Code of Conduct Bureau to monitor lifestyle of public officers
…Constitutes nine committees for verification of public officers’ assets
…Says Bureau not targeting specific individuals
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has announced plans to monitor lifestyle of Public officers and constituted nine committees to verify the assets declared by public officers, the chairperson of the bureau, Mohammed Isah, said on Thursday.
This is to ensure rapid reduction in corruption in the public sector.
Mr Isah disclosed during the media briefing that the bureau was working towards having an independent unit that would monitor the lifestyle of public officers.
The CCB is the constitutional body empowered to receive public officers’ asset declarations, verify them, and prosecute whoever breaches the code of conduct for public officers at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
He said some public officers who were contacted over the asset verification exercise could not give ‘encouraging’ response to the Bureau’s request for information on their declared assets.
He said the Bureau had been receiving complaints from some of the public officers about being targeted. But he maintained the claim was untrue as the Bureau was only discharging its constitutional duties.
“In our efforts to discharge our mandate, CCB inaugurated nine committees to verify assets declaration of public officers.
“In the light of the above, letters were sent to the concerned public officers asking for information but response is not so far encouraging.
“Instead, we have been receiving complaints from different quarters where some public officers believe the bureau is merely targeting personalities.
“Let me use this opportunity to state clearly that the Bureau as a constitutional body, will never allow itself to be used by anyone against anybody or authority.
“We are merely discharging one of our constitutional mandates. So we need to allay the fears but emphasised that the cooperation of public officers is mandatory,” he said.
At the news press conference with the theme, ‘CCB Assets Verification Exercise: Our Mandate, Our Objective,’ the bureau solicited the cooperation of public officers on effective conduct of verification of asset declaration.
He said the law had made it mandatory for public officers to declare their assets before taking the oath of office.
On the Pandora papers, Mr Isah said the Bureau was on top of the situation as those whose offshore assets were exposed would be investigated and prosecuted if found guilty.
He said the Bureau had received briefing on the progress of investigation process and would act accordingly.
He vowed to investigate public officers implicated by Pandora Papers has exposed some Nigerian former and current governors, lawmakers, and other senior officials, including a judge, as having secret, usually suspicious, financial dealings tucked away in secret and tax havens.
