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  • Kano Governor-elect declares assets ahead of inauguration

    Kano Governor-elect declares assets ahead of inauguration

    Kano state Governor-elect, Malam Abba Yusuf, has declared his assets and liabilities in a completed form submitted on Friday to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Kano office.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Kano by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor-elect, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa.

    The Governor-elect, who was received by the CCB State Director, Hajia Hadiza Larai Ibrahim, said his earnest declaration of assets is a demonstration of transparency and accountability that will form the bedrock of the incoming administration in Kano State.

    He said: ”Today, I have fulfilled the constitutional obligation of declaring my assets before assuming office on May 29.”

    The Governor-elect, told his host that public service is a calling: “It is a service to humanity and I am always ready to serve, having won the confidence of the good people of Kano State.”

    He declared that the coast is now clear for the journey of restoration of sustainable development in all sectors, where every kobo of the public fund spent will not only be justifiable but accountable in Kano State under his watch.

    He assured that all the public officials, including political appointees that will serve in his administration, will be mandated to also declare their assets as required by the Law.

  • Tinubu, Shettima, others to secretly declare assets before May 29

    Tinubu, Shettima, others to secretly declare assets before May 29

    The CCB has never honoured requests for public officials’ asset declaration information because the guidelines for such disclosure have not been provided in the Nigerian Constitution.

    The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has asked Nigeria’s President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima and 28 incoming governors to declare their assets before the May 29 inauguration.

    Asset declaration for public officials in Nigeria has been a topic of discussion for many years and is seen as a critical aspect of transparency and accountability in governance.

    Requiring public officials to disclose their assets and liabilities before assuming office can help to prevent corruption and other unethical practices that may result in personal gain.

    A few days ago, it emerged that Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Tinubu, whose victory in February is being challenged in court, has been keeping part of his wealth in the United Kingdom, where he and his close associates own at least 20 properties.

    It was discovered that the properties were mostly acquired when Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State, according to a report by Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

    Recall that Tinubu was forced to forfeit $460,000 to the US government in 1993 as proceeds of narcotics trafficking, according to a ruling by a US District Court in Illinois.

    About a year later, Abeeb Holdings Limited, an offshore company registered in Gibraltar with Tinubu as the beneficial owner, purchased Flat 9 at 96-100 New Cavendish Street in London.

    Tinubu’s connection to Abeeb Holdings Limited was revealed through the Register of Overseas Entities, a new measure designed by the UK to disclose the true owners of offshore firms that hold property in the country.

    His son, Oluwaseyi, is the main shareholder of Aranda Overseas Corporation, an offshore company that bought a controversial US$10.8 million U.K. property in 2017.

    “If there are reasonable grounds to suspect these assets were bought with criminal funds, then they should be investigated,” the head of research and investigations at Transparency International UK, Steve Goodrich said.

    He added: “Owning a home via an offshore company has seldom made much sense except for securing secrecy”.

    Apart from the incoming president, his vice and governors, other public officials expected to declare their assets include ministers, senators-elect and Reps-elect who would be sworn-in on June 5.

    The Asset Declaration Form (ADF) is usually filed with the Bureau which is responsible for verifying the information provided by public officials.

    However, despite the Freedom of Information Act and President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to the membership of the Open Government Partnership, the CCB has never honoured requests for public officials’ asset declaration information because the guidelines for such disclosure have not been provided in the Nigerian Constitution.

    A source at the CCB told this newspaper that the Bureau expects that the National Assembly would provide the guidelines before such information can be released to the public.

    “It is not that the CCB is not willing to give information to applicants. The National Assembly is yet to give any guidelines,” the source said.

    The chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Bolaji Owasanoye, said requesting public officials to declare their assets without making the information public is a clog in the wheel of progress towards curbing corruption in the country.

    “Publicising asset declaration will assist the whistle-blowing policy and our work. We have not been able to take full advantage of asset declaration because of the opacity around it. If somebody lied about his or her assets, he or she can be found out by just the opening of the page where it has been published,” Owasanoye said.

    Similarly, a public affairs analyst Victor Anya, said: “The framers of the Code of Conduct  Bureau erred by requesting public officials to declare their assets at the time of entering into public offices without a corresponding demand on them to do same when leaving office”.

