The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project
(SERAP) through its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, has called on
the Code of Conduct Bureau and the ICPC to liaise with the EFCC and
look into the money the Imo state government spent on erecting statues
in the state.....
The organization alleges corrupt practices claiming the
cost of the project is upwards of 1billion naira. The organization said
“Such investigation would help to improve public confidence in public
authorities, and minimize the risks of bad government by public
officials.”
SERAP expressed “serious concern that Governor Okorocha may
have spent over N1 billion of public funds to build statues of South
African President Jacob Zuma and Liberian President Mrs Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf.”
According to the organization, “the spending on statues and
apparent misuse of public resources may have violated constitutional
provisions and international standards on code of conduct for public
officers. The initiatives cannot be justified under any circumstances
whatsoever, especially at a time when Imo state is unable or unwilling
to pay teachers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements.”
The petition copied to Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reads in part:
“Inviting Zuma and Johnson-Sirleaf to attend the opening of his
Foundation and then ‘honouring’ them with statues suggests abuse of
office and apparent conflict of interest situation, as such acts were
undertaken by Governor Okorocha in the exercise of his public functions
to presumably promote and advance the commercial and other interests of
the Foundation.”
“SERAP believes that rather than serving the common
interest of the public, spending over N1 billion possibly of public
funds on Zuma and Johnson-Sirleaf in the context of their participation
in the opening of the Rochas Okorocha Foundation would seem to put
Governor Okorocha in a conflict of interest situation.”
“SERAP notes that the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as
amended) and UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a
state party prohibit conflict of interests and set ethical standards for
public officers. Indeed, both the Constitution and the Convention
require public officers to abstain from all acts that may compromise the
exercise of their public office and functions, or are inconsistent with
their entrusted positions.”
“Public officers also must discharge their public duties
truthfully and faithfully, abide by the constitutional code of conduct,
observe the primacy of public interest, and not allow their personal
interest to influence their official conduct.”
“The CCB and ICPC should carry out joint investigation in
collaboration with the EFCC of the allegations of conflict of interest,
abuse of office and apparent misuse of public funds by Governor
Okorocha. SERAP also urges the CCB and ICPC to prosecute Governor
Okorocha after leaving office if there is relevant and sufficient
admissible evidence of abuse of public office against him.”
“Conflict of interest represents a situation where the
person exercising a public function has a personal interest of
patrimonial or commercial nature, which could influence the objective
fulfilment of the duties incumbent on public officers under the
Constitution and international standards.”
“Conflict of interest arises from a situation in which a
public official has a private interest which is such as to influence or
appear to influence the impartial and objective nature of his or her
official duties in order to promote private interests, which would be
contrary to the public interest.”
Source: Premium Times
No comments: