AfriPulse
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CBB) says it is investigating
corruption cases involving former ministers, current top government officials
and senior public office holders at both federal and state levels.
The CCB Chairman, Dr Abubakar Bello, disclosed this in an
interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
“We have started investigating high-profile individuals.
There is a former minister we have already taken to court.
“Right now, we are investigating another former minister and
also a serving top government official.
“I won’t mention names because we are still at the
investigation stage. We don’t want to turn it into a media trial,’ he said.
Bello added that the bureau had also secured interim
forfeiture orders from the courts and recorded recoveries from investigations
involving local government chairmen and senior state officials
Bello noted that Nigeria’s anti-corruption war did not
target only low-level offenders while shielding politically exposed persons, as
alleged in certain quarters
The CCB Chairman dismissed the allegation, insisting that
ministers, senior government officials and other high-profile individuals are
currently under investigation.
He explained that the Bureau’s operations are guided
strictly by law and due process, not media pressure or political
considerations.
Defending the bureau’s quiet approach, the chairman warned
against public condemnation before evidence is established.
“From my experience working with the EFCC, sometimes people
write frivolous petitions.
“Once the media starts reporting it, the person is already
labeled corrupt.
“But, if investigations later show he is innocent, his name
is already damaged. That is why we only speak when we are ready to go to
court,” he said.
According to him, asset declaration remains the core tool of
the bureau’s work.
“Every public officer is required to declare assets at the
beginning and at the end of their tenure. It is within this window that
corruption is detected.
“If you declare your assets at the beginning of your tenure
and we verify it, we don’t have any issue with you again until the end of your
tenure.
“But if at the end of your tenure you suddenly move from ₦10
million to ₦200 million and you cannot explain the source of that increase,
that is where we come in,” he explained.
Bello noted that investigations are not limited to asset
comparisons alone.
He said the bureau also acts on petitions and allegations
from members of the public and public servants.
“If there is a petition against you, we investigate.
“If we find that you did not declare your assets or cannot
explain the source of your income, we will take you to court,” he said.
Addressing concerns about Nigeria’s low anti-corruption
rating, the CCB boss pointed to structural and operational challenges,
including limited manpower, funding and reliance on manual systems.
“We are talking about 4.5 million public servants in
Nigeria. We cannot investigate or verify all of them with the resources.
“To manage this, the bureau has adopted a risk-based
approach, focusing its limited resources on high-risk and high-profile
individuals where the impact would be greatest.
“That is why it may look like we are selective, but it is
not about protecting anyone.
“It is about using scarce resources wisely to get the
highest results,” he explained.
Bello added that the planned transition to an online asset
declaration system would significantly improve efficiency, verification and
prosecution.
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Source: NigerianEye | Read the Full Story…
