The House of Representatives has concurred with the Senate on the sacking of the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Mr. Yakubu Danladi Umar.
This followed the adoption of a motion by the House Leader, Mr. Julius Ihonvbere, on the ” Need to Invoke the Provision of Paragraph 17 (3), Part 1, Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) for the Removal from Office of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal”.
The motion states that, ” the House Notes that the Code of Conduct Tribunal is one of the key components of Federal Institutions in the country, saddled with the statutory responsibilities of maintaining high standards of morality in the conduct of government business and ensuring the actions and behaviours of public officers conform with the highest standards of public morality and accountability;
” Also notes that a Statutory Institution of such magnitude is expected to be an epitome of moral rectitude and virtues of integrity, probity, and accountability, however, the official conduct of Mr. Yakubu Danladi Umar, chairman of the tribunal, has fallen short of the requisite standard of a public officer to conduct the affairs of such a tribunal;
” Aware of the conduct of the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, who recently engaged in a public brawl with a security guard at the Banex Plaza Shopping Complex, which necessitated an invitation from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, and after his first appearance, where he admitted to having been involved in the brawl, he refused to attend subsequent sittings, thereby frustrating the efforts of the Committee to investigate the allegations against him” The motion said.
Mr. Ihonvbere also noted that by the virtue of the provisions of section paragraph 17 (3), PT 1, Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and section 22(3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 LFN 2004, Mr. President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces is mandated to act on an address supported by a two-thirds majority of the Senate and House of Representatives and praying that the Chairman be so removed for misconduct.
“Affirms that the invocation of the aforementioned constitutional provision in this circumstance seems to be the only way out to safeguard the sacred image of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, in line with the resolution of the 10th National Assembly to uphold the rule of law and sustain the ideals of corporate governance structure in Nigeria,” he said.
The House thereafter invoked and activated the constitutional provision as enshrined in paragraph 17 (3), PT 1, Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and section 22 (3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 LFN 2004 by forwarding an address, supported by a two-thirds majority of the Senate and House of Representatives, which shall be acted upon by Mr. President for the removal of Mr. Yakubu Danladi Umar as the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal for misconduct.
The House concurred with the resolution of the Senate on the matter as both chambers need to concur for the sack to take effect.
The speaker Mr. Tajudeen Abbas who presided over the plenary put the matter to vote and it was carried.
Confidence Okwuchi
