….Aides stand in for their principals
……Bureau staff overwhelmed
…….APC, PDP stalwarts jittery
By Tunde Oyesina
In
order not to be caught in the web that had just entangled the Chief
Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, top politicians,
civil servants and many public officers have begun thronging the Code of
Conduct Bureau (CCB) in a bid to declare or update their assets,
investigations by Saturday Telegraph has revealed. Our correspondents
had during the week noticed unusual visits to the Bureau by some aides
of some big shots within the political class, prompting a check on the
unusual activities.The checks, however, revealed that the moves
were propelled by the ongoing trial of the CJN over alleged
non-declaration of assets. Some of the aides of the top shots seen at
the CCB confided in our correspondent that fears and tension had gripped
their principals, who had to resort to the latest step because they are
afraid that the Federal Government may come after them using the same
method. One of them was even of the view that the government has
concluded plans to nail anyone that could be a stumbling block to the
second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari and the return of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) to power. But he was quick to add that
the visit is not limited to members of the opposition party.Citing
the latest statement credited to the Minister of Information, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed, in which he said that the Presidential Candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, would be
questioned when he returns from his trip to the United States, the aide
said every politician and civil servants must be extremely careful now
so as not to fall prey. “Did you hear what they just said about Atiku
and the Bank PHB? I think anybody that wants to enjoy his or her freedom
under this regime should do the needful by ensuring that they follow
the due process and not run foul of the law.“But it is not only
PDP people that are showing up there, even strong APC stalwarts had been
sending their aides to the CCB to update their records. This man in
charge is a respecter of nobody”, he said. He also recalled that the
Federal Government had slammed a six-count criminal charge on the CJN
before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, for allegedly not disclosing about
five accounts, which he is said to be operating with Standard Chattered
Bank. In the same vein, a source in the Bureau, who pleaded for
anonymity, confirmed to Saturday Telegraph that, since Monday, many top
civil and public servants had been visiting the agency to either declare
their assets or update their records. According to the CCB source, the
manner the people involved had been paying visits to the organisation
had been mindboggling, noting that the staff were overwhelmed.“Since
this week started, we have been seeing many civil servants and public
servants coming here to declare their assets. “We strongly believe that
it was as a result of the charge filed against the CJN for failure to
declare his assets. The law is that public office holders must declare
their assets, when they are coming to office and also do same, when they
are leaving the office.“For civil servants, they are expected
to update their assets declaration form every four years. But a lot of
those concerned have failed to do this. I think they have now learnt a
lesson from what is happening to the CJN who also failed to declare some
of his assets in the declaration form.”Some politicians
however informed Saturday Telegraph that they had to take the step, not
just because they were afraid but also because it is the right thing to
do. An APC House of Representatives candidate who met with one of our
correspondents in Lagos, said he was in the know of the latest rush by
his colleagues, explaining that the party had already warned against the
non-declaration of as especially as the general election approaches.The
candidate who is currently representing one of the local governments in
the South West was emphatic about the party’s position. “Whoever is
caught will have to face the music, the party had told us to fill the
form carefully. At every occasion when the issue cropped up, we were
warned never to put what we cannot defend.“I am not surprised
that some people are now rushing to update their records, it is
something they should have done long ago. There is need for serious
caution,” he said. Earlier, the new Chairman of the Bureau, Prof. Isah
Mohammed, had been reported to have warned that the Bureau was more than
ever prepared to prosecute erring civil servants and public office
holders at both federal and state levels over the non-declaration of
assets. According to the reports,Mohammed had advised civil servants and
public office holders against flagrant abuse of its Act by declaring
their assets at the required regular intervals. Mohammed said the bureau
had not been particularly active in the monitoring and prosecution of
offenders, adding that there was a renewed commitment to ensure that the
body remained proactive.“The Code of Conduct Bureau and the
Code of Conduct Tribunal are the creation of the 1999 Constitution as
amended and we have resolved to ensure full application of the law
against offenders. “We are collaborating with other anti-corruption
agencies and the police to form the required synergy to fight corruption
in the country. “There would be no hiding place for a public servant
who keeps away his or her assets from public knowledge. Such assets must
be declared at CCB at the right time”, he said.Mohammed said
the bureau was considering a nationwide publicity campaign to educate
civil servants and public office holders on the danger of not declaring
their assets adequately. He also said ministries, departments and
agencies of government should appoint desk officers that would
continually abreast other staff of the need to update their assets with
the bureau.“It is elementary to state that public servants have
the mandate to renew their CCB asset declaration form at four years
interval. “Let me also tell you here that new appointees and employees
of government are respectively mandated to declare their assets after
joining the service”, he was quoted as saying.
Source:- Newtelegraphonline
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