Halt CCB Act Amendment, ANEEJ Tells Senate

By Alltimepost.com

Benin City, Edo State – Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), has asked the Nigerian senate to halt its recent attempts to amend the Act that established the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), apparently to guarantee the independence and neutrality of the body.

The organization noted in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor in Benin City on Thursday that as “things stand today, both the Code of Conduct Bureau and its tribunal are quasi-legal entities under the supervision of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

He also noted: “Commendable as the moves by the Senate may be, we find the attempt by the Senate to amend the Act establishing the CCB as ill-timed, ill-conceived and superficial.”

He remarked that the leadership of the Senate was currently mired in corruption charges and being tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, adding that while being arraigned, the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki had in tow over 70% of the Senators, who stood behind him at the CCT in an apparent show of solidarity.

“Not only that, Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, has been fingered in the Panama Papers Leak as the owner of a number of companies operating in offshore tax havens.”

Ugolor accused the Senate of seeking a leeway for the Senate President, describing the action as truly unfortunate.

“The prevailing mood in the country now is for Mr. President to order the EFCC and the ICPC to probe all Nigerians that were fingered in the Panama Papers Leak, of which Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki’s name featured prominently.

“Let the Senate support the anti-corruption fight rather than a review of the CCB Act,” Ugolor said.

During the week, ANEEJ organized a rally in protest against the Panama papers leak in Abuja, the nation’s capital in collaboration with several other Civil Society groups wherein they, in one voice called for a probe and review of Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.

“Rather than asking for a review of the sections of the CCB Act which may be skewed in favor of the Senate president, the Senate should collaborate with the executive arm of government to develop and make public an asset recovery blueprint,” Ugolor posited.

“The Panama Papers Leak showed how politically exposed persons and businessmen and women, for more than 40 years have been frittering the nation’s wealth to offshore tax havens at the detriment of Nigeria. Amending the CCB Act will be equivalent to sabotage of the interests of Nigeria,” Ugolor said.