Code of Conduct Bureau ( CCB), set up to fight corruption within the public service system through scrutiny of Assets Declaration Forms of Civil / Public office holders, is enmessed in alleged corruption by the Chairman of the Bureau, Professor Mohammed Isah.
Six federal commissioners ay thd CCB have parted ways with the Chairman on account of the alleged corruption.
They submitted a petition bordering on the matter to the Senate committee on Ethics , Privileges and Public Petitions.
The Commissioners led by Dr Emmanuel Attah , had in the petition, joinhly signed by the aggrieved commissioners, alleged that the embattled Chairman of CCB had, within the last four years, been blocking investigations into petitions against public officers with multi million and billion Naira assets, which were not stated in their assets declaration forms.
On the strength of the allegations against him, the CCB Chairman was to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions last Friday, September 30, 2022 but was absent while five out of the six commissioners were present .
Absence of the CCB Chairman however made the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure ( PDP Ondo Central ) to, with the consent of other members, directed the absentee Chairman to appear before the committee unfailingly on Thursday, 6th October, 2022 by 2:00pm prompt.
“The petition before this committee on allegations against the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau ( CCB) bordering on corrupt practices is worrisome and must be here to defend himself.
“The seriousness of the matter lies on the fact that the petitioners are even the six federal commissioners appointed to be working with him in the fight against corruption .
“The Commissioners are here but the Chairman who is in the eye of the storm is not here . We have gone through all the issues raised in the jointly signed petition by the Commissioners and they are very disturbing if eventually proven .
“Therefore for fair hearing , we are re – inviting the Chairman to appear before this committee on Thursday , 6th October , 2022 unfailingly by 2:00pm prompt for require response or responses from him on all allegations leveled against him in the petition,” he said.
Speaking to journalists after the adjourned session, one of the Commissioners, Hon Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, along with others, said they petitioned the Chairman to save CCB from self – inflicted incapacitation caused by the Chairman.
According to him, all the Commissioners and the Chairman were appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to help in the war against corruption within the public service itself at all levels .
“The Chairman, based on his conducts, is not ready to fight the war in anyway but sabotage it by sitting on series of petitions written against corrupt public officers whose assets far outweighs what were declared in the Assets Declaration Forms .
“The N109billion loot linked to the now being investigated Accountant General of the Federation , Ahmed Idris, was first reported to CCB through petitions, but prevented from being acted upon by the Chairman.
“We are ever ready to support Mr President’s war against corruption but very disturbed by the frustration being thrown into it in CCB by no less a person, than the Chairman .
“We have written petition against him as declared by the Senate Committee on Ethics , Privileges and Public Petitions here today and want him to meet us face to face before members of the committee for whatever defence he wants to make.
“Corruption must be killed in Nigeria before it kills us and anybody not ready to join in the fight or war against it , should be shown the way out of public service , particularly those saddled with responsibilities of curbing corrupt practices in the country like CCB,” he said .
Commissioners with him at the press interview were Professor Folorunsho Ogundare, Elder Ubolo Okpanachi, and Barrister Ben Nnana, among others.
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