CCB threatens to prosecute ministers who fail to declare assets

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has threatened to prosecute ministers, public servants and government officials who ignore its invitation for asset verification.

Sam Saba, chairman of the bureau, said this in a statement, vowing that those who fall in this category would be taken to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

He commended the public servants who declared their assets within the time frame set by the bureau.

“Pursuant to paragraph 11 of part 1 of the 5th schedule to the 1999 constitution (as amended), every public officer is required to submit to the CCB a written declaration of all his properties, assets and liabilities and those of his/her spouse (if not a public officer) and his unmarried children under the age of 18 years,” he said in a statement.

“Any statement in such declaration that is found to be false by any authority or person authorized in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a breach of this code.

“To this end, the Bureau has commenced its 2016 4th Quarter cycle of conference and field verifications of assets of top public officers.

“Accordingly, letters of invitation have been dispatched to Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, service chiefs and other top public officers.

“This exercise is ongoing and is being carried out concurrently at the federal, state and local government levels.

“At a satisfactory completion of the exercise, public officers are issued with certificate of assets conference verification/field verification as the case maybe.

“CCB however, commends those public officers, who honoured its invitations promptly and submitted themselves for the exercise.”