CCB rocked by corruption, with commissioners accusing chairman of sitting on petitions.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

The chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Professor Mohammed Isah, has been accused by commissioners of compromising in the N109 billion fraud allegation leveled against former Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed.

The alleged corrupt practices of Isah were revealed to the Senate by all six federal commissioners in charge of the anti-graft agency in petitions submitted to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which is chaired by Senator Ayo Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo Central).

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and others in connection with an alleged N109 billion fraud.

The CCB commissioners, led by Dr. Emmanuel Attah, alleged in the jointly signed petition that the embattled chairman had blocked required investigations on petitions against public officers with multi-million and billion-naira assets not declared on their assets declaration forms over the last four years.

Following the allegations against the chairman, he was scheduled to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions last Friday but did not appear, despite the presence of five of the six commissioners.

Not happy with the CCB chairman’s absence, especially given that the allegations revolved around him, Akinyelure conferred with other members and it was agreed that the absentee chairman must appear before the committee without fail next Thursday.

“The petition before this committee on allegations against the chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, bordering on corrupt practices are worisome, and he must be here to defend himself,” Akinyelure said.

“The gravity of the situation is underscored by the fact that the petitioners include six federal commissioners appointed to work alongside him in the fight against corruption.”

“The commissioners have arrived, but the chairman, who is in the eye of the storm, has not arrived.” We have reviewed all of the issues raised in the commissioners’ jointly signed petition, and they are very disturbing if proven.

“Therefore, in the interest of fairness, we are re-inviting the chairman to appear before this committee on Thursday, October 6, 2022, without fail, for the required response or responses from him on all allegations leveled against him in the petition.”

Speaking to journalists after the session, one of the commissioners, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, along with others who revealed that they petitioned the chairman to save CCB from self-inflicted incapacity slammed on it by the chairman, said all the commissioners and the chairman were appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to help in the war against corruption within the public service itself at all levels.

“Based on his actions, the chairman is not ready to fight the war in any way, but to sabotage it by sitting on a series of petitions written against corrupt public officers whose assets far outweigh what was declared in the Assets Declaration Forms,” Agbonayinma said.

“The N109 billion loot linked to the now-indicted Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, was first reported to the CCB through petitions but was prevented from being acted on by the chairman.”

“We are always ready to support the president’s war on corruption, but we are deeply disturbed by the frustration being poured into it in the CCB by none other than the chairman.”

“We have filed a written petition against him, as declared by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions here today, and we want him to appear before the committee for whatever defense he wishes to make.”

Professor Folorunsho Ogundare, Elder Ubolo Okpanachi, and Barrister Ben Nnana were among the Commissioners present at the press conference.