A socio-cultural and political group, Hope Arewa Development Initiative (HADI), has raised the alarm over deliberate plot by some elements working against the interest of the country to foist an acting chairman on the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) through the back-door
The group who directed the concern to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, urged him to use his good offices in averting what will amount to a grave injustice and daylight robbery if the unpatriotic elements are allowed to have their way in the CCB.
The Arewa group, in a statement signed and issued by its Regional Coordinator Alhaji Musa Mohammed Wada in Kaduna on Sunday, noted that Professor Isah Mohammed, whose tenure as CCB chairman recently expired, handed over to the most senior officer in the CCB, Barr. Murtala A. Kankia, in accordance with civil service rules, through a letter dated November 6.
In the letter, Prof Mohammed notified President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), that in the absence of any directive from the presidency, and to avoid vacuum, he was handing over to the most senior Federal Commissioner, Barr. Murtala A. Kankia, to hold the fort as acting Chairman pending further presidential directive.
The group also pointed out that Professor Mohammed subsequently notified the Board of the CCB, Directors and HOD that Barr. Kankia would be overseeing the CCB as the acting chairman pending further directive from Mr. President.
The group said no one merits taking over as the acting chairmanship of the CCB than Barr. Kankia who apart from being the most senior officer in the CCB, headed different departments in the Bureau, including legal, investigation, intelligence and now in-charge of the most senior department, Human Resource Management which he discharged creditably and to the admiration of the management and staff
The group said: “It was therefore strange to start reading in the media that someone else was making a claim to that position by playing with the intelligence of the good people of this country through deceit and misrepresentation of fact.
“We dare to ask where is the due process, respect for rules and standards if such is allowed to be the means to succession in the CCB.”
The group said they were confident that the SGF will not allow the unpatriotic elements to tarnish the reputation of the government by circumventing due process in the highly respected anti corruption agency, the CCB.
“We have confidence in the person of Akume. We know his track records as former Governor of Benue State, Senator and Minister of the Federal Republic, and now SGF. He achieved these high offices by standing for truth and justice. We believe that he would not allow a fellow citizen to suffer from a grave injustice.”