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CCB boss talks tough, vows to prosecute govs, ministers over Assets Declaration
BY: Oliseama Okwuchukwu
Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Prof. Isa Mohammed, on Thursday, vowed to move against currently serving Governors and Ministers that are found to have falsified their assets.
Mohammed, who took over the leadership of the CCB in November 2018, maintained that nothing will stop him from prosecuting them, once it is established that they failed to properly declare their assets as prescribed by the law.
“As far as I am concerned, there is nothing that can stand on my way from prosecuting anyone that is found guilty”, the CCB boss told newsmen at the opening session of a three-day retreat for Board members, Management and State Directors of the Bureau.
According to the CCB Chairman, the essence of the retreat was to bring the management board and state directors of the establishment together to brainstorm and re-appraise some challenges he said hitherto hindered the Bureau from effectively executing its statutory mandate of entrenching probity in public service.
“Idea of a retreat between the management board and the state directors is so that we can sit down and tell ourselves the truth on why the CCB has not been able to perform over the 30 years that it has been in existence”.
He noted that before corruption became pervasive in Nigeria, the CCB, was already in place, saying it was established by the 1979 constitution and restated in the 1999 Constitution.
“All its mandates and the enabling Act is there in place as well as other extant laws, to ensure effective compliance and implementation of the code of conduct for public officers in Nigeria. But up till now we are still having enormous challenges”.
On alleged refusal of the Bureau to grant the public access to asset declaration forms that were submitted by some public officials, including Ministers currently serving in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, the CCB boss said the issue would get due consideration.
“We are going to study and see how far we can tackle this challenge. When we came in we met an installed system. That is why we are here. At the end of this retreat every bit of problem is going to be discussed and we are going to see a lot of improvements,” he stated.
Asked if there are plans to refer any serving Governor or Minister to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for prosecution, as was done in the case of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, the CCB Chairman said he would not hesitate to do so, once anyone of them is found culpable.
“In the first place I am not a politician. From my background I am an academician, I have never done any work except legal practice and in the academia. These are the only two jobs I ever did before I came into the CCB.
“As far as I am concerned there is nothing that can stand on my way from prosecuting anyone that is found guilty,” he added.
Earlier in a keynote address he presented at the event, Prof. Mohammed, said there was need for every staff of the CCB “to brace up to the task ahead.”
“The theme for this year’s retreat is, ‘The Role of Code of Conduct Bureau in the Prevention of Corruption in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects. It was carefully chosen in order to enable us take stock of where CCB is, what we are doing right or wrong and where We ‘ought’ to be.
“The issues germane to our situation include, role definition, performance monitoring and appraisal, developing right mental attitude to work by staff ,ethical re-orientation, setting achievable targets, through a strategic plan anchored on a strategic vision that seeks cooperation and partnership with development partners like the EU-funded RoLAC who are remarkable facilitators of this retreat.
“The Challenges facing CCB are quite enormous, but it is my firm belief that this retreat provides an opportunity to come up with a strategic roadmap to address all these.
“You should not just be bystanders, rather be creatively and actively engaged to surmount these challenges and the Board have dedicated ourselves to reposition the CCB in all aspects; funding, Staff re-orientation and motivation, capacity building through staff training and retraining towards increased professionalism.
“With this, it is my conviction that new vistas and frontiers for success in CCB are in the horizon. I therefore implore all participants to key into this new vision. State Directors in particular have been recognised as agents of reform in CCB considering their scope of operations.
“In this regard they should not hesitate to bring up ideas and insights that would enrich decision-making at the highest level.
“At this juncture, let me reaffirm that the prospects of CCB becoming a reference point in the anti -corruption war of the present regime are bright and within reach. Thus, the need for all hands to be on deck to drive this renewed impetus.
“With God on our side, the sky Should not just be the limit but the stepping stone to greatness”.
On his part, Mr Danladi Plang, the National Program Manager of Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, RoLAC, an agency under the British Council that facilitated the retreat, enjoined the CCB to enhance its cooperation with other anti-corruption institutions in the country.
Plang equally urged the CCB to not only carry out its mandate with fairness, but to also ensure strict adherence to its rules. (Vanguard)
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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