Asset declaration: NAICOM chief adamant, as two others appear before CCB

Two chief executive officers of National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on Tuesday appeared before 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.

But the third person in the organization’s management team invited by the CCB refused to appear.

Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive of the organization, Mr Mohammed Kari; and Deputy Commissioner for Insurance (Technical) Mr Sunday Olorundare Thomas honoured the CCB’s invitation.

But, Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Finance and Administration, Mr George Onekhena did not.

They had previously been invited to appear before the CCB last week Tuesday, but failed to honour the invitation. Both Onekhena and Thomas sent representatives to plead that the invitation be shifted to a later date.

Meanwhile, the CCB has invited Managing Director, National Agricultural Insurance Corporation, Mrs Folashade Morenike Joseph, to appear before it on Thursday 18^th April over related petition.

She had earlier been invited on April 1^st, but this newspaper could not confirm if she failed to honour the invitation.

A competent source confided in our correspondent on Tuesday: “The information reaching us is that the NAICOM executives are trying to circumvent and obstruct the ongoing investigations through the help of some Directorate Cadre and Federal Commissioners in CCB.

“They mischievously got the Asset declaration form for public officers (form CCB 1) from CCB in order to give the impression that they have given out the newly filled forms to be smuggled into the CCB in order to avert possible prosecution as defaulters.

“It was also learnt that they are reaching out to the Presidency for possible intervention on the matter.”

Another source within NAICOM had told our correspondent that Kari was appointed by former President, Goodluck Jonathan as Deputy Commissioner (Technical) on the 31^st March, 2014. After expiration of the tenure of the former Commissioner for the Insurance, he was appointed on 31^st July, 2015 as Commissioner for Insurance.

“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 10^th April, 2017. He too, as Deputy Commissioner (Technical), he 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 violation of the law does not mean he is not answerable to the CCB.

The source furthered that George’s alleged resignation had not been accepted by the government.