BEVERLY HILLS, April 23, (THEWILL) – The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, has urged financial institutions to stop aiding financial crimes, saying some of them opened accounts for criminals and provided services that helped criminal acts.
The spokesperson for the commission, Rasheedat Okoduwa, in a statement, revealed that Owasanoye made the call during the visit of the management of Bank of Industry (BoI) to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Owasanoye said the ICPC would ensure continuous clampdown on corrupt elements in the industry, stressing that unethical investors undermined the ethics of banking industry.
“The ICPC chairman has pledged the commission’s commitment to working together with financial institutions in order to rid them of corrupt elements. The chairman expressed concerns at the complicity of a few of Nigeria’s financial services industry in the ruination of the country, stating that one bad apple can ruin the entire bunch,” the statement read.
“He described how some financial institutions condone unethical conducts by opening accounts for criminals and how they use innuendos to make suggestions of criminality to lure customers.
“He also pointed out that unethical investors undermine the ethics of the industry, and promised to deal decisively with the likes of them who infringe the law,” it added.
While calling on stakeholders in the industry to work with the anti-corruption agency, the ICPC boss noted that doing so would help in isolating the corrupt elements in the system.
