Katsina Judiciary, ICPC Partner to Fight Corruption

The Katsina State judiciary has pledged to partner with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to ward off corruption in the state.

The state Chief Judge, Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar, made the pledge Monday when he received in audience the state Resident Commissioner of the ICPC, Mustapha Abubakar Wala, and other members of the commission in his office.

He explained that the partnership with the anti-corruption agency would go a long way in fighting corruption-related cases and create awareness to the public on the need to shun depravity.

The chief judge said ICPC, as an institution that is saddled with the responsibility of handling corruption cases, would be accorded the needed cooperation in the state to fight corruption and other related offences.

He said: “We have had courses to attend training, retraining and workshops along with the ICPC because the judiciary in isolation without coming to rub minds with the ICPC cannot succeed neither do ICPC succeed.

“So, it is a necessary partnership but we want it to go on a smooth path and that has been going on. Now that you are close to us, I want to assure you that you will receive the maximum cooperation.”

He, however, said the state Sharia Commission will also partner with the ICPC on the training of the newly elected local government chairmen and councillors to tackle corruption in their respective local governments.

He decried the behaviour of previous local government officials in the state who awarded contracts without paying the contractors, warning that anyone found wanting among the newly elected officials would face the wrath of the law.

Earlier, the state ICPC Resident Commissioner, Wala, admonished the chief judge to designate judges that would hear cases of corruption to enhance speedy dispensation of justice in the state.

According to him, “We also want my lord to consider the possibility of assigning magistrates to help us in issuing bank orders and search warrants.”