  • Buhari swears in Ex-IGP Arase as PSC chairman, five CCB board members sworn in too

    Buhari swears in Ex-IGP Arase as PSC chairman, five CCB board members sworn in too

    The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday morning, swore in the new chairman of the Service Commission, former Inspector-General of Police, Dr Solomon Arase (retd.).

    Arase took his oath of office at 10:05 am at the council chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SGF Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and other FEC members.

    This comes two months after the senate confirmed him as chairperson of the PSC.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls that on January 24, 2023, Buhari had forwarded Arase’s name to the Senate, asking the upper legislative chamber to confirm him in line with sections 153 (1) and 154 (1) of the constitution as amended.

    Ex-IGP Arase gets new job as PSC chairman, five CCB board members sworn in
    Dr Solomon Arase

    Arase, 65, who retired in 2016, was the 18th indigenous Inspector-General of Police (between April 2015 and June 2016) and has served in various capacities including as head of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the foremost intelligence-gathering unit of the Nigerian police.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) also reports that the President also swore in five board members of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.

    They include Murtala Kankia from Katsina State (North-West); Zephaniah Bulus from Nasarawa State (North Central) and Farouk Umar from Yobe State (North East), Taofeek Abdulsalam from Ondo State (South West) and Prof. Juwaria Badamasi from Kogi State (North Central).

    Council members also observed a moment of silence in honour of Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya who died on Sunday, March 26, 2023.

    Ex-IGP Arase gets new job as PSC chairman, five CCB board members sworn in
    Dr Solomon Arase

    Diya served as Chief of General Staff and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council under the Abacha regime.

    Born on April 3, 1944 at Odogbolu in Ogun State, Diya joined the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and fought during the Nigerian Civil War.

    He was appointed Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994.

    As Chief of the General Staff, he was second in command and the de facto vice president of Nigeria under General Sani Abacha from 1994 to 1997.

    Buhari went on to preside over this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting which began around 10:30 am.

  • Minister urge public officers not to allow personal interests conflict with responsibilities

    In a two-day workshop organised by the Code of Conduct Bureau for public office holders, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba,  has urged public officers to ensure their personal interests do not conflict with their responsibilities as they discharge government activities.

    Newsmen reports that the workshop is on strict compliance with assets declaration and code of conduct for public officers.

    Agba, who was represented by Mr Omotayo Adeyemi, Director, Administrations, said it was important for public officers to conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability.

    He said that putting aside their personal interests would ensure a well-motivated and transparent workforce that will bring about national development.

    He also urged the public officers to ensure that they abided by the code of conducts expected of public officers and ensure that they declared their assets periodically.

    Prof. Mohammed Isah, the Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) also called on the participants to take it as their personal responsibilities to be morally guided in their various endeavours.

    Isah, represented by Mrs Fatima Kere-Ahmed, the Head of Board Secretariat, CCB, said that the bureau decided to educate public officers on what was expected of them so that they would not feign ignorance of the law.

    He also called on the participants to ensure they passed down lessons learnt from the workshop to their subordinates in their various departments.

    “We have 14 Code of Conducts for public officers and the asset declaration is one of the codes.

    “All these codes should be taken seriously as it will help them maintain high level of morality and accountability.

    “The Bureau has been seen as so soft but we want public officers to know that once they are found culpable, we have the power to prosecute them in the court.

    “So abiding by the code of conducts should be taken as an individual responsibility, which is enshrined in the constitution,” Isah said.

  • CCB committed to eradicating corrupt practices in public service – Chairman

    CCB committed to eradicating corrupt practices in public service – Chairman

    The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) says it is committed to eradicating corrupt practices within the public service.

    The Chairman of the Bureau, Prof. Muhammed Isah, made gave the assurance at a one-day workshop organised for staff of the Federal Ministry of Education, on Wednesday, in Abuja.

    Newsmen reports that the workshop was on strict compliance with assets declaration and code of conducts for public officers.

    Isah was represented by Prof. Samuel Ogundare, Federal Commissioner, Education and Advocacy Services at the Bureau.

    He said that the Bureau would continue to educate public officers on the importance of maintaining high standard of morality in the conduct of government businesses.

    He said that to implement its mandate, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided the Bureau with legal powers to prosecute offenders.

    “It is our mandate to receive assets declaration by public officers, in line with the fifth schedule of the 1999 constitution.

