Legislators, public officials under scrutiny over non-declaration of assets

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has restated its constitutional mandate of uncovering assets and funds illegally acquired by serving and retired public office holders in the country.

Besides, it disclosed that several national and state legislatures, as well as heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were under investigation over non-declaration of assets.

Chairman of the Bureau, Professor Mohammad Isah, gave the hint yesterday at the opening of a two-day training on tracking and recovery of illicit funds and assets, organized by Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) in Kano.

Isah, who was represented by Director, Reforms Coordination and Service Improvement, Zephaniah Bulus, declared that in spite of existence of the assets declaration as stipulated in the constitution, some elected and appointed public office holders and career civil servants have not declared their assets.

The CCB boss noted that the bureau was already prosecuting some public officials who were found guilt and urged members of the public to report cases of illicit assets to the agency to check corruption in the country.

On how the Bureau checking alleged corruption cases under a seeming interest and influence, insisted that the agency was empowered under the constitutional to operate independently.

Chairman of HEDA and convener of the workshop, Suraj Olanrewaju, said corruption was not only about government officials who could not efficiently manage the nation’s resources, but also failure of citizens to report illegally acquired assets to anti-graft agencies.

Suraj, who lamented that corruption had practical eaten deep into the religions, workplaces, social and family lives of Nigerians, insisted that until citizens’ engagement against corruption take centre stage, the graft would continue.

He said the MacArthur Foundation and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) supported the training to equip anti-corruption activists, investigative journalists and other stakeholders with requisite tools to expose sleaze and ill-gotten wealth in the country.