CSOs asks Court, NASS, DSS, NSA, Police to halt screening/ confirmation of 2 CCB Commissioners

Two civil society organizations (CSOs), Save The Soul Transparency and Eagle Eyes International Foundation, have asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to halt the screening and/or confirmation of two Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) National Commissioners, namely, Murtala Aliyu Kankia (Katsina State North West representative) and Zephaniah Ishaku Bulus (Nasarawa State North Central representative).

The suit with serial number: FHC/ABJ/CS/143/2023, followed a petition addressed to the National Assembly (NASS), the Senate Committee Chairman Ethic, Privileges and Public Petitions, the Department of State Security (DSS), Department of State Security Services (NSA), and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

In the petition, the CSOs opposed President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-appointment of Kankia and Bulus as CCB National Commissioners.

Recall that President Buhari had, on January 20, 2023, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, asked the federal lawmakers to confirm the appointment of Kankia and Bulus amongst other three nominees.

See a copy of the letter attached below:

Reacting in the petition addressed to the Senate President, and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, and copied to DSS, NSA, and IGP, and signed by its Chief Research Officer, Dr George D. Davidson, the CSOs kicked against the appointments.

The petition dated 3rd January, 2023, with serial number ST/0331/23, accused the duo, along with CCB chairman, Professor Isah Mohammed, and the Director of Investigation, Dr. Gwimi Sebastian, of ‘sabotaging the government, compromising, and trading with evidences supplied for selfish gains’.

They, therefore, asked the lawmakers investigate and prosecute the mentioned officials, rather than confirm their appointments.

The petition opposing president Buhari’s re-appointment  of Murtala Aliyu Kankia and Zephaniah Ishaku Bulus as CCB National Commissioners, as well as Professor Isah Mohammed, and Dr. Gwimi Sebastian, as chairman and Director of Investigation, respectively, reads in part:

“On 7th November, 2018, Mr Murtala Aliyu Kankia , Dr Mohammed Isah were screened at the National Assembly as member & chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau respectively.

“Murtala AliyuKankia  Esq., Member,  born on the 14th September, 1963 at Kankia Local government Area of Kastina state, is 59 years old. He attended Nuhu Primary School, Kankia, College of Education, Kafanchan,and Bayero University, Kano where he obtained a Bachelor of Law degree, and Master degree in Business and commercial law,  he was cleared by the NPF, DSS and possessed the Code of Conduct Bureau acknowledgement slip.

“He became a member of the board and oversaw the Departments of investigation, Monitoring and Legal and Prof Isah Mohammed as the Chairman from 2018 till 2022 when Murtala Aliyu  Kakia resigned from his Board membership and contested the National House of Assembly Election as an APC candidate but lost. He is back after the lost Election and a Fresh Nominee of the Code of Conduct Bureau as a fresh National Commissioner.

“Given his antecedents as a core saboteur who compromises petitions, intelligence and deliberately punished whistleblower who supplied evidences to the Code of Conduct Bureau, in collaboration with Mr Isah  Mohammed, the chairman, Mr Gwimi Sabastine Peter , Mr Bulus Zaphainah while in office.

“Professor Isah Mohammed  Mr Murtala Aliyu Kankia, Mr Bulus and Mr Gwimi  grossly compromises cases they ordinarily should have prosecuted, for reasons best known to them. This country can never advance in an way against corruption with the likes of the above mentioned individuals.

“We wrote  numerous petitions and the cases were investigated, recommendations were made  for the prosecutions but Murtala Aliyu Kankia  Esq. and co, sold those cases out. We call for the need for these cases and the  status to be established.

“Kankia  and the above men runs CBB like a Mafia ring where he does anything and everything and get away [with it]. Mr Gwimi enlisted in the Federal government in the 1980s and still in the office till date. Because of the atrocities in the CCB, everyone [changes] date of birth in order to remain in the office.

“We are confident that all the cases  under-listed were Investigated and the suspects were invited at different times.

“Starting with the following which were all Investigated , we shall mention the case and the Investigative officers in charge:

1. Petition against Awute N Linus, Nasidi Abdulsalami, Kehinde John Akintunde on Ebola virus embazzled funds (investigated by Simon Abu, Mr Samuel Oziegbe Madojemu and Mr James Akpala)
2. justice Sunday Taiwo of Ondo High Court (Mr Samuel and James Akpala)
3. Maritime Academy Oron (Gwimi and Danladi) the Rector met with you in your office in April 2021.
4. Makko of university of Abuja (case,
5. Fred Akpan Utip , Naiju Mathew (Gwimi & team)
6. UDOFIA Abia, Akponimsingha Ekoi E.of ICPC (Gwimi & Mr Sam)
7. Regina Dominic (Mr Sam & Mr Pius Ukah. Our agent has been incarcerated for more than a year for reporting this case . The CCB is qouted in an affidavit to have given her a clean slate. Currently our agent is facing criminal charges for giving false information. We request the comprehensive details and status of Investigation be established.
8. Cases of Staff of National Library Council of Nigeria.(Gwimi and team)

“In the current Nomination of a Nigerian as a National Commissioner of the Code of Conduct Bureau is governed by Section 154  & 156(b3) 156(1a) Third Schedule, item F paragraph 14(2a) and 14(3b) of the 1999 Constitution. A perusal of the stated constitutional provisions demand,  did the President consider put into consideration before renominating Mr Murtala Aliyu Kankia as a National Commissioner? Also, the 3rd Schedule Part 1 Section 3(e) described the the powers of the CCB. why should Kanaka, Isah & cronies ruined cases investigated? Even other Board members of  Bureau wrote petition on this  maladministration to you earlier.

“We contend that this nomination is unconstitutional and given his antecedents.

“We further state that the re- appointment of Murtala Aliyu Kankia, Katsina will also desecrate the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria section 156(1a) & 156 (b3) of the 1999 Constitution provides as follows;

‘No person shall be qualified for appointment as a member of the bodies aforesaid if –

(a)   … He shall not be a member of a political party.

“In specific terms, Murtala Aliyu Kankia contested the primary election , National Assembly, House of Representative  of his constituency as a member of APC in 2022 for the very reasons he resigned from the Board in the CCB in 2022. “We urge the this hallow Red chamber to reject his nomination and preserve the purity of the Nigeria constitution.

“We are aware these cases were all Investigated.  The suspects were invited and Investigated and  Isah, Kankia, Bulus and Gwimi compromised all the cases enumerated above.”

In the light of the above, the CSOs urged the recipients to use their good office to completely reject the nomination of Murtala Aliyu Kankia and Bulus Zephaniah as National Commissioners of the Code of Conduct Bureau.

They urged the President to do the following:

• uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and withdraw the above Nominations to leave a legacy.
• ensures that members of the CCB are individuals with impeccable integrity in the Nigerian society, devoid of unquestionable characters, neutral inclinations, dispositions and competence.
• ensure a holistic scrutiny and due diligence carried out in the vetting and confirmations of the nominations into the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)
• ensures proper investigation of the compromised cases and status established.
• credentials and years of enrollment into federal services of Gwimi be xrayed.

We want all  facts on these cases established and the steps taken thus far.

 Read more.

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