Tinubu Tears Code of Conduct Bureau Apart

Chairman and Commissioners Disagree over the handling of the case; while Finance Minister, Okonjo-Iweala moves to Downsize Agencies

Barring any last-minute maneuvering, the case by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, against the former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a source of disquiet between federal commissioners of the bureau and its chairman, Mr. Sam Saba. And as part of the insistence by the  finance minister and head of the economic team, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that small government is the way to go, the Code of Conduct Bureau, like some other agencies of government, has received a letter from the Federal Government  asking it to justify the rationale for  its  continued existence. This signposts part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s policy to reduce the cost of governance.

The nine commissioners of the Code of Conduct Bureau are  not  comfortable with the approach of their chairman in his handling of the case against the former governor of Lagos State. Their angst, it was learnt, is hinged on the premise that the sudden arraignment of  Tinubu did not “enjoy the benefit of a thorough briefing or discussion at the bureau before it got  to the public domain”, a  source disclosed. Investigations in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, revealed that the commissioners in the Code of Conduct Bureau are not in total agreement with the chairman, on many fronts apart from the Tinubu case. In fact, preparatory to last Wednesday’s arraignment of Tinubu before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the chairman and his commissioners were engaged in several meetings.

The first one held on Thursday, September 15, 2011, and it was at the behest of the commissioners. The commissioners had hoped to thoroughly examine the case against Tinubu but a source at the bureau informed that this did not happen. Among the commissioners, it was discovered that the Tinubu case “was more of a move which emanated from discussions between the Code of Conduct Bureau chairman and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN. I can tell you that the commissioners in the bureau were not aware”, a source said.

The commissioners held another meeting the following day, Friday, September 16, 2011. And funds for the payment of the prosecuting lawyer, Alex Izinyon, which runs into millions of naira, it was alleged would be made available from outside the Code of Conduct Bureau. Unconfirmed reports point in the direction of the Presidency for the funds. Tinubu aside, it was discovered that there are growing concerns that even the forms meant to be readily available for public officers to fill for asset declaration  are sometimes hoarded by clerical officers of the bureau . 

In deed, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stipulates that, as a public officer, you must, among other things, fill the asset declaration form and you cannot operate and maintain an account outside Nigeria. Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap C15 LFN, 2004, as amended, talks about that; by operating such account, an offence punishable under section 23(2) thereof as incorporated under paragraph 18, part 1, fifth Schedule to the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, would have been committed

DOWNSIZING
Code of Conduct Bureau, like other agencies of the Federal Government, has been requested to justify the basis for its continued existence. It was gathered that the Code of Conduct Bureau received a  letter to that effect  from the Presidency. Information available suggests that the frenzied meetings of the bureau, were also not unconnected with the letter. Lately, there has been hue and cry that government should downsize to enable it carry out capital projects.
 

The finance minister, Okonjo-Iweala, had, on assumption of office, hinted that one of her priorities would be to assist in downsizing. Many other agencies of government are said to have received the same letter. Last week, Jonathan and members of his cabinet had to hold a special meeting where the Finance Minister reportedly briefed the EXCOF on what should be expected of her management of the economy.