The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has assured that the Nigerian Army will partner the Code of Conduct Bureau to ensure public morality and accountability in the conduct of its activities.
Buratai who spoke while declaring open, a two-day workshop on Compliance with Assets Declaration and Code of Conduct for Officers and Soldiers, facilitated by Go-Getters Consulting Limited, directed that all Nigerian Army personnel entrusted with leadership responsibility must understand the importance of Assets Declaration and Code of Conduct.
According to him, “this workshop is very important to the Nigerian Army because it will afford us the opportunity to fulfill our obligation as public officers in line with the provision of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)”.
He continued that, “the Nigerian Army under my leadership is desirous to maintaining the highest standard of accountability in the conduct of our activities, consistent with the requirements and behaviours of public officers which conform with the highest standard of probity, public morality, transparency and accountability.
“Accordingly I have directed that the workshop be conducted in the six Army Divisions nationwide. My directive is premised on the belief that every Army Personnel entrusted with leadership responsibility must understand the importance of Assets Declaration and Code of Conduct for public officers and comply with all the provisions and requirements”.
The Chairman Code of Conduct Bureau, Isa Mohammed, noted that all over the world, governments have come to realize that public morality contributes to the credibility of government.
Mohammed, who was represented by Professor Samuel Ogundare, observed further that the challenges confronting the country today, “is result indiscipline in public life”.
He commended the Nigerian Army for organizing the workshop, which he said will afford the participants the opportunity to fully understand the workings of the Code of Conduct Bureau and the needs for assets declaration”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Major General HPZ Vintenaba, stressed that the workshop will offer soldiers to understand the consequences of non-compliance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau on assets declaration.
He said, “this workshop is timely as it would offer officers and soldiers the opportunity to understand fully the requirements for code of conduct and assets declaration as well as consequences of non-compliance.
“The workshop is expected to further provide practical guide on the completion of assets declaration form. In the next two days, the Bureau would ensure that all participants are abreast of the extant regulations relating to code of conduct for public office holders”.
He added that, “as a Department, we are resolute in our quest to leave no stone unturned in translating the laudable vision of the Chief of Army Staff into concrete realities by ensuring that standards are maintained in all Nigerian Army’s activities consistent with international best practices.
“We are particularly not very unmindful of the fact that this workshop is coming at a time that the collective will, commitment and professionalism of the Nigerian Army is being tested by contemporary events that exert strains and pains on our collective aspiration as a nation.
“It is against this background that the workshop has been carefully designed and packaged in such a way that participants will derive maximum benefits while in the service of the Nigerian Army.”
