There had been indications in the
news that politicians in the country have begun to lobby the Code of Conduct
Bureau into availing them the avenue to tinker with the information earlier submitted
on the assets declaration forms already in its custody, to escape possible
future prosecution. A development which came in the light of the ongoing trial
of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged
false declaration of assets. Politicians in the country had until now seemed to
have taken the exercise for granted, believing that a day of reckoning may
never come.
The Coalition Against Corrupt
Leaders, CACOL, a group of civil-society, community-based and other non-governmental
organizations with the objective of fighting corruption and corrupt persons by
any means possible at all levels in Nigeria has expressed its dismay over the
seeming ineffectiveness of the anti-corruption agencies created by the
government. Going by the existing constitutional powers conferred on the Code
of Conduct Bureau (CCB), one cannot but wonder as to why these all-important
institutions whose activities basically anchor the principle of accountability
and probity on the part of public officers had, all these while, so remained
virtually consigned to the background, so to say, in the affairs of our
democratic governance.
Information reaching us as shown
that the CCB seems to be complicit in the exercise to the extent that they
simply grant politicians unfettered access to assets declaration forms earlier
submitted by them to be altered having seen that the new regime is not taking
it easy with those who made anticipatory and false declarations. The forms are
not even properly kept; when one gets to their offices, constitutional process
for accessing these forms that have been filled is not strictly complied with.
They are left in open shelves and at times on the desk where the forms could
even disappear, thus allowing a declarant to easily alter what he/she has
earlier declared. Corrupt CCB officials engaged in this criminal act should be
warned to desist forthwith and be made to realize that the fate of the
accomplice in a crime is as grave as that of the perpetrator.
Looking at the CCB and Tribunal Act
CAP 56, LFN 1990- The CCB and its twin sister, the Code of Conduct Tribunal are
Extra – Ministerial Departments set up by the Federal Government under the Code
of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap 56, LFN 1990. The Act gave the Bureau the
mandate “to establish and maintain a high standard morality in the conduct of
Government Business and to ensure that the actions and behavior of Public
Officers conform to the highest standard of public morality and
accountability.”
Corruption has so far succeeded in
not only ravaging our values and pride, but has also succeeded in bastardizing
the psyche of the majority so much so that thieves are openly hailed and
celebrated. Ours is gradually becoming a society that encourages opportunism in
whatever form. The tendency to exploit every given opportunity to satisfy one’s
selfish desire no longer rest only with the leaders, the led themselves now
encourage the leaders to thrive in self-serving exploits.
It’s saddening and highly disturbing
to see what has now become the norm for the led to constantly remind their
newly elected (or appointed) leaders of why they should see their new positions
as an opportunity that might come only once and so urge them to corruptly
enrich themselves to the maximum at the expense of the less privileged. The
common phrase nowadays is “it is our turn to chop”. It is now a common sight to
see ‘men of timber and caliber’ turning out in large number to accompany an
accused corrupt person to the court or law enforcement or anti-corruption
agencies, on a solidarity mission; all aimed at intimidating the institution of
justice. This is why, when we put all these together, no one would envy
President Buhari on his committed crusade against corruption.
We make bold to say that corruption
has virtually become the second name of the average Nigerian, therefore, it
would not be entirely out of place to insinuate that whoever is fighting
corruption should see himself as indirectly fighting the generality of
Nigerians; and we all know what that entails.
Once asset declaration forms were
filled and submitted by public officials to the CCB, it becomes a criminal act
for any official of the CCB to allow any alteration to the document. Since the
politicians had already sworn to oaths that whatever they filled in the forms
as their assets was correct, they cannot come back to seek any amendment to any
part or section of earlier information therein. That they even attempted to
change their declarations at all should be seen as a criminal exercise as doing
so amounts to forgery and should be so viewed and treated.
If we are truly serious about
fighting corruption and rid of it from our system, all hands have to be on deck
and support must be given to the government to do the needful, regardless of
who is involved. The Anti-corruption hurricane has started gathering momentum,
only the corrupt needs to fear the whirl wind.
Temitope Macjob
Acting Media Officer, CACOL
29th September, 2015.
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