President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday, assured the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) of the Senate’s commitment to addressing the challenges facing the agency.

Akpabio made this promise today when the CCB Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Bello, led a delegation to pay him a courtesy visit to his office.

Describing the bureau as a critical institution in promoting accountability and discipline among public officials, Akpabio acknowledged its importance in ensuring transparency in governance.

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“The Code of Conduct Bureau is a very important agency of government, not only in terms of bringing about moral rectitude but also in terms of discipline of public officers and ensuring accountability,” he said.

Highlighting the Senate’s reliance on the CCB, Akpabio stated, “We don’t normally clear any public officer in the Senate unless we are assured that the person has attached an acknowledgement form of their declaration of assets before the Code of Conduct Bureau.”

In response to complaints about inadequate budgetary allocation and infrastructure challenges, the Senate President expressed the legislature’s readiness to act.

“You have come to the right place at the right time. We will engage those who bring budgetary estimates before the National Assembly to ensure that the Code of Conduct Bureau is not stifled by inadequate funding,” Akpabio assured.

“We have taken serious parliamentary note of your requests, and we will do something about it. I assure you of our readiness to collaborate with the Bureau to achieve its mandate.”

Earlier, Bello highlighted the Bureau’s challenges, including insufficient funding, office accommodation issues, manpower shortages, and logistical constraints.

He appealed to the Senate for urgent intervention to enable the bureau to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities effectively.