By Habibu Umar Aminu
The Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) has clarified that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) did not rate the University as the most compliant anti-corruption institution in the North-West, contrary to a report published in the University’s Weekly Bulletin.
The clarification was contained in a special edition of the FUDMA Bulletin dated July 25, 2026, following what the University described as a misrepresentation of the ICPC’s statement during its official visit to the institution.
According to the clarification, the ICPC team, led by its Team Leader, Barrister Abdullahi Alhassan, only commended FUDMA for its exemplary use of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) as a mechanism for preventing corruption.
The University explained that the ICPC’s assessment was part of its routine annual visit to evaluate the operational effectiveness of ACTU within the institution and identify areas requiring attention.
“The Team did not actually rate the University as the most compliant Anti-Corruption Institution, as that is beyond its mandate,” the statement clarified.
The University consequently expressed regret over the earlier misrepresentation and apologised to Alhassan for referring to him as a Barrister in the earlier publication.
During the evaluation visit, Alhassan described the ACTU as a “Mini-ICPC” established within the University to assist management in ensuring due process and addressing corruption-related activities.
He explained that the ICPC is mandated to investigate, prosecute and prevent corruption through reviews of operational systems in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, while also educating the public on corruption and soliciting support for the anti-corruption campaign.
According to him, ACTU was established through collaboration between the ICPC and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation as an internal integrity mechanism designed to promote ethical compliance, monitor corruption risks and support management in strengthening transparency and accountability in public institutions.
Responding, FUDMA Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Khalid Othman, expressed appreciation to the ICPC team for its diligence and responsiveness to the agency’s regulations.
The Vice-Chancellor, who spoke through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Suleiman, stressed that effective checks and balances were essential to accountability and transparency.
He noted that any agency or institution that lacked such mechanisms risked losing its worthiness.
Prof. Othman also assured the ICPC team that the University would provide all relevant documents and information required to facilitate the smooth execution of its assignment.
He further pledged that the University would promptly implement the observations, suggestions and recommendations made by the team in the best interest of FUDMA and the country at large.
