Arrangement of Sections
PART I
Code of Conduct Bureau
1. Establishment of the Code of Conduct Bureau.
2. Aims and objectives of the Bureau.
4. Members of staff of the Bureau.
5. Conflict of interest with duty.
6. Restrictions on specified officers.
7. Prohibition of foreign accounts.
9. Certain retired public officers.
10. Gifts or benefits in kind.
11. Restriction on loans, gifts or benefits to certain public officers.
12. Bribery of public officers.
16. Allegation of breach of provisions of this Act.
19. Indemnity of members of the Bureau.
PART II
Code of Conduct Tribunal
20. Establishment of Code of Conduct Tribunal.
22. Tenure of office of Chairman and member.
23. Powers of the Tribunal to impose punishment.
24. Rules of procedure and institution of proceedings.
25. Power to issue search warrants.
PART III
Miscellaneous
SCHEDULES
FIRST SCHEDULE
Form (CCB.1)
Public officers for the purposes of the Code of Conduct
THIRD SCHEDULE
Code of Conduct Tribunal Rules of Procedure
An Act to provide for the establishment of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal to deal with complaints of
Corruption by public servants for the breaches of its provisions.
[Commencement. ] [1st January, 1991]
PART I
Code of Conduct Bureau
1. Establishment of the Code of Conduct Bureau
2. Aims and objectives of the Bureau
The aims and objectives of the Bureau shall be to establish and maintain a high standard of morality in the conduct of government business and to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability.
3. Functions of the Bureau
The functions of the Bureau shall be to-
Provided that where the person concerned makes a written admission of such breach or non-compliance, no reference to the Tribunal shall be necessary.
4. Members of staff of the Bureau
5. Conflict of interest with duty
A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.
6. Restrictions on specified officers
Without prejudice to the generality of section 5 of this Act, a public officer shall not-
7. Prohibition of foreign accounts
Any public officer specified in the Second Schedule to this Act or any other persons as the President may, from time to time, by order prescribe, shall not maintain or operate a bank account in any country outside Nigeria.
[Second Schedule.]
8. Retired public officers
A public officer shall not, after his retirement from public service and while receiving pension from public funds, accept more than one remunerative position as chairman, director or employee of a company owned or controlled by any Government or public authority or receive any other remuneration from public funds in addition to his pension and the emolument of one such remunerative position.
9. Certain retired public officers
10. Gifts or benefits in kind
Provided that any gift or benefit to a public officer on any public or ceremonial occasion shall be treated as gifts or benefits to the appropriate institution represented by the public officer, and accordingly, the mere acceptance or receipt of any such gift or benefit shall not be treated as a contravention of this provision.
11. Restriction on loans, gifts or benefits to certain public officers
The President or Vice-President, Governor or Deputy Governor, Minister of the Government of the Federation or Commissioner of the Government of a State or any other public officer who holds office of a Director-General or head of any public corporation, university, or other parastatals organisation shall not accept-
Provided that the head of a public corporation or of a university or other parastatals organisation may, subject to the rules and regulations of any such body, accept a loan from any such body.
12. Bribery of public officers
No person shall offer a public officer any property, gift or benefit of any kind as an inducement or bribe for the granting of any favour or the discharge in his favour of the public officer's duties.
13. Abuse of powers
A public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his office, any act prejudicial to the rights of any other person, knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to any government policy.
14. Membership of societies
A public officer shall not be a member of or belong to or take part in any society the membership of which is incompatible with the functions or dignity of his office.
15. Declaration of assets
16. Allegation of breach of provisions of this Act
Any complaint that a public officer has committed a breach of or has not complied with the provisions of this Act shall be made to the Bureau.
17. Agents and nominees
A public officer who does any act prohibited by this Act through a nominee, trustee or other agent shall be deemed ipso facto to have committed a breach of this Act.
18. Exemption
19. Indemnity of members of the Bureau
The chairman and other members of the Bureau shall not be liable, and shall be indemnified, in any action or litigation for any acts or omissions done or purported to be done in the course of the discharge of their duties under this Act.
