ASBA/Nigeria: As part of measures to ensure accountability and engender confidence in the integrity of government, the Delta State Government in collaboration with the code of Conduct Bureau has organised a sensitization workshop on code of Conduct for Political Office holders in the state.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa represented by the Secretary to the State Government Hon. Festus Agas, on the occasion urged the participants to take the workshop seriously.
Senator Okowa said that the code of conduct Bureau was enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and noted that all government officials at all levels must not take it for granted.
He said that the Code of Conduct Bureau was in partnership with the state government in accountability, transparency and honesty and urged all political office holders in their interest to abreast themselves with the modus operandi as stipulated by the Bureau.
While reminding the participants that public service was public trust, the Governor noted that the Code of Conduct Bureau was not in the state to witch-hunt anybody and urged all to live up to their expectations to avoid unnecessary embarrassment from the Bureau and thanked all for participating.
Earlier in his lecture, the chief resource person and the Director, State and Local Government operation of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Mr Zephaniah Bulus, explained that the Code of Conduct as enshrined in the 1999 constitution was to ensure that the actions and behaviours of public officers conform to the highest standard of public morality and accountability.
Mr. Bulus listed the codes governing the conduct of public officers to include that every officer must within three months after taking office and at the end of every four years as well as at the end of his term of office submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets and liabilities including his spouse and unmarried children under the age of two.
He also pointed out that political office holders including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Members of National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly among others should not maintain or operate a bank account outside Nigeria.
