It is no more news that Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, has been battling with the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over allegation of false asset declaration and other charges that allegedly violated the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).The former Kwara State governor was accused of offences ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets while he was governor of Kwara State.
The charges were followed by public outcry that political office holders must declare their assets considering the fact that many of them allegedly own property beyond their legitimate earnings.
President Muhammadu Buhari and his Deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, declared their assets through the Code of Conduct Bureau. This was followed by few other agencies who directed their officers to collect and fill the asset declaration forms. For example, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, directed all officers of the Nigerian Army who had not declared their assets to “do so immediately.”
The statement from the Nigerian Army stated that the Chief of Army Staff declared his assets as soon as he was appointed as the as Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force in May 2015 and also on his appointment as Chief of Army Staff in July 2015. The copies of Colonel Buratai’s asset declaration form was reportedly with the Code ofConduct Bureau.
Just before the Nigerian Army officers were ordered to declare their assets, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hammed Ali, has directed all officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service to declare their assets within 14 days. A circular signed by the comptroller-general and addressed to all deputy comptrollers-general, zonal coordinators and customs area controllers said the new measure was aimed at ensuring transparency and compliance with the rule of law. Although the directive was said to be in compliance with “the Bank EmployeesDeclaration of Assets Act Cap B1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004,” it was also in compliance with the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The CCB Act stipulates that: “It is mandatory for all Public Officers whether elected, appointed, recruited, contracted etc. by whatever name called to collect and sign for the form from the Code of Conduct Bureau Office nearest to their work station in any of the 36 states of the Federation and F.C.T. or the Code of Conduct Bureau Headquartersat the Federal Secretariat Complex, Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama District, Abuja.”
As a matter of fact, the Constitution created the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), to receive and verify the assets declared, and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to try and punish those who act in the breach.
Despite the stipulation by the CCB that every public servant, including university workers and other tertiary institution employees, were required by law to declare their assets on assumption of duty, and every four years thereafter, reports revealed that many elected and appointed government officials, including civil servants do notcomply with the statutory obligations.
Surprisingly most elected governor and legislators who should demonstrate leadership qualities by publicly declaring their assets have refused to do so.
Apart from one or two governors who pledged to declare their assets, other said they would not go beyond the constitutional requirement imposed on them in submitting their declared assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Thus, the directive by President Buhari mandating all workers in the federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to declare their assets may not have come at a better time. This is coming on the heels of several reports that many civil servants own expensive properties in mega cities of the country. Although, the law does not requirecivil servants to make public assets they declared, it is mandatory for them to fill a copy of the asset declaration form with the Code of Conduct Bureau. This will make anti-graft agencies to be able to match their incomes with their wealth.
As matter of fact, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences (ICPC) Tribunal have already seized 24 property and several cars from three civil servants with one of them having 18 property.
According to the chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, “the Commission is of the opinion, based on the aforementioned investigation that these movable and immovable property owned by these people who are staff of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs are excessive, having regards to their present emoluments and all other relevantcircumstances.”
According to him, one of the officers, Nuhu, has 10 hectares of land, covered by Right of Occupancy at Kuje valued at N50 million. It was stated that the same officer has an uncompleted duplex at Diamond Estate, Apo, Abuja, that is worth N90 million.
Nta also said Nuhu has 16 plots of land which are all covered by Certificate of Occupancy in different parts of Gwagwalada, Abuja. Another civil servant on the ICPC list, Dickson, is said to have a plot of land at Kubwa District, Cadastral Zone in Abuja. The property is valued at N7 million. The third official, Obah, is said to own different plots of land in Abuja and Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Nta said Obah has a four-bedroom duplex at Karsana South District, Abuja, valued at N60m. He is also said to have a plot of land at Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Other plots of land said to belong to Obah are located in Umuodili Odubo Community in Rivers that is worth N16.5m; Olipobo Rumuekini Layout, Obio Akpor Local Government Area valued at N18m and another plot at Livingstone Estate Umuogodo, Igbo Etche in Obio Akpor Local Government of the Rivers State. This is even asaverage salary of a civil servant goes for between N40 and N120 while those in higher positions like directors and deputy directors earn around N25O.
This may not be surprising as even the former Head of Service of the Federation (HOS), Steve Oronsaye, is currently in the net of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for charges ranging from on stealing and obtaining revenue by false pretence, otherwise known as 419.
Reports revealed how Oronsaye and other top directors of the civil service colluded to allegedly defraud the nation of N6.2 billion pension fund. The fund, allegedly stolen through a maze of bogus contracts, was meant for biometric enrollment and payment for computer accessories that were never supplied, it was learnt. More so, it has beenrevealed that properties owned by many of these civil servants were not built with their legitimate income; of course, but these have been difficult to trace to them because many are owned through proxies.
These, amongst other issues of financial corruption cases, are more reasons why the government has continued to clamour for civil servants to declare their assets. Failure to declare assets, according to a section of the CCB as required under the provisions of paragraph 11 of the 5th Schedule of the Federal Constitution, shall attract onconviction either removal from office, (b) disqualification from holding any Public office, or forfeiture to the state any property acquired in abuse of office or dishonesty.
