The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Abdullahi Bello, has announced the recovery of a property in London and the arraignment of a state governor’s chief of staff as part of the bureau’s intensified enforcement of asset declaration laws.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Policy Writing Fellowship and the unveiling of the Local Governance Accountability (LGA) Portal in Abuja, Bello disclosed that the CCB has completed the development of its Online Asset and Liabilities Declaration System, which is now ready for deployment and testing. The platform is expected to serve as a comprehensive database for the asset declarations of public servants across Nigeria.
According to him, the bureau is committed to collaborating with stakeholders to improve public access to governance information while ensuring the privacy and security of individuals who file asset declarations.
Bello also revealed that the bureau recently concluded the verification of asset declarations submitted by high-risk public officials. The exercise covered 19 ministers, 37 permanent secretaries, 20 heads of government agencies, and 32 other senior public officers.
As part of its enforcement drive, the CCB recovered several assets, including a property located in London. He further disclosed that multiple cases have been referred to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, while the chief of staff to a serving state governor was arraigned before the tribunal on Wednesday over alleged violations of asset declaration regulations.
The CCB chairman said the newly launched Local Governance Accountability Portal is designed to enhance transparency and accountability at the grassroots level by providing public access to information on financial allocations, local government profiles, and elected council officials.
He noted that the portal would empower citizens, researchers, journalists, and civil society organisations to monitor government spending and demand improved service delivery.
Bello also congratulated participants of the second cohort of the Policy Writing Fellowship, encouraging them to apply their knowledge and skills toward promoting good governance and evidence-based policymaking across the country.
