The code of Conduct Tribunal and Code of Conduct Bureau amendment Act has been passed by the Senate, thereby putting to rest the morality of the exercise in view of Saraki’s trial for false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
Saraki had criticized the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), which filed some charges against him at its tribunal (CCT), for not inviting him for questioning on the charges before it filed them.
DAILY POST, however, learnt that Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu was detailed to ensure the passage before Saraki’s returns from Switzerland where he is attending a conference.
Although, the passage of the bill was a concurrent one having been passed by the House of Representatives, it was considered safer to have been passed on his behalf in view of public outcry the move had generated at the onset.
Early in the year, the upper legislative chamber had sought to amend the Act, but a public outcry forced it to shelve it. Although, a similar bill has been reintroduced.
It amended section 3 of the Act thus: “Upon complaint(s) of any breach or where it appears to the bureau that there is a breach of the provision or this Act, the person concerned shall be given particulars of such non compliance or breaches to explain before any reference to the tribunal.”
This implies that the CCB cannot immediately refer a matter to the CCT without giving a public officer a notice.
Section 1 (4) which was expunged, and replaced with “the chairman and members shall serve for a term of five years subject to renewal for one further term only.”
Section 4 (2) was amended to substitute the word, “President” with “the National Assembly,” as the one to confer powers on the bureau and the tribunal.
The senate fixed the age of entry to the bureau at 50, and the number of members of the tribunal to sit in judgment on a case at 3.
Saraki had challenged the composition of the members of the tribunal handling his trial.
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