馃嚦馃嚞Punch Nigeria路1 hour ago
Code of Conduct Bureau verifies asset declarations of 108 high-risk public officials
The Code of Conduct Bureau CCB has completed the verification of asset declarations for 108 high-risk public officials, including 19 ministers, 37 permanent secretaries, 20 heads of agencies, and 32 other officials. This initiative aims to enhance accountability and integrity within the public service. Dr. Abdullahi Bello, Executive Chairman of the CCB, announced this at an event in Abuja, which also saw the launch of the Local Governance Accountability Portal and the Policy Registry. Bello stated that the CCB's Online Asset and Liabilities Declaration System is fully developed and ready for deployment, designed to house the asset declaration database for all Nigerian public servants. He also highlighted the bureau's intensified enforcement efforts, including asset forfeiture and prosecution of officials for breaching the Code of Conduct. The newly launched Local Governance Accountability Portal, developed by Agora Policy with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, provides free access to financial allocations for local councils from 1999 to the present, along with council profiles and elected officials' names. Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, represented by Wilson Uwujaren, commended the portal as a "game-changer" for promoting transparency at the local government level, where finances have historically lacked public scrutiny. Waziri Adio, Founder and Executive Director of Agora Policy, noted that despite