    “We are also committed to ensuring that public officers comply with the code of conducts expected of a public officer.

    “That is why we are taking our time to go round different organisations to enlighten them on the need to abide by these codes.

    “The codes are a set of moral principles or rule of behaviour that are generally accepted by a society or organisation.

    “It helps to regulate the conduct of public officers, from the President to the lowest officer in the public service.

    “Our clients are not less than 10 million, given all the public officers we have in the federation, including those in the forces, para-military, local government, state offices, as well as elected officers.

    “It is expected of them to see themselves as professionals, working to develop capacity and competence needed for his or her job with confidence and acceptable level of expertise,” he said.

    Mr Mohammed Bello, a participant from the Federal Ministry of Education, appreciated the bureau for the workshop.

    He added that the lessons learnt from the workshop would be passed down to his subordinates, as he also placed public service above self-interest.

    Newsmen reports that the workshop featured a practical guide on how to fill the assets declaration forms by the participants.

  • Magu: CCB summons suspended EFCC chairman, demands for documents of his assets

    Magu: CCB summons suspended EFCC chairman, demands for documents of his assets

    Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been summoned by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.

    CCB asked Magu to appear before it on Tuesday with documents of his assets and copies of his assets declarations while in service, among other things.

    The invitation was contained in a letter dated November 2, 2020 and was signed by CCB’s Director of Intelligence, Investigation, and Monitoring, SP Gwimi.

    In the letter, the bureau disclosed that it’s investigating an alleged breach of code of conduct by Magu.

    According to the letter: “The Bureau is investigating a case of alleged breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers against Mr. Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, the former Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    “In view of the foregoing, you are invited for an interview scheduled as follows: Date: Tuesday 17 November, 2020. Times 11am Prompt. “Venue: CCB Interview Room, 5 Floor, Annex 3, Federal Secretariat Complex, Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama Abuja.

    “You are expected to come along with the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the following:

    “Acknowledgement slips of all your assets declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau since you joined public service.

    “Copies of your Appointment Letter, Acceptance, Records of Service and Pay Slips from January to May, 2020.

    “All documents of your landed properties, both developed and undeveloped.”

    This is coming at a time activities of EFCC under Magu were being probed by a Presidential panel.

    The probe followed an indictment by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

    Malami had accused Magu of misappropriation and insubordination while in office.

    Prior to the commencement of the probe, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved Magu’s suspension.

    Magu has, however, lamented over the conduct of the panel which he claimed was against him.

  • Why we can’t publish Buhari, Osinbajo’s assets -CCB

    The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that it cannot make public details of assets declaration of all presidents and governors since 1999 without the owners’ consent.

    The CCB told Justice Muslim Hassan that it was unlawful to do so without permission, because the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) on the release of assets declaration forms conflict with the 1999 Constitution.

    It said the officials had not consented to the disclosure of their assets declaration forms.

    The bureau prayed the judge to turn down the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project’s (SERAP’s) application seeking the right to obtain such information.

    The CCB stated this in its October 14 counter-affidavit opposing SERAP’s suit. It was filed on its behalf by its counsel, Musa Ibrahim Usman and Fatima Danjuma Ali.

    Justice Hassan, on October 3, granted SERAP leave to file an application for an order to compel the bureau to release the assets declaration forms of current and past public officeholders.

    But the CCB described the section of the FoI enabling the release of assets declaration forms as an “open confrontation with the constitution of Nigeria and therefore void”.

    It said SERAP failed to show that it had sufficient legal interest in the matter.

    A Senior Administrative Officer with the CCB, Ellis Adebayo, who deposed to the counter-affidavit to SERAP’s suit, said she was informed by the bureau’s lawyer, Musa Ibrahim, that the law did not permit the CCB to supply SERAP with the information in President Buhari and Vice-President Osinbajo’s assets declaration forms.

    Adebayo said: “The assets declaration forms of the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Senate President, Speakers of the House of Representatives, state governors and deputy governors since the return of democracy in 1999 to 2019 are in the custody of the CCB. But the public officials have not consented to the disclosure of their asset declarations forms. The CCB is not obligated to submit assets declaration forms to any person.”

    “The forms are not publicly available. SERAP has not shown that it is in the public interest to disclose the information nor that such public interest overweighs the protection of the privacy of the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Senate Presidents, Speakers of the House of Representatives, state governors and deputy governors since 1999 to 2019.”

