The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) Professor Bolaji Owasanoye has accused members of the National Assembly of compromising their major constitutional functions of oversight and investigation most times.
The ICPC chief claims such compromise is done through commercialization of the legislators’ assignments.
“Oversight function has been commercialised, which is why the mechanism hasn’t been effective. Legislature is accused of passing the costs to MDAs and of accepting other forms of gratification, e.g. foreign trips, phoney seminars, to look the other way,” the ICPC chairman said in a paper entitled ‘The Role of the Legislature in the War Against Corruption and Graft’ at the induction course for the second batch of elected members of the coming 9th Assembly.
He added: “the legislature has powers of investigation: this was very well utilised in the past. But many other times, the power is commercialised.
