EFCC, CCT, others, back declaration of assets by bank employees as NLC kicks

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Code of Conduct Tribunal and other stakeholders Thursday declared support for an amendment bill seeking to make bank employees, their spouses and children under 18 to declare their assets as part of efforts to curb corruption in the banking sector.

They spoke in Abuja at a public hearing on a Bill for an Act to Amend the Bank Employees Act etc (Declaration of Asset Act Cap. B1, Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

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The Chief of Staff to the EFCC chairman, Hadiza Lawal Zubairu, who represented the chairman at the hearing, said such declaration would help in curbing corruption.

She said the EFCC should be designated as the appropriate authority to receive the assets’ declaration by bank employees.

She said the EFCC supported the declaration of assets of spouses and children of employees, adding that people used such avenue for money laundering.

Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, supported the bill, but recommended that some aspects of the amendment be adjusted. But the Director of Research, Nigeria Labour Congress, Onoho’Omhen Ebhohimhen, opposed the bill, saying the code of conduct law applies strictly to public officers elected or appointed to political offices and not workers whether in the financial services sector or other areas of economic production.

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria recommended that the extension of the requirements to declare assets to spouses and unmarried children under 18 years be deleted from the bill and limited to assets of employee alone.