Three chief executives of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) have been invited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to respond to petitions against them on alleged failure to declare their assets before the CCB, as required by law for public office holders.
The invitation, seen by our Correspondent, was for Thursday, April 11, 2019.
It requested the heads of the institution namely Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Kari; Deputy Commissioner for Insurance (Technical), Mr Sunday Olorundare Thomas, and Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Finance and Administration, Mr George Onekhena, to appear before the CCB.
They were scheduled to appear by 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.
The letter, addressed to them individually, and containing the same contents reads: “Investigation Activities: Re: Breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
“I am directed to refer to the Bureau’s letter no CCB/HQ/II&M/007/1834, dated 1st April, 2019 on the above stated subject matter, and to inform you of the scheduled date for your interview as follows:
Date: Thursday, 11th April, 2019. Time: 11 am prompt (for Kari) Venue: Conference Room, 5thFloor, Annex 3, Federal Secretariat Complex, Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, Abuja.
The aforementioned schedule supersedes our earlier invitation for interview on 10th April, 2019. Kindly accept our apologies, please.”
A reliable source within NAICOM told our correspondent that Kari was appointed by former President, Goodluck Jonathan as Deputy Commissioner (Technical) on March 31, 2014.
After expiration of the tenure of the former Commissioner for the Insurance, he was appointed on July 31, 2015 as Commissioner for Insurance in NAICOM.
“The first appointment as Deputy Insurance (Technical), he did not declare his assets, based on the constitutional provision of the Code of Conduct Bureau.
“Again, when he was appointed as Commissioner for the Insurance, he did not declare again. It is two violations. As Deputy Insurance (Technical), he did not declare. When he was appointed by this administration, he still didn’t declare. That is the reason he is being invited by the Code of Conduct for the breach of the breach of constitution for non-declaration of assets, just like the case of the former CJN that we’ve just witnessed.”
According to the source, Kari is being investigated by the Special Presidential Investigation Committee on Recovery of Public Assets, Obono Obla, on the looting of public assets.
“The same thing, the second in command, which is Mr Thomas Olorundare. He was appointed on the 10th April, 2017. He too, as Deputy Commissioner (Technical), has not declared his assets.
“The third one is Mr. George. He was appointed on the 24 November 2009. He did not declare his own assets too. Up till this moment, getting to about 10 years, even when his appointment was renewed in 2015, he didn’t declare his assets. He acted two times (at the Commission).
“Our concern is that is there a double standard in this country whereby head of the judiciary is being suspended on allegation of non-declaration of asset, while chief executives in the executive arm of the government are found wanting. From the feelers we are having, they are ignoring even the invitation by the CCB.”
The source noted there were insinuations that Mr George had resigned from the Commission, but he argued that violation of the law does not mean he is not answerable to the CCB.
The source furthered stated that George’s alleged resignation had not been accepted by the government.
Meanwhile, checks by this newspaper at the CCB revealed that the Chief Executive of NAICOM, Mr Kari, didn’t honour the invitation and he didn’t send any representative.
The other two, however, pleaded, through their representatives, that they couldn’t come.
They requested that the CCB chose another day for the interview.
