The Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, has inaugurated the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit in the agency.
Speaking at the one day sensitization workshop on compliance to due diligence in Abuja, Radda noted that corruption was a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that affects all countries.
He said corruption undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability.
Radda, in a statement said corruption strikes hardest at the poor; hindering inclusive economic growth and depriving essential services of needed resources, adding that from cradle to grave, millions are touched by the shadows of corruption.
The SMEDAN boss also said that eliminating corruption and its harmful impact would be crucial to the nation’s future and wellbeing.
He said that to dismantle corruptions high walls,” we need to implement the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission’s (ICPC) ground breaking measures in the areas of prevention, compliance to rules and regulations in workplace”.
He stressed that public service must uphold the highest standards of integrity and ensure that appointments are driven by merit.
According to him, Public servants as well as elected officials must be guided by ethics transparency and accountability.