently resolve health workers’ salary concerns to avert another industrial crisis in the nation’s health sector.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the call in a letter dated Aug.

The letter was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ajaero expressed concern over delays in adjusting the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and resolving outstanding demands of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).

He said JOHESU members had endured prolonged delays in spite of Memoranda of Understanding, terms of agreement and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) reached with the government.

“Years after signing MoUs, terms of agreement and CBAs, in addition to promises and assurances from appropriate authorities, members of JOHESU have been ignored or abandoned,” Ajaero said.

The NLC president urged the government to immediately resume collective bargaining with JOHESU and direct the Presidential Committee on Salaries to address outstanding issues.

The NLC president urged the minister to ensure immediate resumption of collective bargaining negotiations and encourage the Presidential Committee on Salaries to address the outstanding issues.

He said the NLC was concerned about discriminatory practices and the human cost associated with prolonged industrial disputes in the health sector.

“It needs no telling that the consequences of a complete breakdown in negotiations are quite grave,” Ajaero said.

Ajaero said the appeal should not be interpreted as a threat, but warned that the NLC would fully support JOHESU if the union was compelled to take further action.

“We strongly urge that you do all that is within your power to ensure immediate resumption of the collective agreement negotiation,” he said.

He called on the government to demonstrate stronger commitment toward resolving the outstanding issues and preventing another industrial crisis in the health sector.

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo has felicitated former Secretary to the State Government, Prince Olusola Akanmode, on his 76th birthday anniversary, describing him as an exceptional statesman and distinguished son of Kogi.

Ododo celebrated Akanmode in a congratulatory message he personally signed in Lokoja on Tuesday.

The governor commended Akanmode for his remarkable contributions to public service, governance and national development.

According to him, Akanmode’s career reflected a life dedicated to the service of the people.

He said that the celebrant, who also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has exceptional intellect, administrative depth and sound judgment.

He said that Akanmode’s service in both state and federal capacities placed him at important moments in the political and administrative history of Kogi and Nigeria.

Beyond the offices he held, the governor said Akanmode had remained a respected elder and dependable source of counsel to those currently in leadership.

The governor added that Akanmode’s contribution to public service was not measured only by positions held, but also by the wisdom he continues to share and the leaders he continues to guide.

Ododo further praised Akanmode’s continued interest in the affairs of Kogi and his readiness to provide counsel whenever called upon, describing his wealth of experience as an enduring asset to the state.

He prayed to God to grant the celebrant many more years in good health, peace and fulfilment, and the strength to keep contributing to the development of Kogi and Nigeria.