Another corruption allegation rocks CCB, as prosecution of PDP gubernatorial candidate Rivers halted

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Two months after concluding the investigation of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers State Gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Francis Siminalayi Fubara, for corruption and violation, the Code of Conduct Office, CCB, has now cold-eyed as he proceeded to court, fueling speculation that the President of the Bureau, Professor Mohammed Isah, has been compromised.

Pointblanknews.com previously reported that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike allegedly offered whooping cough N100m each to senior Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) brass so that the investigation into the gubernatorial candidate of the State PDP, Siminalayi Fubara to be sidelined.

Although the CCB had denied allegations of attempting to induce or bribe its officials to shut down the investigation, sources told Pointblanknews.com that the refusal to take the Fubaras case to court indicates that officials were actually paid to kill the deal.

It should be recalled that an invitation letter bearing the reference number CCB/HQ/II&M/007/2267, dated October 26, 2022 and signed by the Director of Intelligence, Investigations and Surveillance, Gwimi Sabastine Peter, had asked Fubara to report to the CCB interrogation room at the Commissions Headquarters in Abuja.

The letter also stated that this invitation is made in accordance with the mandate and powers of the Office as set forth in the Schedule, Part 1, Paragraph 3 (e) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, Section 137 (a) and (b) and 138 (a) and (b) Criminal Code Acts of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and Section 104 of the Evidence Act 2011.

Although Fubara refused to appear on the date indicated.

In another letter published by Pointblanknews.com dated November 15, 2022, Mr. Fubara was again summoned to appear before the CCB at its headquarters in Abuja on November 25, 2022. Again, he did not honor the invitation.

CCB sources had told Pointblanknews.com that the Bureau planned to quickly take the matter to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, for trials. But this decision has not yet been implemented.

Meanwhile, some civil society organizations and stakeholders are already furious and accuse the CCB leadership of not pursuing high-profile cases before the Bureau.

Many stakeholders believe that the Code of Conduct Office under the current leadership has failed in its statutory mandate to investigate and prosecute corrupt public office holders and politicians who have not only violated their oath of office, but have enriched themselves through corruption through public office. .

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that it is an open secret that since the arrival of the Bureau’s current leadership, no high-profile corruption cases have been prosecuted.

The Coalition for a New Nigeria, CNN, read a riot to President Mohammadu Buhari to focus their attention on the Office and do the needful.

According to the chief scribe of the coalition, Comrade Tunde Abayomi, the Nigerian can no longer tolerate a situation where public officials who are supported with taxpayers’ money will fail in their obligations to the people.

How can the President deny Nigerians the opportunity to know the outcome of the investigation into allegations of bribery and breach of oath of office by public office holders, he asked.

It could be recalled that in 2022, a member of the Board of Directors of the Code of Conduct Office. Hon. EJ Agbonayinma, who was clearly angered by the Office’s poor performance, dragged the President, Professor Mohammed Isah, to the House of Representatives to defend allegations bordering on incompetence and failure to convey high-profile corruption cases to the Court for prosecution.

In the end, the House of Representatives mandated CCB management to go back to the drawing board and work hard to ensure that every high-profile pending corruption case is investigated and forwarded for appropriate action in court.

However, the findings revealed that the President, in his usual style, ignored and refused to refer these cases to court for prosecution several months after the investigations were concluded and referred to him for further action.

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