Code of Conduct For Public Officers – Part 2, By Okoi Obono-Obla

The Code of Conduct For Public Officers which applies to all categories of public officers including the President, Vice President, Ministers, Governors, Deputy Governors, Members of the National and States Assemblies, Commissioners at the States level; Federal and States Judges, local government Chairmen, Councillors etc., and all classes of civil servants at the federal, states and local governments levels are prohibited from doing the following :

Prohibition of Retired Pubic Officers from Accepting More Than One Remuneration Position:

A public officer shall not after his retirement from public service and while receiving pension from public funds, accept more than one remunerative position as Chairman, Director or employee of a Company owned or controlled by the government or public authority or receive any other Remuneration from public funds in addition to his pension and emolument of such one Remunerative position.

Retired public officers who have held offices as President, Vice President, and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Governors and Deputy Governors of a State are prohibited from service or employment in foreign companies of foreign enterprises .

Prohibition against accepting any gifts or benefits

A public officer shall not accept for or accept any property or benefit of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to have been done in the discharge of his duties.

The receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial firms, business enterprises or persons who have contracts with the government shall be deemed to have received in contravention of the said sub-paragraph unless the contrary is proved.

A public officer shall only accept personal gifts or benefit from relatives or personal friends to such an extent and on such occasions as are recognized by the custom.

Restrictions on Loans, Gifts or Benefits to Certain Public Officers :

The President, Vice President, Governor or Deputy Governor, Minister of the Government of the Federation or Commissioner of the Government of the State, or any other Public officer who holds the office of a Permanent Secretary or head of any public corporation, university, etc shall not accept a loan ,except from government or it agencies, a bank, building society, mortgage institution or any other financial institutions recognized by law.

To be continued