Lagos: The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is presently overwhelmed with petitions from members of the public alleging false declarations of assets against some federal and state public office holders, NEXT has learnt.

Despite the fact that Nigeria's law does not permit the public declaration and revelation of assets of public servants, a deluge of petitions from citizens who know what some public servants secretly declared as assets are being forwarded to the CCB on daily basis, revealing hidden facts and figures. Efforts made to find out how many of such petitions have been received were unfruitful, as the Bureau refused to give out the details.

Also, the names and positions of public office holders accused of false declarations of assets could not be confirmed, no thanks to the unwillingness by CCB officials to speak, against the provision of the CCB Act. But sources at the bureau claimed that petitions on false declarations of assets were increasing daily and that only its management have access to the petitions.

Verify false declarations

However, Sam Saba, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, last week at a two-day public enlightenment programme in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, organised for state and local government officials by the Bureau and the Rivers State government, gave an indication of the situation confronting the anti-corruption agency.

The programme had the theme, "Ethics, Code of Conduct and the Pride of the Public Officers". Mr Saba said that plans were underway to constitute a 25-man team of the Bureau officers across the country to investigate petitions received relating to asset declarations. He added that the committee will move from state to state, collating petitions, and investigating them with a view to ascertaining the truth or falsity in the declarations.

He reminded public servants that were either elected or appointed recently and others, that keeping foreign accounts after taking public office is tantamount to a breach of the code of conduct for public officers.

Murtala Adebayo Sanni, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, advocated a strong political will and legislative reforms to ensure the prosecution of corrupt public officials, serving or out of office. Mr Sanni also highlighted the punishments the tribunal is empowered to impose on a public officer found guilty of contravening the Code of Conduct for public officers. They include: the payment of fines, vacation of office, and disqualification from holding public office for a period up to 10 years. The tribunal currently lacks the power to imprison anybody convicted of contravening the code.

"Corruption," according to Mr. Sanni, has become "so pervasive, entrenched and destructive that special measures have to be taken to rid Nigeria of corruption and corrupt practices" while the "penalties the tribunal is empowered to impose should include powers to imprison those that have been found to have contravened the code."

The bureau's travails

The CCB has been branded a lame duck by most citizens for its inability to deal with corruption regarding outright refusal of public officers to declare assets, over-exaggerated declaration of assets, the duplication of anti-corruption activities under the purview of the EFCC and ICPC, low turnout of convictions and the aiding of corrupt public officers through hoarding of information supposedly within the public domain.

In May, the agency said that it has received the asset forms of the president, Goodluck Jonathan and vice president, Namadi Sambo. It is commonly believed that other public office holders of the administration have since complied with the provisions of the CCB Act and Handbook for public officers.