The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has urged the government to prioritise the passage of the Conduct of Public Officers Bill.
Similarly, the commission also called on public officers of the new government, members of the ninth Parliament and all public officers to take immediate steps to apprise themselves of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and declare their assets in accordance with law before taking office. "It establishes a legal relationship between public officers and citizens, thus, public officers are expected to uphold integrity and advance the public interest at all times in the exercise of their official functions." "Public officials are to eschew all forms of unethical behaviour such as conflict of interest, abuse of power, and corruption.
Against this expectation, the Commission wishes to draw public officers' attention to the obligations imposed on them under Chapter 24 of the 1992 Constitution (the Constitution) titled 'CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS,' CHRAJ said in a New Year's message.
The message, which was issued and signed by the Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal on January 16, 2025, stated that an independent Constitutional body, with the mandate to promote good governance and the rule of law through the performance of its triple mandates, it wished, at the outset through the message to draw the attention of the new government, its appointees, Members of Parliament (MPs) and persons serving in the public service of important governance compliance issues within the commission's mandate as the country travelled to the new year, 2025.
