The Code of Conduct Bureau has disclosed that it is investigating and verifying the assets declared by more than 20 ministers and 30 permanent secretaries as part of efforts to strengthen accountability among public officials.
The CCB Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday at an anti-corruption and asset-tracing workshop organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda in partnership with the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa.
Bello said the bureau had moved beyond merely collecting asset declaration forms, noting that officials’ declarations were now being scrutinised, investigated where necessary and followed up with prosecution in cases of suspected violations.
According to him, the verification exercise is particularly focused on senior public officers, with the bureau having examined the records of more than 20 ministers, 30 permanent secretaries and officials of 32 health agencies.
He explained that the CCB compares the assets declared by an official at the beginning and end of their tenure, adding that unexplained increases could trigger further investigation.
Bello said the bureau does not have to wait until an official leaves office before investigating alleged misconduct, stressing that credible allegations or intelligence could prompt an inquiry at any point during the person’s tenure.
He said the CCB was also engaging public officers directly during the verification process, including inviting them to appear before the bureau to explain issues arising from their declarations.
Speaking at the workshop, HEDA Executive Secretary, Sulaiman Arigbabu, called for stronger collaboration between anti-corruption agencies and civil society organisations, particularly in intelligence sharing and the tracing and recovery of illicit assets.
Arigbabu also advocated wider use of the Proceeds of Crime Act and stronger protection for whistleblowers, saying improved safeguards would encourage more people to provide information capable of exposing corruption and other financial crimes.
