A non-governmental organization, the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, calling for the investigation of the executive director, Procurement of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), for allegedly owning and running private companies while in active service against extant rules.
This was revealed in a statement signed by NACAT’s executive director of investigations, Oghenedoro Tega, in Abuja yesterday.
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NACAT, which said it has sent petitions to all those mentioned above, said their findings show that the director did not declare his company to the Code of Conduct Bureau as stipulated by the law while holding public office.
According to Tega, “NACAT’s findings revealed that the director and some of his members have an interest as directors in the companies, “Hollywood Films, Television, and Creative Arts Institute Limited (RC 1280962), registered on August 14, 2015, and El-Meela Heritage International School Limited (RC 282658),, registered on August 8, 2015, but he did not declare them in his Assets and Liabilities Declaration Forms with the Code of Conduct Bureau, in compliance with the law.
“Paragraph 1(1) of Part 1 of the 5th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended, mandates public office holders, whether elected, appointed, recruited, contracted, etc., by whatever name called, to file their assets and liabilities declaration forms or returns with the Code of Conduct Bureau in respect of themselves, their spouses, and their children under the age of 18 years and above.
“The CCB Act also states that ‘Every public officer is to note that it is the requirement of the law to declare his/her assets or liabilities on (a) Assumption of office; (b) At the end of his term of office; (c). (d) and at such other intervals as the Bureau may determine from time to time.’
“Also, Section 172 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) enjoins all persons in the public service to conform to the Code of Conduct. The Fifth Schedule (Part 1) (Section 5) of the Constitution says that ‘A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflict with his duties and responsibilities.’
The anti-graft body further threatened to take legal action if the right authorities failed to probe the director for the alleged offence.
“As an NGO with a mandate to fight corruption and various anti-corruption wars to our credit, we are concerned that such an official would be allowed to continue in the service without appropriate investigative action and/or punitive actions taken against him.
“That is why we are calling on the relevant agencies to begin a probe into the director,” the statement added.