The Bureau’s current stand negates its 2019 move that led to the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen.

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) says it is illegal to release asset declarations of public officeholders.

This is despite the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act of 2011 that mandates public offices like the CBB to make records and other vital information of public interest freely available to the public.

The Act was enacted by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2011, to further deepen Nigeria’s democracy.

The act places access to vital information held by public authorities as a fundamental element of the right to freedom of expression as provided under Section 39 of the Constitution.

In a series of letters obtained by Peoples Gazette, the Code of Conduct Bureau, while acknowledging that the FOI act guarantees the right of a person to information, argued that the request for asset declaration of public office holders constitute an invasion of privacy which is against the provision of the act.

The Bureau’s current stand negates its 2019 move that led to the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen who was sacked over false asset declaration.

The CCB in 2019 did not consider the privacy of the former CJN before expeditiously providing his asset declaration data to Anti Corruption and Research Base Data Initiatives, the body which filed the petition that led to Mr Onnoghen’s removal.

While the FOI had given room for free access to public information, government offices like the CCB have habitually frustrated the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians to gain access to needed information.

Dated March 30, 2021, the letters by Munirah Elabor, the chairman of CCB, refused to honour the request by anti-corruption campaigner Deji Adeyanju who asked for access to the asset declaration documents of Delta Senator James Manager, NDDC interim administrator Effiong Okon Akwa and Hamza Ibrahim Jamo.





“It is conceded that section 1 (1) 3 and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011 guarantees the right of a person to access or request information whether or not in written form, in custody of any public agency.

“Conversely, by virtue of section 12 (1)(a)(v), 14(1)(b) and 15(1)(a) of the same act, the bureau is not under any obligation to grant any request which constitutes invasion of personal privacy. Asset declarations by public office officers contain such personal information which falls within the exemption of the disclosure of information in the FOIA,” the letter by CCB read.

Further making reference to paragraph 3 (c) of the third schedule of the 1999 constitution, the Bureau agreed it has been mandated to make asset declaration of public holders available for public inspection but claimed that the National Assembly had not prescribed terms and conditions under which that could be done.

Prior to the FOIA of 2011, vital information useful to the public had been seemingly difficult to access.

https://www.gazettengr.com/its-illegal-to-release-asset-declaration-of-public-officeholders-ccb/?utm_source=ReviveOldPost&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost

It is illegal to release the assets declaration of public officeholder, but it is legal him/her to serve the public??


We Like Deceiving Ourselves In This Country

declaring or not declaring has never stop them from looting our treasury.....so it's not necessary BTW but
that's not the issue on ground....,everybody should be talking about insecurity in this shithole

Everything is legal in an illegal country.

I dont think Nigeria can survive 2 more years of Buhari..

The law is made for the weak.

As far as they have agreed to serve in public office, nothing should be left private again.

Please the constitution should be amended to ensure public office holders declare their assets

I guess it’s illegal under CCB Supernatural law which supersedes the freedom of information act of Nigeria

Nothing concern me and this country again...

The only thing I'm worried about is how much will be my share if we sell this country
and everyone

shares the money......

Is the Chief of insecurity aware?

It is only legal when they are looking to nail their enemy

Have they seen our oga's missing file?

Don't make me think this a smokescreen over Umar Danladi's atrocities...

This are what to expect in cronnic corrupt govt that brand it self saint

You don't mean it

Rubbish

Zero Transparency

Oh! Xo Its illegal riqht? Buh its only legal when it comes to lootinq fundz

What about the freedom of information bill?

this country Nawa ooh lelelelele this country Nawa oo...

naija dont break law,we only bend the law and jump am pass,then sraight am back on to suit self centred people.yeye dey smell every day.shewcccchhhhhhhh.

How did the AbOokis got onnoghen's form?

Why are we just knowing?

But it was legal to remove onnoghen with it.

It wasnt illegal or a breach of privacy of a public official, whem the CJN Walter Onnoghen assets declaration form was made available to the public , with which he was taken off and replaced by a shariah cjn?Nigeria is gone to the dogs. it has no mekwatarism, full of iberiberism.

Different strokes for different folks.

Always shifting the goal post to cheat the masses. God dey Sha.

Double standards is the Nigerian motto.

Maybe Onnoghen should sue the CCB for violation of his privacy by releasing his assets declaration.

The number 3 on that letter, is saying that the National Assembly has failed to do the job of specifying what and when the assets declaration should be made public. However where was number 3 when Onnoghen was being removed.

Ok


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