Code Of Conduct Bureau Arrives Lagos, Investigates Fashola, Sosan, Others

Source: THEWILL. - thewillnigeria.com
LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR, MR BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA.
LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR, MR BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA.

LAGOS, May 25, (THEWILL) - The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) today beamed its searchlight on the activities of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), his outgoing Deputy, Princess Adebisi Sarah Sosan, Secretary to the State Government, Princess Aderenle Adeniran-Ogunsanya and other members of the State Executive Council.

The investigation was led by CCB Federal Commissioner (South West), Dr. Ademola Adebo who stormed the state secretariat in Alausa alongside 6 other expert investigators constitutionally empowered to verify the asset declaration forms of public officers, especially the politically exposed people in the state.

Other members of the 7-man team that visited the state include Mr. Isaac Fayemi, Mr. Kehinde Faluyi, Mr. Bisi Atolagbe, Mr. Ezekiel Ola, Mr. Aramide-Atolagbe Akinola and Alhaji Alilu Owodunni who questioned the deputy governor, Secretary to the State Government and other members of the state executive council.

The chief investigator told journalists after interrogating the deputy governor that Mr. Fashola was not available for the exercise due to what was attributed to different pre-swearing-in activities. He said the governor was preoccupied with the pre-swearing-in activities, which he said, did not give him time.

At a session with the journalists shortly after Sosan was questioned in her office, the chief investigator explained that the mission of the team in the state “is to investigate the activities of Fashola, his deputy, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Commissioners and the Special Advisers” as specified by the constitution.”

The investigating team arrived at office of the deputy governor at about 10:30 a.m questioned her and obtained vital documents, which would assist them in carrying out the second stage of the investigation and verification exercise.

The chief investigator said, “The team interrogated the deputy governor and took her through old and new forms. We took her through the old and new form, to see that when you came into the office, you had had this and now that you going, you have this. So, justify how you came about these new things. Of course you have all documents, her statement of account from all her banks and C of O from lands department.

“I cannot show you anyway because it is constitutionally protected. If there are inconsistencies and discrepancies, we have Code of Conduct Tribunal and the officer who has breached any of the codes can be charged to tribunal for prosecution. We can write to any bank to ask for your statement of account because we are acting under the constitution. All these documents we have access to because we are acting under the constitution,” Adebo stated.

He thereafter solicited the cooperation of the media and civil society groups in the fight against corruption and graft saying, “the bureau is the only one that has the structure to fight corruption. It is difficult to catch any civil servant for economic crime. There are 14 codes. If I sit down with any public officer, there is no way you can escape. I will not only catch you on one of the 14 codes. You cannot be in government and be so smart that you cannot be caught,” he added.

He lamented the devastating impact of large scale corruption by the public office holders on the economic, political, and social institutions in Nigeria, citing death-trap roads, poor health facilities, epileptic and dysfunctional power supply, collapse of both educational manpower and infrastructure, as well as failed political institutions.