    “Asset declaration forms contain personal information about President and Ministers contain personal information about them and their properties, assets and liabilities and those of their wives/husbands and their children who are under the age of 18 years.

    “The power of the CCB to refer suspects to the Code of Conduct Tribunal is discretionary and the courts are circumspect in granting mandamus in respect of discretionary powers and in the circumstances of the case SERAP has an alternative and effective legal remedy. This renders SERAP’s case incompetent.

    “SERAP ought to have asked the CCB to investigate allegations of non-compliance with the Code of Conduct and where appropriate refer the matter to the Tribunal for prosecution.”

    “Asset declaration forms are special documents that have been exempted by section 14 of the Freedom of Information Act. CCB can only make the forms available on the terms and conditions to be prescribed by the National Assembly. Those terms and conditions are yet to be prescribed.”

  • CCB commences Makinde’s N48b assets’ verification

    CCB commences Makinde’s N48b assets’ verification

    The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has begun verification of the N48 billion assets declared by Oyo State Governor Oluseyi Makinde to the bureau.

    The Director of the bureau in the state, Mr. Bisi Atolagbe, disclosed this at the weekend in an interview with reporters during a meeting of Southwest state directors of the bureau with the member representing the region on the CCB Board of Directors, Prof. Samuel Ogundare, in Ibadan.

    Makinde had caused a storm in the media in July when he made details of his declared assets public. While many Nigerians were shocked about the huge amount of his assets, others wondered if the content of the declaration was not anticipatory.

    Contacted at the time, Atolagbe revealed that his office had forwarded the asset estimates to the bureau’s headquarters in Abuja, stressing that the Oyo State office was awaiting a directive to start verification of Makinde’s claims.

    When asked about the verification, Atolagbe said the exercise had already begun, but added that the process might not be concluded so quickly, given the technical parts of the verification.

    The CCB boss said the verification of Makinde’s assets is nothing special because it is part of the routine work undertaken by the bureau.

    He said: “Work has started in the verification of the content of declaration submitted by Governor Makinde. At the right time, the report will be available. It is not about noise making, but technically doing the work to ascertain the assets declared. However, I must point out that the process is not a public exercise. The governor has not committed any crime by declaring his assets. It is just to ascertain what he has declared, to check if they are not anticipatory. I can assure you that a thorough job is being done, without being stampeded. We are not in a hurry over it because we are not doing it just to be seen. It will take a while to be completed.”

    Giving a report on assets declaration by political office holders and top civil servants in the region, Prof. Ogundare said there has been a near 100 per cent compliance to CCB regulations by current and former public office holders in the Southwest.

    He said the newly sworn-in political office holders and those whose tenure ended on May 29 across the region had made their pre-service and post-service asset declarations.

    Ogundare said former governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo State), Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos State) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun State) and their deputies have declared their assets within the stipulated period.

    Said he: “Our governors in the Southwest have shown good examples in compliance. They have done what the constitution requires them to do before and after occupying office. Since the governors and their deputies showed good examples, almost all state lawmakers and appointees have also complied.”

    At the meeting were the bureau’s directors in the six Southwest states: Messrs. Bisi Atolagbe (Oyo), Akinfolarin Feyisola (Ekiti), Olusegun Adeburueje (Ondo), Adeniyi Olufadeji (Osun), Olusegun Rabiu (Ogun) and Ezekiel Olusoji (Lagos).