PART II
Code of Conduct Tribunal
20. Establishment of Code of Conduct Tribunal
21. Staff
22. Tenure of office of Chairman and member
23. Powers of the Tribunal to impose punishment
24. Rules of procedure and institution of proceedings
Provided that the question whether any authority has been given in pursuance of this subsection shall not be inquired into by any person.
25. Power to issue search warrants
Notwithstanding the provisions of any other enactment conferring power to search, if the chairman of the Tribunal is satisfied that there is a reasonable ground to suspect that there may be found in any building or other place whatsoever, any books, records, statements or information in any form whatsoever, which, in his opinion, are or may be material to the charge or any trial under this Act, he may issue a warrant under his hand authorising any police officer or any member of the security agencies to enter, if necessary by force, the said building or other place and every part thereof, and to search for, seize and remove any such material as aforesaid, found therein.
PART III
Miscellaneous
26. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-
"The Bureau" means the Code of Conduct Bureau established by the Constitution and under section 1 of this Act;
[Cap. C23.]
"Business" means any profession, vocation, trade or any adventure or concern in the nature of trade, and excludes farming;
"Child" includes a step-child, a lawfully adopted child, a child born out of wedlock and any child to whom any individual stands in place of a parent;
"Emolument" means any salary, wage, overtime or leave pay, commission, fee, bonus, gratuity, benefit, advantage (whether or not the allowance, pension or annuity is paid, given or granted in respect of any employment or office);
"Functions" includes powers and duties;
"foreign companies" or "foreign enterprises" means companies or enterprises in which the controlling shares are owned by persons other than the Government, its agencies or citizens of Nigeria;
"Members" includes the members of the Bureau or the Tribunal as the case may be;
"Public officer" means a person holding any of the offices specified in the Second Schedule to this Act;
"The Tribunal" means the Tribunal established by and under section 20 of this Act.
27. Short title
This Act may be cited as Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
SCHEDULES
FIRST SCHEDULE
FORM (CCB. 1)
[Order II Rule (2).]
Writ of summons in action in personam in the Federal High Court in the Admiralty Judicial Division
Assets declaration form for public officers
1. Full name of declarant: .................
2. Present appointment and date: ..................
3. Rank: .................
4. Address: ............
5. (a) Last appointment................
6. Details of assets: ..............
Date acquired Total value
Annual income
1. i) Buildings ........
How acquired:
Date acquired Total value
Annual income
Total value
Annual income........
.............
Signature of declarant
Declared at.............. Registry.....
This.............day of.......20.......
Before me
High Court Judge
Space for additional relevant information under paragraphs 6 (a)-(i) if necessary
For official use
1. Date of receipt of Form..........
2. Action taken (a) acknowledgement slip issued
Signature...................
Name..................
(Receiving officer)
Acknowledgement slip
(From Office of deposit) Receipt No.......
Received from ...................of............copies of Form CCB.I
Signature ...........
Name.............
Receiving officer.........
Date..........
SECOND SCHEDULE
[Section 7.]
Public officers for the purposes of the Code of Conduct
1. The President of the Federation.
2. The Vice-President of the Federation.
3. The President and Deputy President of the Senate, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives and of the Houses of Assembly of States, and all members and staff of Legislative Houses.
4. Governors and Deputy Governors of States.
5. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justices of the Supreme Court, President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, all other judicial officers and all staff of courts of law.
6. Attorney-General of the Federation and Attorney-General of each State.
7. Ministers of the Government of the Federation and Commissioners of the Governments of the States.
8. Chief of Defence Staff, Head of the Army, Navy, Air Force and all members of the Armed Forces of the Federation.
9. Inspector-General of Police, Deputy Inspector-General of Police and all members of the Nigeria Police Force and other Government security agencies established by law.
10. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service, Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General and all other persons in the civil service of the Federation or of the States.
11. Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other officers of Nigerian Missions Abroad.
12. Chairman and other members and staff of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal.
13. Chairmen and other members and staff of local government councils.
14. Chairmen and members of the Boards of other government bodies and staff of statutory corporations and of companies in which the Federal or any State Government has controlling interests.
