Save Nigeria Group request for Buhari, Obasanjo, governors assets rejected

– The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has been a major feature in the Nigerian media in recent times

– The bureau was recently asked by a civil society group to provide the assets declaration of certain past and public office holders

– The bureau has declined the request

The move by a leading pro-democracy and human rights organisation in Nigeria, Save Nigeria Group (SNG) to gain access to the assets declaration of certain past and present public officials has hit a brick-wall.

In response to the SNG demands, the CCB conceded that sections 1(1), 3 and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011 guarantees their right to access the information.

READ ALSO: 5 punishments Saraki will face if found guilty at the Code of Conduct Tribunal

But the bureau stated that it is not under any obligation to grant any request which constitutes invasion of personal privacy.

”Assets declarations by public officers contain such personal information which falls within the exemptions to the disclosure of information in the FOIA,’‘ the CCB noted.

The bureau however informed the SNG that paragraph 3 of the third schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 constitution, provides that the CCB shall make assets declaration of public officers available for inspection  by any citizen of Nigeria ”only on such terms as prescribed by the National Assembly.”

The CCB also revealed that many other groups, law firms and persons have also requested for the assets declaration forms and were given similar responses.

The bureau solicited for the help of the SNG to lend their voice to its pressing for the prescription of those terms and conditions that would grant every Nigerian citizen access to the completed assets declaration forms of public officers.

Meanwhile, another civil society group, Friends in the Gap Advocacy Initiative (FGAI) has described the recent move by the Nigerian Senate to amend the CCB and the Code of Conduct Acts as ill-timed and ill-motivated.

The first amendment bill, which is sponsored by Senator Peter Nwaboshi (Delta North) and entitled, Code of Conduct Act Cap C15 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2016, which was first laid before the Senate on Tuesday, April 12 had by Thursday, April 14 already passed the second reading.

The second bill, which is sponsored by Senator Isah Misau (Bauchi Central) and tagged, A bill for and Act to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and other related matters, seeks to remove the CCT from the list of courts statutorily empowered to initiate criminal proceedings against accused persons.

READ ALSO: Change! President Buhari’s appointee publicly declares his assets

In protest, NAIJ.com recalls that Senator Adeola Olamilekun representing (Lagos West) on Thursday, April 14, walked out of plenary over the passage of the acts.

The post Save Nigeria Group request for Buhari, Obasanjo, governors assets rejected appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.