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The Federal Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (FEAC) is comprised of
various departments, services and offices. Here is a brief description of them.
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1)
The Ethics Education and Public Relations Department
The
major objective of this Department is creating an aware society (in
cooperation with relevant bodies) where corruption will not be tolerated
by promoting ethics and anti-corruption education. It also publicizes the
Commission’s visions, missions, objectives, duties, powers, programmes
and activities in cooperation with other departments. In discharging its
responsibilities, the department uses various tools and channels of
communication, including media, posters, fliers, brochures and magazines.
It also gives face-to-face trainings. Besides, it provides the necessary
support to the public offices and enterprises in the establishment of the
ethics liaison units and their proper functioning. Simply put, all the
activities and efforts of this Department are geared towards the effective
prevention of corruption through the enhancement of ethics and
anti-corruption education.
The Ethics Education and Public Relations Department,
which is comprised of the Public Relations and Media and Ethics Education
Divisions, is headed by a Director, who, in turn, has two Assistant
Directors under his supervision. The two Assistant Directors, on their
part, are authorized to lead the above-mentioned Divisions, which jointly
constitute the Department. The Media and Public Relations Division is
sub-divided into the Media and Public Relations Teams. The department has
28 members in total. As to their educational background, members of the
staff have held diplomas, first degrees and second degrees in the areas of
languages and literature, education, political science and international
relations, theatrical arts, curriculum, and communication psychology.
These professionals have various levels of experience in the areas of
teaching, curriculum designing, journalism, training, etc.
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2)
The Corruption Prevention and Research Department
This
Department is duty-bound to prevent corruption offences and other improprieties
in cooperation with relevant bodies. In order to do so, the Department studies
the practices and procedures in public offices and public enterprises thereby
securing the revision of methods of work which may be conducive to corrupt
practices. It also undertakes research on ethics and corruption and publishes
report on its studies. Upon the completion of the studies and researches, the
Department conducts consultative workshops with stakeholders and finally puts
forward corrective recommendations and follows up their implantation. It is also
authorized to prepare and monitor the implementation of codes of ethics for
public offices and public enterprises.
The Corruption Prevention and Research Department,
which has 28 professional staffers in total, is comprised of three Divisions.
The constituent Divisions are the Corruption Prevention and Research (1), the
Corruption Prevention and Research (2) and the Ethics Research Division. The
Department is headed by a Director, who has three Assistant Directors (who in
turn lead three Divisions) under his authority.
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3)
The Corruption
Investigation Department
According to the
Commission’s Establishment Proclamation, the Corruption Investigation
Department is authorized to investigate or cause the investigation of any
alleged or suspected corruption offences where they are committed in public
offices or public enterprises or in the regional offices relating to subsidies
granted by the Federal Government to the regions. It is also obliged by law to
investigate or cause the investigation of any complaints of alleged serious
breaches of the codes of ethics in public offices or public enterprises and
follow up the taking of proper measures.
The Department
receives tips from whistle-blowers on alleged corruption offences and ethical
infringements, investigates them in the order of their seriousness and transfers
them to the Department of Prosecution of the Commission. It may also require the
production or examination of relevant documents or information from any federal
or regional public office or enterprise. Accordingly, any public official or
public employee is obliged by law to show or produce relevant documents or
information when requested by the Department. In a similar vein, they are
duty-bound to report to the Department where they have a reasonable suspicion
that corruption offences are or are about to be committed. In cooperation with
relevant bodies, also, the Department is responsible to provide physical and job
security protection for witnesses and whistle-blowers. It has 38 professionals
out of whom five are security guards. Investigators are duty-bound to apply to
courts for restraining order on any property acquired through the commission of
corruption offences.
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4)
The Corruption Prosecution Department
The
Prosecution Department, as its very name suggests, was established to prosecute
or cause the prosecution of any alleged or suspected corruption offences (where
they are committed in public offices or public enterprises or in the regional
offices relating to subsidies granted by the Federal Government to regions)
based on the supportive and incriminating evidences provided by the
Investigation Department. It is also authorized to freeze, by court order,
assets and wealth that are allegedly obtained through corruption and cause
(through court order) their forfeiture and confiscation. If the court verdict
goes in its favour, the Department shall dispose the assets and wealth (by or
without public auction) and transfer them to the Government. The Prosecution
Department works in close collaboration with the Investigation Department,
Courts and other prosecutorial bodies. The Department has 24 staffers in total.
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5)
Administration and Finance Department
The
Administration and Finance Department has the largest number of staffers, 70. It
is led by a Director, with an Assistant Director under him. It is comprised of
five units, namely Finance, Human Resource Management and Training, Property
Administration and General Services and Information technology Units. The
Assistant Director is mainly in charge of the Property Administration and
General Services Unit.
The Finance
Unit administers, organizes and controls the Commission’s budgetary spending
and expenditure. The Human Resource Management and Training Unit, on its part,
is entitled to develop the Commission’s human resource capacity through
employment and transfer. It is also responsible to build the capacity of the
staffers through various training and awareness-raising programmes. Issues
related to credentials, pension and leave of absence are also handled by this
same Unit.
The Property
Administration and General Services Unit procures consumable goods and fixed
assets, distributes them among the Commission’s staffers as required and
administers their proper and efficient utilization. It is also in charge of all
the maintenance activities, payments and insurance agreements.
The Information Technology Unit takes charge of
equipping the Commission and its staffers with appropriate information
technology.
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6)
The Audit, Plan and Programme and Legal Services
The Internal
Audit Service is accountable to the Commissioner. The Service audits the
financial documents and performances of the various Departments, Services and
Units of the FEAC and presents the report to the Commissioner. The Service
examines the authenticity, legitimacy and validity of the financial documents
and declarations, makes recommendations based on its assessments and follows up
its implementation.
The Plan and
Programme Service is accountable to the Commissioner. It is duty-bound to
coordinate and organize the Commission’s plans, programmes, projects and
performance reports. It also evaluates and follows up the implementation of
plans, projects and programmes. Moreover, the Service develops short, long and
mid-term plans of the FEAC and proposes appropriate strategies on how to
effectively implement them. It also advises the Commissioner, Deputy
Commissioner and Directors on developing plans, projects, programmes and
performance evaluation. It also collects and organizes statistical data and
abstract.
The Legal
Service is also accountable to the Commissioner. It provides legal advice to the
Commissioner and other departments of the Commission, prepares legal documents,
comments on draft regulations and directives prepared by other departments,
represents the Commission on legal issues and prepares directives. There are two
lawyers in the contracts Service. It also revises the existing regulations and
directives, detects possible bottle necks in them and proposes options for
amendment.
Additionally, the three Services and the Administrative
Department render operational support for other departments.
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7)
Regional Liaison Office
The Regional
Liaison Unit is accountable to the Deputy Commissioner. The Unit liaises between
the Commission and the Regional Ethics and Anti-corruption Bodies. It, for
example, facilitates the provision of support for regions in establishing their
own Ethics and Anti-corruption Commissions and provides them with the necessary
support in the implementation of their plans and programmes. It also identifies
areas of cooperation and makes the necessary preparations for the launching of
joint collaborative projects. It also facilitates the provision of support for
them in the areas of capacity building and training.
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