The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Abdullahi Bello, has disclosed that the bureau has investigated and verified the assets of more than 20 ministers and 30 permanent secretaries as part of efforts to strengthen accountability among public officers.
Bello made this known on Wednesday in Abuja at an anti-corruption and asset-tracing stakeholders’ workshop organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) in collaboration with the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa.
He said the CCB had moved beyond simply receiving asset declaration forms, noting that the bureau now examines declarations, investigates suspected infractions and prosecutes offenders.
According to Bello, the bureau’s verification exercise has focused on high-profile public officers, with more than 20 ministers, 30 permanent secretaries, 32 health agencies and other senior officials subjected to verification.
He explained that public officers are invited for face-to-face examination of their records, adding that the CCB compares assets declared at the beginning and end of an official’s tenure to identify unexplained changes.
Bello said significant differences in an official’s assets that cannot be justified by legitimate income could trigger further investigation and prosecution.
He, however, stressed that the bureau does not have to wait until the end of an official’s tenure before commencing an investigation, noting that allegations or credible intelligence can prompt an inquiry at any stage.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of HEDA, Arigbabu Sulaimon, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing and the role of civil society in combating corruption.
Sulaimon described the meeting as a technical working session focused on bridging institutional gaps, improving information sharing between government agencies and civil society organisations, and strengthening mechanisms for tracing and recovering illicit assets.
He also called for greater utilisation of the Proceeds of Crime Act and the CCB’s statutory mechanisms in asset tracing and recovery.
On whistleblower protection, the HEDA executive secretary stressed the need for stronger safeguards to encourage individuals to provide information on corruption and other crimes without fear of retaliation.
