The
Code of Conduct Bureau says it may be forced to arrest and possibly
prosecute at least 19 ministers and heads of agencies in the President
Muhammadu Buhari’s government for non-compliance with procedures of
declaring their assets.
The 19 federal government appointees,
according to a statement issued by the CCB Chairman, Sam Saba, have so
far not honoured invitations to appear before the Bureau to clear their
asset declaration claims.
The bureau however praised some top
officials of the Nigerian government like the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur
Buratai, and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for
promptly complying with the asset declaration protocol within the
stipulated time.
The CCB boss said the bureau has invited some
serving ministers and heads of agencies among others over “issues”
pertaining to their asset declaration requirements, but most of them
have failed to respond.
[b]The asset declaration defaulters,
according to CCB include Kemi Adeosun (Finance Minister), Kayode Fayemi
(Mine and Solid Minerals), Adebayo Shittu (Minister of Communication),
Babatunde Fashola (Minister of Power, Works and Housing), Ibe Kachikwu
(Minister of State Petroleum), Ogbonnaya Onu (Minister of Science and
Technology).
Other defaulters are Mike Okiro (Chairman, Police
Service Commission), Godwin Emefiele (CBN Governor), Abubakar Bawa Bwari
(Minister of State Solid Minerals) and Rotimi Amaechi (Minister of
Transport).
Still on the list of defaulters are Aisha Alhassan
(Minister Women Affairs and Social Development); Solomon Dalung
(Minister of Youths & Sports Development); Udo Udoma (Minister
Budget and National Planning); Dan Ali Mansur (Minister of Defence);
Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Minister of State, Environment); Suleiman Adamu
(Minister of Water Resources and Rural Development), Lai Muhammed
(Minister of Information) and Mustapha Baba Shehuri (Minister of State
Power).
The CCB said it has also invited Claudius Daramola
(Minister of State Niger Delta Affairs); Hadiza Usman (MD. Nigeria Ports
Authority); Ahmed Kuru (MD/CEO AMCON); Isaac Adewole (Minister of
Health); Okechukwu Enelamah (Minister of Trade Investment and Industry)
and Geoffrey Onyema (Minister of Foreign Affairs).[/b]
“Pursuant
to paragraph 11 of Part 1 of the 5th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution
(as amended), every public officer is required to submit to the CCB a
written declaration of all his properties, assets and liabilities and
those of his/her spouse (if not a public officer) and his unmarried
children under the age of eighteen years,” the bureau said.
“Any
statement in such declaration that is found to be false by any authority
or person authorized in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a
breach of this Code.
“To this end, the Bureau has commenced its
2016 4th Quarter cycle of conference and Field verifications of assets
of top public officers. “Accordingly, letters of invitation have been
dispatched to Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Service
Chiefs and other top Public Officers.
“This exercise is ongoing and is being carried out concurrently at the Federal, State and Local Government levels.
“At
a satisfactory completion of the exercise, Public Officers are issued
with certificate of Assets Conference Verification/Field Verification as
the case maybe.”
Other top public office holders that were also
praised for not delaying the declaration of their assets include the
acting MD/CEO Niger Delta Development Commission, Semenitari Mary –Gab
Tamunoibim; Corps Marshall, Federal Road Safety Corp, Boboye Oyeyemi );
Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed and the Commissioner, Federal
Civil Service Commission, Hope Odhuluma Ikrirko.
The CCB also
hailed persons like the former SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, Minister of
Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, Minister Budget & National Planning,
Zainab Ahmed Shamsuna, Minister Trade, Investment & Industry, Aisha
Abubakar; INEC Chairman, Yakubu Mahmood; and Former Executive Secretary
NUC, Julius A. Okojie; as well as the Minister of Education, Adamu
Adamu.
“CCB however, commends those public officers, who honoured its invitations promptly and submitted themselves for the exercise!” More
ministers, including the Attorney General of the Federation, had been
sent letter of invitation by CCB, and it has not been confirmed if they
would honour the invite when it comes to their turn to appear before the
Bureau.
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