CCB/CCT Act amendment not to provide cover for Saraki – Group

The Nigeria Need Positive Change Group (NNPCG) has described calls for the stoppage of amendment to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Act as self-serving, callous and anti-people.

Its National Secretary, Jide Jokotade, described such calls as hypocrisy of the ruling elites.

Last week, a senator belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Nwaoboshi, moved a motion for the amendment of the  of CCB/CCT Act, with a view to giving the two bodies freedom ‎and independence, since CCT was to be a court of sort, under the judiciary, which was  an arm of government.

The amendment according to Nwaoboshi was “seeking to remove the Code of conduct Bureau (CCB) from the Presidency, while placing it under the control of the Judiciary.”

It added that, “the wisdom of the law-maker is commendable. After all the apex court in the land, the Supreme Court, had, in its judgment, said that the

CCT was a court of sort. Therefore, it must be seen to be neutral and not to be taking instruction from the politicians.

“The position canvassed by the promoter of the amendment should be lauded, as this would further entrench the democratic discipline and enhance better service delivery.

“This hypocrisy should stop, the law-makers should be supported to get their acts right at this critical period of our socio-economic and political challenges.

“The call for the amendment of CCB/CCT Act could not have come at a better time than now, when it has been publicly admitted that the executive arm of government had over-bearing influence on the body, which should, rightly, be under the watch and control of the Judiciary.

“It is hypocritical and ungodly for some self-serving leaders and sponsored faceless groups to have narrowed the proposed amendment to the ongoing trial of the Senate President at the CCT.”

The NNPCG equally condemned reports credited to Senator Kabiru Marafa on the proposed amendment to CCB/CCT Act.

It opined that Marafa was supposed to know that “the proposed amendment would place the CCB / CCT in their place of responsibility as against the current hijack by the executive arm of government.

“Marafa should not and must not be seen to be playing to the gallery, to have claimed that the amendment was to give Saraki immunity.

“Marafa as a lawmaker should not trivialise this patriotic move just because he wants to appear to be loyal to his political master. The trial of any senator should not be an excuse for the law-makers not to discharge their constitutional responsibility as enshrined in our laws”.