The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Dr Mohammed Shehu, has cautioned public officers against viewing corruption solely as bribery or the diversion of government funds, noting that abuse of office, conflict of interest, favouritism and manipulation of official procedures also constitute corrupt practices.
Shehu gave the warning on Monday while declaring open a five-day sensitisation and capacity-building workshop organised by the commission’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit for personnel from its North-West zonal and state offices in Kaduna.
The training, which is taking place at Bafra Hotel, Kaduna, from September 14 to 18, 2026, is being conducted in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Represented by the RMAFC Federal Commissioner for Kwara State and Provost of the Anti-Corruption Transparency Unit, Ismail Agaka, Shehu said the commission’s constitutional mandate placed it in a critical position within Nigeria’s fiscal management system and required its staff to maintain the highest level of integrity.
“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 RMAFC chairman described the fight against corruption as a responsibility that must be shared by everyone, stressing that the task should not be left exclusively to the ACTU and ICPC.
“The fight against corruption is not the responsibility of ACTU or ICPC alone. It is a personal and institutional responsibility,” he said.
Shehu further urged the officers to ensure that their decisions, management of public resources and official procedures complied with the principles of legality, accountability, fairness and transparency.
He said public confidence could only be secured when government officials performed their duties with honesty, openness and commitment to the public interest.
The chairman also encouraged the participants to make full use of the training by expanding their understanding of anti-corruption measures and applying the knowledge to improve their conduct and service delivery.
Earlier, the ACTU Chairman and Director of the Audit Department at RMAFC, Idris Musa, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening integrity, transparency and accountability across the commission’s activities.
Musa encouraged the participants to interact actively with the facilitators and put the lessons from the training into practice in their respective 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 expressed optimism that the training would further enhance integrity, transparency and accountability in the performance of their official duties.