15. All staff of universities, colleges and institutions owned and financed by the Federal or State Governments or local government councils.
16. Chairmen and other members and staff of permanent commissions or councils appointed on full-time basis.
THIRD SCHEDULE
[Section 7.]
Code of Conduct Tribunal Rules of Procedure
Commencement and Conduct of Trial
1. Institution of proceedings
The trial of offences under this Act shall commence by way of an application, supported by a summary of evidence or affidavit to the Tribunal by the prosecutor.
2. Order on an accused to appear
Where, after the perusal of the application and the summary of evidence, affidavit or any further evidence in such forms as the Tribunal may consider necessary, the Tribunal is satisfied that any person appears to have committed an offence provided under this Act, it shall cause that person to be brought before the Tribunal on such date and at such time as it may direct.
3. Commencement of trial
4. Plea of not guilty or no plea
If the accused pleads not guilty or makes no plea or refuses to plead or if the Tribunal enters a plea of not guilty on behalf of the accused, the Tribunal shall proceed to try the case.
5. Presentation of case for prosecution
6. Procedure after presentation of evidence by the prosecutor
7. Defence
When the Tribunal calls upon the accused to enter upon his defence the accused or his counsel may open his case stating the facts or law on which he intends to rely and making such comments as he thinks necessary on the evidence for the prosecution, and the accused may then give evidence on his own behalf, examine his witnesses, if any, and, after their cross-examination and re-examination, if any, the accused or his counsel may sum up his case.
8. Right of prosecutor to reply
9. Consideration of findings
When the case for the defence and the reply of the prosecution, if any, are concluded and the Tribunal does not desire to put any further question to the accused, the Tribunal shall retire or adjourn to consider its findings.
10. Announcement of findings
After the Tribunal has made its findings, the Chairman shall announce such findings and, where the accused is found guilty, it shall impose the appropriate penalty prescribed in this Act, and issue an appropriate order accordingly.
11. Recommendation as to mercy
The Tribunal may, in addition to its sentence, make an appropriate recommendation as to mercy but in any such case shall give reasons for such recommendation.
12. Notes of evidence to be taken
13. Issue of summons for witness If the Tribunal is satisfied that any person is likely to give material evidence for the prosecution or for the defence, the Tribunal may issue a summons to such person requiring him to attend, at a time and place to be mentioned therein, before the Tribunal to give evidence in respect of the case and to bring with him any specified documents or things and any other documents or things relating thereto which may be in his possession or power or under his control.
14. Warrant of witness after summons
If the person to whom any such summons is directed does not attend before the Tribunal at the time and place mentioned therein, and there does not appear to the Tribunal on inquiry to be any reasonable excuse for such non attendance, then after proof to the satisfaction of the Tribunal that the summons was duly served or that the person to whom the summons is directed willfully avoided service, the Tribunal, on being satisfied that such person is likely to give material evidence, may issue a warrant to apprehend him and to bring him, at the time and place to be mentioned in the warrant, before the Tribunal in order to testify as aforesaid.
15. Local inspections
It shall be the duty of the Tribunal to make or cause to be made such local inspection as the circumstances of the case may require.
16. Forms
Subject to any express provisions of these rules, the forms contained in the Annex to these Rules may, in accordance with any instructions contained in the said forms, and with such variation as the circumstances of the particular case may require, be used in the case to which they apply, and when so used, shall be good and sufficient in law.
17. Application of Criminal Procedure Act or Code
Where these Rules contain no provision in respect of any matter relating to or connected with the trial of offences under this Act, the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act or, depending on the venue, the Criminal Procedure Code shall, with such modifications as the circumstances may require, apply in respect of such matter to the same extent as they apply to the trial of offences generally.
[Cap. C41.]
18. Interpretation
In these Rules, "the prosecutor" means the Attorney-General of the Federation or any other person authorised by him pursuant to section 24 of this Act to conduct the prosecution of an offence before the Tribunal or to assist therein.
