The Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda on Tuesday warned his contemporaries against the removal of Spouses from the list of persons required to declare their assets.
Hon. Chinda observed the debate on a Bill seeking to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Tribunal Act.
The private member bill sponsored by Hon. Wale Raji seeks to remove Spouses from the List of Persons required to declare their Assets and for related matters.
In his lead debate, Hon. Raji explained that the Bill seeks to amend Sections 15(1c) and 23(7) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
This, he stated is to ensure proper accountability of assets and liabilities of the officer, his/her spouse as well as unmarried children under the age of 21.
Hon. Raji stated that the provisions will promote accountability and protect Public Officers from embarrassing situations that may arise from negligence.
He called for the total expulsion of Section 23(7) as it contravenes the Nigerian constitution.
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Hon. Kingsley Chinda while agreeing with the intent of the bill, however, called for caution in the consideration as regards to the issue of removing spouses from the provisions.
He argued that experiences have shown that even children are used sometimes as conduits of stolen wealth.
Hon. Chinda maintained that the proposed amendment should reflect the age limit from 21 to 18 since that’s the officially recognized age for adulthood in Nigeria.
While ruling on the debate, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen stated that the Bill may not be perfect, but expressed optimism that the public hearing will avail the opportunity to ensure stakeholders provide more critical input.
After passing the bill through Second Reading, Speaker Abbas referred to the House Committee on Anti-Corruption.for further legislative action.
