Crisis is currently rocking the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as commissioners in the agency have accused their chairman, Professor Mohammed Isah, of blocking investigation of alleged corrupt persons that are politically exposed.
CCB is supposed to fight corruption within the public service system through scrutiny of assets declaration forms of civil and public service officers, but a can of worms has been opened over alleged corrupt practices being covered by the chairman of the bureau.
Professor Mohammed Isah, was openly accused by all the six federal commissioners running the anti – graft agency with him, through petitions submitted to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
The commissioners led by Dr Emmanuel Attah, had in the jointly signed petition, alleged that the embattled chairman of CCB had within the last four years been blocking required investigations on petitions against public officers with multimillion and billion-naira assets, not stated in their assets’ declaration forms.
On the strength of the allegations against him, the CCB chairman was to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions last Friday but was absent while five out of the six commissioners were present.
The absence of the CCB chairman however made the chairman of the committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure ( PDP Ondo Central ) to with consent of other members, directed the absentee chairman to appear before the committee unfailingly on Thursday , 6th October , 2022 by 2:00pm prompt.
“The petition before this committee on allegations against the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) bordering on corrupt practices is worrisome and must be here to defend himself.
“The seriousness of the matter lies in the fact that the petitioners are even the six federal commissioners appointed to be working with him in the fight against corruption.
“The Commissioners are here but the Chairman who is in the eye of the storm is not here. We have gone through all the issues raised in the jointly signed petition by the Commissioners and they are very disturbing if eventually proven.
“Therefore for fair hearing, we are re – inviting the Chairman to appear before this committee on Thursday , 6th October , 2022 unfailingly by 2:00pm prompt to require response or responses from him on all allegations leveled against him in the petition”, he said.
Speaking to journalists after the adjourned session, one of the commissioners, Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma along with others, said they petitioned the chairman to save CCB from self – inflicted incapacitation slammed on it by the chairman.
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