From Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi state office of the code of conduct bureau has said in 2020 issued at least 1563 asset declaration forms to public servants of both state, federal and local governments including political office holders in Kebbi state.
According to the State Director, Abubakar Usman Tadurga, the state CCB office had issues of late submission or none at all but alot of civil servants have returned their forms to the office.
Tadurga added that, though CCB has no power to arrest defaulters but are permitted to prosecute defaulters through the code of conduct tribunal, therefore defaulters are arraigned before the tribunal for either failing to return completed asset declaration forms or refused to declare at all as the 1999 constitution stipulated that political and/or public office holders must declare their asset on assumption of duties and after service within thirty days.
He explained that there are three categories of declarants, they are anticipatory, false and none declarants, anticipatory are those before assuming duties made declaration ahead to avoid being caught after service, while false declarants are those who hide their real assets or declaring below what they actually have i.e declaring 3 houses when you have more 10, he said CCB usually investigates or through a whistleblower to get those people to be prosecuted.
He stated that politicians in Kebbi quickly respond by filling and declaring their assets on good time during his time as the state director of CCB. While civil servants who refused to return their forms are contacted through the head of a service or the civil service commission to reduce casualties as CCB will not hesitate to prosecute erring officers, he described as frank and cordial his relationship with his host community.
