Former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, says public servants should be restricted from taking traditional titles while in service, to curb the high rate of corrupt practices.

Jega made the call yesterday at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) interactive session with the Chief Executive Officers of public agencies, on corruption prevention within the public service in Abuja.

According to him, it is an inducement for traditional authorities to give titles to public officers. The former INEC boss said, “taking traditional title makes public officer prone to corrupt practices and undermine governance as it creates room for pressure to indulge in it.

“How do you create a sense of responsibility for people to recognise that governance in the public sphere, the modern public sphere is about trust, is about responsibility “It is about utilising public resources for the benefit of the public rather than for self-benefit or the benefit of an isolated community.

“It’s very important to do this because otherwise the pressures will keep coming,” he said.