Umar remains CCT Chairman, set to try Kwara, Bauchi offenders June 20
*Justice Danladi Umar, Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT
(Nigeria) The Code of Conduct Tribunal CCT has clarified that Justice
Danladi Umar remains its chairman in the prosecution of public officers who
contravene asset declaration laws in the country as mandated by the federal
government and the country’s constitution.
The Head of Press and
Public Relations of the tribunal, Malam
Ibraheem Alhassan, who made the clarification while speaking to PRNigeria in
Abuja said the Chairman who was in the office today has even fixed June 20 and
21, 2018 for trial of Public Officers from Bauchi and Kwara States who violated various provisions of the Code
of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Alhassan who made the
clarification following insinuations in the social media hinted that Justice
Danladi had promised that all the forthcoming cases in Kwara and Bauchi State
would be treated dispassionately to ensure that justice is done.
The defaulters to be
arraigned for prosecution by Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, are mostly political
appointees and civil servants.
He urged the general
public to disregard the insinuations concerning the status of Justice Umar in
the Tribunal adding that contrary to the social media report, the position of
Chairman and members of CCT are guaranteed by the Constitution.
Meanwhile, an Abuja
based lawyer, Barrister Yunus Abdulsalam told PRNigeria that the Code of
Conduct Tribunal is established by Section 15(1) of the Fifth Schedule, of the
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that It provides that
there shall be established a tribunal to be known as Code of Conduct Tribunal
which shall consist of a Chairman and two other persons.'
"By virtue of
the further provisions in Section 15, the Chairman of the tribunal must be
qualified to hold office as a Judge of a superior court in Nigeria. Also the
Chairman and other two members are appointed by the President on the
recommendation of the National Judicial Council.
"The Chairman’s
tenure of office ends when attaining the age of 70 and the Chairman cannot be
removed by the President except upon an address supported by two-thirds
majority of each House of the National Assembly which means the Senate and
House of Representatives praying that he be so removed for inability to
discharge the functions of the office.
"In fact Section 17 is very clear on this when it
stated that: 'A person holding the office of Chairman or member of the Code of
Conduct Tribunal shall vacate his office when he attains the age of seventy
years.
"'A person who has held office as Chairman or member of
the Code of Conduct Tribunal for a period of not less than ten years shall, if
he retires at the age of seventy years, be entitled to pension for life at a
rate equivalent to his last annual salary in addition to other retirement
benefits to which he may be entitled.
"A person holding the office of Chairman or member of
the Code of Conduct Tribunal shall not be removed from office before retiring
age except in accordance with the provisions of this Code.
"According to section 18, where the Code of Conduct
Tribunal finds a public officer guilty of contravening any of the provisions of
the Code of conduct for public officers, such public officer may be directed to
vacate the office or seat in any legislative house as the case may be, or, be
disqualified from membership of a legislative house and from holding any public
office for a period of 10 years or seizure and forfeiture to the State of any
property acquired in abuse or corruption of office.
"The penalties are without prejudice to any penalty
that may be given by a Court if the offence is of a criminal nature.
"Being a code of conduct for Nigerian public officers,
according to the Constitution, the tribunal has jurisdiction over Public
Officers at all tiers and arms of government," the lawyer clarified.
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