Crisis Looms In CCB As Commissioners Petition NASS Over Chairman’s Alleged Corruption

*Say Staff’s N60m Cooperative Fund Can’t Be Accounted For

Federal Commissioners in the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, have accused the chairman, Professor Mohammed Isah, of running the agency as a sole administrator and alleged corruption, Vanguardngr reports.

The commissioners, who petitioned both the Senate and the House of Representatives, said the chairman, in contravention of the provisions of the Act establishing the CCB, single-handedly transferred staff without reference to the Board.

They also alleged he by-passed the members against the approved organogram of the Bureau, asking the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in the matter to save the Bureau from total collapse.

“In the petition, the commissioners said that the allowances and impress due to staff were not paid, alleging also that the cooperative money of the staff amounting to over N60 million could not be accounted for by the chairman.

“According to them, Board members do not know how many petitions received by the Bureau as well as number of cases under investigation and cases charged to Code of Conduct Tribunal.

They equally alleged that high profile cases brought before the Bureau were suppressed by the chairman.

The petition, obtained by Vanguard, dated August 29, 2022, and signed by Dr. Emmanuel E. Attah; Professor Samuel F. Ogundare; Ehiozuwa J. Agbonayinma; Dr. Olayinka Balogun, CP, Retd and Barrister Ben Umeano, was addressed to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Patrick Akinyelure, PDP, Ondo Central, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Ossa Ossai.“A member of the Board, Engr. Sa’ad Abdullahi, the Majidadin of Gombe, was also said to have resigned his appointment, citing the crisis created by the chairman.

The petition, titled “Maladministration, non- functionality, Corruption and Collapse of Law and Order in the Code of Conduct Bureau, a call for an urgent intervention”, read, among others: “We, Federal Commissioners of the Code of Conduct Bureau, wish to bring the following to your attention for your urgent intervention in order to save the Bureau from total collapse. The chairman in contravention of the provisions of the Act, single-handedly transfers staff without reference to the Board and bypasses the Bureau members against the approved organogram of the Bureau. Section 3 of SOP states that “all funds of the CCB shall be under the full control and management of the Bureau. Members of the Bureau do not know anything about the budgeting, award of cots/procurement processes and every financial transaction in the Bureau. The chairman does not advertise the award of contracts as required by law.

”In order to cover up for his non-compliance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, the chairman fraudulently obtains a ‘Certificate of No Objection’ and alleges that the contracts in question are for security equipment. The so-called security equipment allegedly procured are not visible, while the internally generated revenues are uncounted for. Monies meant for monitoring, investigations, training, staff welfare have been diverted by the chairman for his personal use. Non implementation of approval level for federal commissioners, directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, head of divisions, sections and units.

”Allowances and impress due to staff are not paid, it is also worthy of note to bring to your attention that the cooperative money of the staff amounting to over N60 million cannot be accounted for by the chairman.”