ANNEX
FORMS
FORM 1
[Order II Rule (2).]
To: The Chairman,
Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act
.......
........
.......
1. Pursuant to section 24 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, I hereby apply to the commencement of a trial for the offence of ...under section of the Act against the under-mentioned persons-
2. In support of this application I attach hereto......... copies of the summary of evidence or affidavit for the consideration of the Tribunal.
3. If this application is granted, I shall be relying on the facts disclosed in the summary of evidence and any further evidence the Tribunal may consider necessary at the trial. I attach hereto four copies of the charge against the accused. A list of the deponents and their addresses is also attached for the purpose of issuing summonses to them.
...............
Prosecutor
FORM 2
Summons to accused
In the Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
To. A.B. of....................... Complaint has been made this day by....................for that on the ............day of......... at......... in the ..........aforesaid did............. ...................................
You are therefore summoned to appear before the Tribunal mentioned above sitting at.............on............... to answer the said complaint
DATED the ..............day of.......20...... .............
Chairman of the Tribunal
*State concisely the substance of the offence.
FORM 3
Warrant for apprehension of accused
In the Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Between The Federal Republic of Nigeria and Accused To ...............Police Officer, complaint has been made on .........of.......... by ........that..........hereinafter called the accused, on the
...............day............. of...... did. You are hereby commanded to bring the accused before the Tribunal mentioned above sitting at .............. on ...........to answer the said complaint and to be dealt with according to law.
DATED the .......day of ...............20.........
............
Chairman of the Tribunal
* State concisely the substance of the offence.
FORM 4
Summons to witness In the Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Between The Federal Republic of Nigeria and Accused
To (i).............
in............that he did (iv)...............and it appearing to me on the application of (iii)...............that you are likely to give material evidence therein on behalf of the prosecutor (or accused).
You are therefore summoned to appear before the Tribunal named above sitting at.......on the.............day of.......20..... at the hour of......in the...noon to testify what you know in such matter.
DATED the.............. day of...... 20..........
............
Chairman of the Tribunal
FORM 5
Warrant for apprehension of witness in the first instance In the Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
To........................A.B. has been charged by............for that he on the...............day of........ at.......... in the ...............State aforesaid did*........................
And it appearing to me by the oath of that.........is likely to give material evidence concerning the said matter and that it is probable he will not attend to give evidence unless compelled to do so.
You are therefore hereby commanded to bring him before the Tribunal named above sitting at..................forthwith to testify to what he knows concerning the said matter.
DATED the ......day of.........20.... ............
Chairman of the Tribunal
*State concisely the substance of the offence.
FORM 6
Warrant for apprehension of witness
In the Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Between The Federal Republic of Nigeria and Accused to.......... Police Constable or to each and all the Constables ........
............... forthwith to testify to what he knows concerning the said matter. DATED the.............. day of..........20.......
............
Chairman of the Tribunal
FORM 7
Warrant for commitment of witness
In the Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Between The Federal Republic of Nigeria and Accused to.......and to the Superintendent.........of Prison
............
Chairman of the Tribunal
FORM 8
Commitment of reward
In the Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Between The Federal Republic of Nigeria and Accused to..............and Officer-in-Charge of
................ Police Station and to the
Superintendent of ............Prison
The hearing of the case being adjourned:
You, the said Police Officer, are hereby commanded to convey the accused to Police custody
At...............*to the prison, and thereto deliver him to the Officer-in-Charge*/Superintendent thereof, together with this warrant, and you, the Officer-in-Charge*/the Superintendent of the said prison, to receive him into your custody, and keep him until.....the day of.............. 20.......and on that day to convey him before the said Tribunal at the hour of.......in the............. noon to be further dealt with according to law. DATED the...... day of...... 20.........
.............
Chairman of the Tribunal
*Delete whichever does not apply.
FORM 9
Warrant of conviction
In the Tribunal for the trial of offences under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Between The Federal Republic of Nigeria and Accused
And it is adjudged that the accused, for his said offence, be sentenced to
DATED the.......day of.....20......
..............
Chairman of the Tribunal
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
No Subsidiary Legislation