Bill To Allow Public Officers Engage Only In Farming, Charity Passes 2nd Reading

The House of Representatives has passed through the second reading, a bill seeking to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2024, to expand the rights of public officers to only engage in farming or management of farm and charitable or philanthropic ventures.

Sponsored by Hon Terseer Ugbor (APC, Benue), the bill seeks to restrict public officers employed full-time from managing or participating in the running of any private business, profession, or trade.
The proposed legislation intends to amend Section 6 (b) of the Principal Act (the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004.

“Section 6 (b) of the Principal Act is hereby amended as follows:
Restrictions on specified officers -Without prejudice to the generality of section 5 of this Act, a public officer shall not- “(b) except where he is not employed on a full-time basis, engage or participate in the management or running of any private business, profession or trade; but nothing in this paragraph shall prevent a public officer from engaging in:

“Farming or participating in the management or running of any farm. Charitable or philanthropic ventures, or in the management or running of any charitable organisation.

“This Act may be cited as Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

“This bill seeks to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004, to make it more responsive to the needs of Public Officers to undertake charitable or philanthropic ventures, to empower and enhance the lives of other citizens and to maximise their philanthropic potentials for the greater good of the public,” it reads.