By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau
The Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Gusau, Zamfara State, has been ranked first in Ethics and Integrity Compliance Score card (EICS) and ACTU Effectiveness Index (AEI) in the year 2023.
This is sequel to the deployment and ratings of assessed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Similarly, the Medical Centre was ranked as number one among the Federal Medical Centres’ categories assessed by the Commission for the year 2023.
This was made known in the Commission’s letter of conveyance sent to the Gusau medical center.
According to the ICPC, the Commission is inclined to initiatives, measures and programmes that hold public agencies, bodies and their officials accountable and ethical. This disposition is founded on the preventive mandate of its establishment Law, the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.
It is in the best interest and advancement of public institutions and the nation that ethics and compliance are understood, imbibed and made the foundation of public agencies operations and activities.
In ensuring that organizations work is in line with ethical provisions, the Commission has since 2019 consecutively deployed the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) and ACTU Effectiveness Index (AEI).
A press release issued by the center’s Head of Administration, Lawal Bungudu, said the tool basically measures three key Performance Indicators (KPI), namely, Management Culture and Structure, Financial Management System and Administrative System along with sub-indicators under each key performance indicators.
The aim of the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Score card and ACTU Effectiveness Index deployment in Ministries Departments and Agencies is to diminish corruption risks, system abuse and to revive ethics and integrity benchmarks in government offices while ensuring good service delivery.
For the year 2023, the tool was deployed between March and July, 2023 in 404 Ministries Department and Agencies. A total of 368 made responses on the assessment and were rated according to their level and degrees of compliance, the statement added.
The 36 MDAs who declined to make any response were classified as Non-Responsive; and Highly Corruption Risk Agencies (HCRAs) and are envisaged for further enquiries and actions by the Commission, the letter explicitly stated.
Speaking on the development, the Medical Director, Dr. Bello A. Mohammed stated that the news did not surprise him because he had put all measures in place in the Centre to ensure that Ethics and Integrity Compliance are promoted and sustained as requested by the ICPC.
He expressed happiness over the report and said that the ranking by the ICPC was a challenge for him to do more in fighting all forms of corruption within the Centre.
While pledging to continue supporting the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Centre, the Medical Director called on all staff and unions in the Centre to support the Management in getting rid of all forms of corruption in the Federal Medical Centre Gusau.
