ABUJA – Senate of the Federal Republic yesterday re-presented the controversial bill seeking to amend the Act establishing the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), with a view to reduce the powers of the agencies and make it answerable to the National Assembly.
Recall that this Bill was rejected and withdrawn by the Senate following the outcry that the Bill attracted, as it was adjudged as having the capacity to gag the agency and make it an extension of the National Assembly.
To this end, the Bill, which was then sponsored by the senator representing Delta Central, Peter Nwobochi, was thrown out of the Senate.
However, during the Senate plenary yesterday, the Senate read a Bill to amend Code of Conduct Tribunal and Code of Conduct Bureau with intents to amend certain sections of the Act establishing the Tribunal.
The bill which this time around, stood in the name of Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, representing Borno south, reflected as item three in the presentation of bills column and was approved by the Senate.
It reads: “Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2016 (He. 320)- First Reading.”
The amendment proposal which was introduced by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP) representing Delta North Senatorial District sometime in April was seen as an attempt to whittle down powers of the Tribunal in trying corrupt public officials.
Earlier at the time, Senator Nwaoboshi had said “The Code of Conduct Bureau as presently under the office of the Secretary to the government of the Federation (SGF) would never be fair adjudicating criminal matters involving corrupt public officials, especially if the persons are considered an anti Executive.
What was unexplained however, was that amendment proposal was intended on the two Acts and that is CCB and CCT.
The CCT Act deals with establishing the Tribunal, its modus operandi and powers vested on judges.
At the beginning of Saraki’s 16-count criminal charges, Justice Danladi Umar insisted his appearance in person at each sittings.
As a result of this, the senators who were aggrieved, had alleged that CCT’s Justice Danladi Umar wielded much powers and vowed to amend the Act in their capacity as lawmakers.
However, the amendment would have been met with resistance in the course of public hearing and on the floor of the Senate as the camps opposing Saraki, which was led by senator Kabiru Marafa, was still strong then.
Marafa, who was formerly the Committee Chairman on National Population Commission, was consistent in his campaign against the leadership of Saraki as Senate President.
However, he was compensated with that of Petroleum Downstream, and since then, he has filed behind Saraki’s leadership, and by implication, this fresh move to amend the CCT and CCB, is coming at a time nobody would challenge the process of the amendment.
It is recalled that Saraki has cried foul that he was being prosecuted and Persecuted for political reasons, saying that Justice Danladi Umar was doing the bidding of Presidency.
He openly accused the CCT Justice of bias while asking the Judge to disqualify himself on three occasions.
Recall that the former Minister in the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, was convicted for false asset declaration, a similar matter with that of Nigeria Senate President.
Saraki’s last appearance in Justice Umar’s Tribunal was on July 12, since then he has been up and doing at the appeal court in attempt for Umar to disqualify himself.