  • Gov Makinde visits Oyo CCB, declares assets worth over N48bn

    Gov Makinde visits Oyo CCB, declares assets worth over N48bn

    Following his promise to the people that he would make details of his assets public upon assumption of office, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Monday made public his asset, calling on any interested members of the public to verify the same with the Code of Conduct Bureau.
    The Governor, who visited the Oyo state office of the CCB in Ibadan to receive a copy of the asset declaration form he submitted earlier said that his decision to make the assets public was in fulfillment of a personal promise he made during the elections and also give them a basis to crosscheck after he might have finished serving them as the governor.
    Details of the assets as contained in the CCB 1 deposited with the bureau in the name Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, which was declared at the High Court of Oyo State, on May 28, 2019, indicated that the Governor is worth over N48billion in assets.
    The assets declaration form, marked OYSE/2019/001 contained details of cash at hand, in the bank, landed properties (developed and undeveloped), household items, share and bonds owed by the Governor, his wife, Omini Makinde as well as his companies.
    According to details of the asset form made public by the Chief Press Secretary to Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the Governor of Oyo State had cash at hand and in the bank worth N234, 742,296.01, as at May 28, 2019.
    In dollar terms, the Governor has cash valued at $30,056.99 as at the same date.
    Properties, including the developed and undeveloped as well as household items indicated on the asset forms, showed that the Governor is worth N2, 624,800,500 (two billion, six hundred and twenty-four million, eight hundred thousand, five hundred Naira) as at the date of asset declaration.
    In Dollar terms, the Governor also declared properties, developed and undeveloped as well as household items valued at $4,400,000 (four million, four hundred thousand dollars only.
    In South African Rands, the Governor declared buildings and household items worth four Million, four hundred and fifty-seven thousand, five hundred and fifty-four and four South African Rands.
    The houses declared by the Governor include nine buildings in Nigeria, two in the United States of America and one in South Africa.
    One of the properties in the United States is described as “jointly owned.”
    The details showed the current value of Makinde’s companies stand at N48, 150,736,889 (forty-eight billion, one hundred and fifty million, seven hundred and thirty-six thousand, eight hundred and eighty-nine Naira), with 33,730,000 units of shares as at May 28, 2019.
    The Governor also has existing Bonds (Eurobond) worth $3,793, 500 as well as shares, debentures and other securities valued at N120,500,000 (One hundred and twenty million, five hundred thousand naira).
    The companies listed by the Governor include Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited; Energy Traders and Technical Services Limited; Makon Oil and Gas Limited; Makon Group Limited, Makon Construction Limited and Makon Power System Limited.
    The asset declaration form indicated that Governor Makinde’s four companies have additional assets denominated as loan notes including Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited (N1.7 billion); Makon Power System Limited (N148.4 million); Makon Oil and Gas Limited (N341 million); Energy Traders and Technical Services Limited (N1.159bn) totalling N3.389 billion.
    The Governor who was at the CCB said he visited to get his copy of the form duly signed as an attestation that anyone could assess the document through the freedom of information Act on details of his asset, just like he promised to do during the campaign period.
    Makinde said: “I came here to collect the photocopy of the form that I signed in fulfillment of my campaign promise to the people that I will declare my asset publicly and release the document to the public.
    “I will encourage all the members of my cabinet to do the same thing but in as much as they stay within the ambit of the law, I will encourage them to do the same.”

  • SERAP sues CCB over ‘claim on privacy of asset declarations of presidents, governors’

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit in the Federal High Court, Lagos, against the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over the bureau’s claim that it could not disclose details of the asset declarations submitted to it by successive Presidents and governors since 1999.

    The group quoted SERAP as saying that doing so “would offend the right to privacy of presidents and state governors”.

    Last week, the CCB refused a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by SERAP, saying: “Asset declaration form is private information.”

    But in the suit it filed last Friday, SERAP said: “Asset declarations of Presidents and governors submitted to the CCB are public documents. Public interest in disclosure of the details of asset declarations sought by SERAP clearly outweighs any claim of protection of the privacy of Presidents and governors, as they are public officers entrusted with the duty to manage public funds, among other public functions.”

    The organisation cited many laws to buttress its argument for the request for the information.

    It is seeking the following reliefs:

    “An order granting leave to the applicant to apply for judicial review and to seek an order of mandamus directing and compelling the respondent to compile and make available to the applicant information on specific details of asset declarations submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau by successive Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senate Presidents, Speakers of House of Representatives, State Governors and Deputy Governors from 1999 to 2019 and to publish widely, including on a dedicated website, any such information.

    “An order granting leave to the applicant to apply for judicial review and to seek an order of mandamus directing and compelling the respondent to compile and make available to the applicant information on the number of asset declarations so far verified by the Code of Conduct Bureau and the number of those declarations found to be false and deemed to be in breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by the Bureau and to publish widely including on a dedicated website, any such information.

    “An order granting leave to the applicant to apply for Judicial Review and to seek an order of mandamus directing and compelling the respondent to immediately take cases of false asset declarations to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for effective prosecution of suspects, and include banning the politicians involved from holding public offices for at least a period of 10 years and seeking refund of stolen public funds as part of the reliefs to be sought before the tribunal.”

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.