Part 1: International development partners and anti-corruption agencies have urged the National Assembly to reform the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). They want the tribunal to be decentralised through zonal panels to enhance efficiency and reduce case backlog. Mr Danladi Plang, Head of Programme at the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme Phase Two, made the call during a stakeholders' engagement in Abuja. He argued that operating a single panel for a country with over 200 million citizens is impractical and ineffective. Plang suggested that having one panel per geopolitical zone would greatly improve operational efficiency. He also commended the Code of Conduct Bureau for ongoing institutional reforms, describing them as critical steps towards strengthening the fight against corruption.
Representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, and the Fiscal Responsibility Commission also endorsed the digital transformation of asset declarations. They praised the inclusion of emerging financial instruments and modern regulatory responses to combat corruption. The stakeholders' engagement was organised by the Code of Conduct Bureau to discuss the Online Assets and Liabilities Declaration System and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
The decentralisation of the Code of Conduct Tribunal is long overdue. Mr Danladi Plang's suggestion to have one panel per geopolitical zone is a practical solution to the current inefficiencies. This reform would bring justice closer to citizens, reduce delays, and strengthen enforcement of ethical standards among public officers. It is now up to the National Assembly to act on this recommendation and ensure that the CCT is reformed to serve the people of Nigeria effectively.
