NASS amends CCT Act, takes over power to hire, fire

By The Citizen
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The Senate on Thursday passed the Code of Conduct (amendment) bill, 2016, in a move that amounts to the National Assembly taking over power to appoint staff of Code of Conduct Bureau/Tribunal from the Presidency.

The Senate took the decision few minutes after the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal by the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, to stop his trial at the CCT over alleged assets falsification.

Saraki had criticised the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, which filed the charges against him, for not inviting him for questioning on the charges before it filed them.

Although, actual amendments to the Act were done by the House of Representatives and passed on May 31, the Senate concurred with the House and passed the bill on Thursday.

In the amendment, ‎the Bureau will first invite the person suspected of falsely declaring his asset for clarification before taking the person to the Tribunal.

Section 4 (2) was also amended to substitute the word 'President' with 'the National Assembly' as the one to appoint members of staff of the Bureau and exercise disciplinary control over them.

‎Section 1 (4) was deleted and replaced with: 'The Chairman and members shall serve for a term of five years subject to renewal for one further term only.

'(E) upon complaint(s) of any breach or where it appears to the Bureau that there is a breach of the provision of this Act, any person concerned shall be given particulars of such non-compliance or breaches to explain before any reference to the Tribunal.'

Recall that the Upper Legislative Chambers had previously stepped down the consideration of the bill owing to the public outcry that followed the move. – TheWill.