THE 'war' against corruption appears to be a tough one; perhaps, that was why successive governments devised several ways to attempt to combat it. Apart from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), which are relatively new bodies established within this democratic dispensation to deal with corruption and its manifestations, there is a 22-year old Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and its Tribunal, established to regulate general behaviour in the public sphere.But while the EFCC appears to have taken the front seat, not minding its challenges and the ICPC trailing it with unsure steps, the old CCB is yet to make itself relevant, in spite of the generous constitutional provisions enabling it.The Bureau was established to maintain a high standard of morality in the conduct of government business and to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability. To help carry out this salient objective, the bureau is empowered by the 1999 Constitution to:' Receive assets declarations by public officers in accordance with the provisions of this Act;' Examine the assets declarations and ensure that they comply with the requirements of this Act and of any law for the time being in force;' Take and retain custody of such assets declarations; and' Receive complaints about non-compliance with or breach of this Act and where the Bureau considers it necessary to do so, refer such complaints to the Code of Conduct Tribunal established by section 20 of this Act in accordance with the provisions of sections 20 to 25 of this Act:Prior to 1999, it seemed a modicum of sanity existed in the public service, in spite of the brazen disrespect for the rules by top military leaders, who lodged public funds in private accounts overseas. Code of conduct and respect for ethics were not as derelict as they have become since 1999 politicians took over.Since 1999, politicians have become brazen and shameless about their conduct in office. At the local government level, for instance, a chairman who was unemployed before he was catapulted into office through the help of some godfathers suddenly becomes a superstar in his neighborhood. He becomes a multiple landlord and the public within his vicinity becomes a conquered territory. Everyday, praise-singers and hangers-on turn his house into a Mecca.After three years, the man seeks re-election and he enters for another term, thus expanding his territory and property. The Code of Conduct Bureau does not know of the existence of this man, and the people around who should report his questionable acquisitions do not have the time. They also may not know what the Code of Conduct prescribes. The chairman does not operate alone; he works with other elected officials.Multiply that by 774 councils across the country and see the vast numbers that operate outside the CCB code.Moving up the ladder to the state level is a glaring and scandalous abuse of the CCB law by governors, legislators and appointees whose salaries cannot justify their investments and property here at home and all over the world. It is the same story at the federal level.Whereas the Constitution provides that public office holders declare their assets at the time they are sworn into office and when they exit, a good number of politicians do not declare at all. Those who manage to declare use all manner of tricks to falsify and hoodwink a weak CCB bureaucracy into capitulation.The CCB legal instrument is strong, but the infrastructure is weak, just like the civil service. The simple process of obtaining an assets' declaration form and returning same to the CCB, without prior investigation is weak. The process of appointing members to the CCB board is just like that of another government parastatal. The tribunal itself is grossly understaffed to try the long list of offenders, assuming it is really set to work.And what do you have' You find presidents and vice presidents leaving office far richer than they went in, owning huge farms, universities and real estates. You find governors, manageably feeding well at the time they were elected, but owning airlines, hotels, media houses shortly after leaving office, some while still serving. Legislators have become big time investors, owning real estates, schools and much more.Citizens' awareness is extremely low and whistle blowing is scarce. There is too much of hero-worship and the gap between politicians and the people continues to expand. When will the CCB stop playing politics and work
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