People will use CCB to fight me after 2023 ― Buhari

TRACKING>> President Muhammadu Buhari has predicted that some people will use the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to fight him when he leaves office in 2023.

He has therefore charged the board to keep his assets declaration forms safely when he eventually fills and hands them over it.

The president spoke on Monday at the presidential villa, Abuja when officials of the CCB brought him and Vice President Yemi Osinabjo the forms to complete for ending their tenure and beginning a new one.

Among those he said may come after him are those being prosecuted presently over assets declaration. He observed that these sets of people believe they should not be questioned.

He said: “I am very pleased that you are here, I assure you I will quickly fill this form and dispatch it back to you.

“I believe there are a lot of people that will like to take it back on me. So please, make sure you keep it safe because there are people who believed they shouldn’t be questioned which they are being questioned and some of them are already in trouble. I expect them to fight back and this is one of the instruments. So, I hope you will keep it when I finished. Thank you very much indeed.”

President Buhari thanked the board, stressing the importance of their agency in the success of the war against corruption.

He stated. “I am very pleased, I think I am meeting you for the first time since your appointment. I have never met you before. I thank you for accepting to be in this very important institution and I thank you very much for serving me my forms which I must fill constitutionally before my second term of office.

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“I think we cannot overemphasize the importance of your office because Nigerians are notorious for cutting shortcut in serving and account public responsibilities and we are trying to impress our nation and the world that this administration based on accountability.

“It is only institutions like you that will bail us out from the efforts that we have been making to make sure that people in public office do not abuse that public office and that those who come in and those that are leaving in certain positions make sure that they hold the integrity of the office and of the country generally.”

The Chairman, Prof Mohammed Isa, in his remark, explained that, as part of the constitutional requirements, every public officer must swear in his assets declaration and liabilities.

He added: “Mr President, it is in view of this we found it pertinent to present ourselves and also present the forms to Mr President and the Vice President for end of tenure and beginning of new tenure in office. The forms are readily here with us for presentation.”

The chairman expressed gratitude to the president “for finding us worthy of being appointed to head this very important and sensitive agency as a pioneer anti-corruption institution.”

He further said: “Mr President, we are very much grateful for this honour done to us and we want to assure you that we will do our work with every sense of honesty

“Secondly we want to congratulate you for winning the 2019 general elections and for the inauguration that is forthcoming on 29, May.”

Among those who witnessed the brief ceremony were Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari and Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina.