Corruption goes beyond bribery, fund diversion, says RMAFC chairman

The Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Dr Mohammed Shehu, has warned public officers that corruption goes beyond bribery and diversion of public funds, saying abuse of office, conflict of interest, favouritism and manipulation of official processes are also forms of corruption.

Shehu spoke on Monday at the opening of a five-day sensitisation and capacity-building workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the commission for officers of its North-West zonal and state offices in Kaduna.

The workshop, being held at Bafra Hotel, Kaduna, from September 14 to 18, 2026, is organised in partnership with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

Represented by the RMAFC Federal Commissioner representing Kwara State and Provost of the Anti-Corruption Transparency Unit, Ismail Agaka, the chairman said the constitutional responsibilities of the commission placed it at the centre of Nigeria’s fiscal governance and demanded the highest standards of integrity from its personnel.

“Corruption does not begin only with the taking of bribes or diversion of public funds. It also manifests in the abuse of office, conflict of interest, favouritism, manipulation of official processes and deliberate disregard for established rules.

“We must, therefore, develop a culture where integrity is not merely preached but demonstrated in our daily conduct,” Shehu said.

The chairman charged the participants to regard the fight against corruption as a collective responsibility, stressing that it should not be left to ACTU or the ICPC alone.

“The fight against corruption is not the responsibility of ACTU or ICPC alone. It is a personal and institutional responsibility,” he said.

Shehu urged the officers to ensure that every decision taken, public resource handled and official process undertaken passed the tests of legality, accountability, fairness and transparency.

According to him, public trust could only be earned when public officers discharged their responsibilities honestly, transparently and in the interest of the public.

He urged the participants to take advantage of the five-day workshop to deepen their knowledge of anti-corruption practices and translate the lessons into improved conduct and service delivery.

Earlier, the ACTU Chairman and Director of the Audit Department, RMAFC, Idris Musa, said the workshop was designed to ensure that integrity, transparency and accountability were firmly embedded in the commission’s operations.

Musa urged participants to actively engage the resource persons and apply the knowledge gained to their daily duties.

“We must reject abuse of office, conflict of interest and every practice that undermines due process. Our conduct must always justify the public trust placed in us,” he said.

The participants also expressed optimism that the training would strengthen integrity, transparency and accountability in the discharge of their official responsibilities.