Under-funding and constitutional status militates against effective performance in Conduct Tribunal

The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Yakubu Umar (Justice) has identified under-funding and the constitutional status of the Code of Conduct Tribunal as major constraints hampering its proper adjudication duties.

He also informed that the judiciary has been enjoying first line charges from the Finance Ministry, whilst the Code of Conduct Tribunal for being under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation gets its allocation through the enveloped system from the Federal Ministry of Finance.

The Chairman stated this while receiving a consultant from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, John Akintayo of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ibadan in his office on Wednesday March 19, 2014 to inspect the capacity needs of the tribunal.

John Akintayo said that his visit to the tribunal was to identify its capacity needs, in order to bring it to the notice of his client for onward intervention as done in other anti-corruption bodies.

The Chairman told the visiting consultant that already the tribunal has commenced the processing requirements on the tribunal’s needed status upgrade to the National Judicial Commission at the on-going constitutional amendment discussion in the National Assembly.

“The discussion has been fruitful with lots of suggestions coming out of it towards enhancing the performance of the tribunal,” the Chairman said.
In attendance during the visit were two members of the tribunal – William Agwaza Atedze and Robert I. E Odu (Justices) as well as other principal staff of the tribunal.

In the climax of the event, John Akintayo met with staff from all strata of the tribunal to generate a data for identifying the areas which need support from UNODC towards complementing the institution in its fight against corruption engaged by public servants.