134,717 Public Officers Yet To Declare Assets – Code Of Conduct Bureau

The Code of Conduct Bureau on Tuesday in Abuja said 134,717 public officers were yet to declare their assets. Chairman of the bureau, Mr. Sam Saba, told journalists that 230,298 eligible public officers were identified and issued with the asset declaration forms for completion.

CCB Chairman: Sam Saba

Saba said out of the figure, only 109,026 duly completed forms were returned for processing and storage.

According to him, a total of 83,653 acknowledgment slips were issued to those who returned their forms across the country.

The chairman also said the bureau had concluded the verification of assets declared by ministers, state governors, secretaries to state government commissioners, as well as other top government officials.

Saba said the verifications of assets declared by local government chairmen, councillors and supervisors of the 774 local councils were ongoing.

The chairman stated that the bureau had received a total of 84 petitions this year, adding that 20 were investigated, while five were referred to the legal unit for advice.

He explained that 10 of the petitions passed the screening for prosecution, while a total of 26 were under investigation and three kept in view.

Meanwhile, the Bureau also faulted the reported plans by the National Assembly to scrap the establishment.

At a ministerial press briefing to mark the establishment’s achievements during the year in Abuja on Tuesday, the Chairman of the CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, said instead of planning to scrap the Bureau, the lawmakers should strengthen the agency.

“The National Assembly should enact an Act prescribing the terms and conditions under which the Bureau could make assets declared by public officers available for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria as provided for in paragraph 3(c) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.”

He added that the proposed Act would “enhance the effectiveness of the Bureau to check corruption in the public service in the Federation.” (NAN)