Amaechi, Lai Mohammed and Fashola To Face CCT Trial Over Assets Declaration

Minister of works, power and housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola and his transport ministry counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi have been listed among 30 ministers who have been invited by the Code of Conduct Bureau to verify their assets declaration or face trial.

The ministers are said to have failed to undergo the necessary verification exercise after filling their asset declaration forms.

Other affected ministers, according to the Punch, include: Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum Resources (State); Abubakar Malami (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Solid Minerals and Steel Development); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture and Rural Development).

Some others are Senator Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs and Social Development); Solomon Dalung (Youths & Sports Development); Osagie Ehanire (Health (State)); Usani Usani (Niger Delta Affairs); Prof. Anthony Anwukah (Education (State)); Lai Mohammed (Information and Culture), and Gen. Ali Mansur (retd.) (Defence).

Five ministers are however said to have submitted themselves to the verification exercise and have been issued certificates to show such compliance. Pubic officials who have complied with the verification requirements include chief of army staff, Gen Tukur Buratai.

A statement by the chairman of the CCB, Mr Sam Saba, released by the Press and Protocol Unit of the bureau on Thursday, explained that the exercise involved physical appearance of the concerned public officers before the bureau for conference and field verification of their declared assets.

Saba said conference verification requires public officers to present documents relating to their declared assets to designated officials of the bureau.

On the other hand, field verification involves public officers taking CCB officials to locations of their declared landed, fixed and other assets that could not be conveniently moved to the bureau’s office.

“All invited public officers are to note that failure to honour the invitation by the CCB in this regard is a breach of the provisions of the constitution and could lead to prosecution at the Code of Conduct Tribunal,” Saba warned.

Senate President Bukola Saraki is presently facing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) after assets declared were, in the course of verification, found to have been falsely made.

He is also facing trial for anticipatory assets declaration and corrupt enrichment with public funds while he served as Kwara state governor.