CCB Threatens to Sanction FCTA Workers over Non-declaration of Assets

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has warned workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to adhere strictly to the code of conducts guiding public service by declaring their assets, stressing that failure to do so would lead to sanction.

The FCT State Director of the Bureau, Suleiman Usman, issued the warning yesterday, at a one-day enlightenment campaign.
He charged the workers to ensure timely and accurate declaration of their assets, for transparency and accountability purposes, as government offices are held in trust on behalf of the citizens.

He accused many public servants of ignorance of some of the relevant information and practices expected of their roles, which according to him, explains why they unknowingly end up normalising the illegalities within the system.

He also frowned at the practice where public servants use office hours to engage in private businesses, warning that the Bureau would take necessary measures against any civil servant who was petitioned, investigated by the Bureau’s committee and found guilty of using official hours for private businesses.

“We are here to enlighten the civil servants of the FCT Administration on the importance of asset declaration and ensure that we have total compliance.
“We also enlightened them on the code of conduct of public officers so that they will know their dos and don’ts alongside their responsibilities.
“The Bureau’s has a committee that investigates and take the necessary measure, which is why we specified that civil servants must not engage in direct managing of private business, if they want to carry out private businesses,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Acting Director Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, FCTA, Dr Jummai Ahmadu, said the enlightenment campaign was a routine activity of the Bureau across the country to refresh the minds of civil servants in declaration of their assets which is done every four years.
She said the FCT Administration would take deliberate efforts to ensure that people know what is expected of them by giving them detailed information on how to declare their assets.

She explained that public servants who acquire properties a long time ago, are expected to declare the current value of such properties and not the value they were acquired at, while properties acquired through inheritance are simply to be stated as such.