The Universal Basic Education Commission of the immediate Past Executive Secretary, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi has been accused of perennial corruption, false assets and liability declaration, criminal infractions and violation of Code of Conduct Act.
ProJustice and Development Observers Initiative, in its monthly media parley said that it is disheartening that a commission like Universal Basic Education Commission is left in the hands of those who mostly care about their pockets more than they care for the educational upliftment of the rising generation.
“It is disheartening to note that UBEC is left to be manned by less patriotic elements that do not care about the educational need of the rising generation. Across the world, basic education is always kept in the priority status of any government. It helps the rising generation to gain a strong educational exposure and footage that can help them explore their talents and pursue self-reliance activities, that eventually rub off on the country”
The group said that it has found out that the Executive Secretary, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi sits in the board of ten private companies in violation of Code of Conduct Act, 2011 as it relates to CCB&T Act, 5th Schedule, Part 1, Paragraph 1-11 to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. According to the group, the companies have been used for activities that contravenes the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and thus may have been used to commit criminal infractions.
“A man who sits on the board of as much as 10 private companies does not only arbitrarily violate the law of the country but can hardly find time to properly and creative position a sensitive commission as UBEC for optimum performance. He would never have the time. He is shortchanging the government and the Nigerian people. He is wasting a future and a generation that is in dire need of recovery.
The group said that although Dr. Bobboyi has resigned his directorship in one of the companies, Belloh Systems Company Limited, he maintains an active directorship status on the other companies which include: Reefland Technologies Limited, Executive Media Agency Limited, Formbina Publishing House Limited, Sankore Educational Publishers Limited, Karal Associates Limited, Sultanah Farms Limited, Belloh Systems Company Limited (resigned recently), MST Mobitech Systems Limited, Shore to Shore Shipping Company Nigeria Ltd, HDB Communication and Educational Services Ltd.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal Act requires that every public office holder should not only declare his assets and liabilities as at the time he was appointed, he should ensure that all assets and liabilities of spouse(s) and children are declared as well.
“Running a profit-oriented private companies while holding a public office is a criminal offence in law. More criminal is when those companies have been used for activities that highly suggest criminal infractions. When you route out contracts to proxy companies that in turn push those contracts to your companies to execute, you have committed criminal infractions.
The said Act specifically stated: “That a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties. The Act also made it mandatory that all assets related to relatives, including spouse(s) and children should be included and mentioned in public officers’ Assets Declaration Form.