The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is set to introduce a new digital asset and liability declaration system aimed at eliminating bureaucratic delays, enhancing transparency, and strengthening anti-corruption measures in the public service.
The bureau’s chairman, Abdullahi Bello, disclosed this on Tuesday during a validation workshop for the system in Abuja, saying the platform would replace the outdated paper-based process, which he described as ‘forms hurriedly filled and forgotten, rarely analysed and rarely used as the powerful anti-corruption tool it was meant to be’.
Bello said the new Asset and Liability Declaration System would allow real-time verification of public officers’ assets by linking multiple national databases, including the Corporate Affairs Commission, land registries, and financial institutions.
‘The old story must end. Will Nigeria finally have a world-class, corruption-resistant asset declaration system? My answer is a resounding yes!’ he said. ‘This system belongs to you. Its success depends on the trust and ownership of its users’.
To ensure sustainability, Bello said a graded service fee would be introduced for political office holders and senior public servants, while junior staff and those unable to pay would be exempted.
He added that the system would automatically detect undeclared companies, properties, and income streams, building on the work of the CCB’s Forensic Accounting Unit.
‘By integrating with available databases, we will discover assets in real time. You won’t need to declare every property or company you own—the system will show it’, Bello explained.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen, praised the initiative and its sustainable funding model, noting the Bureau’s previous struggle to fund basic administrative processes.
‘I have always wondered why CCB wakes up each day seeking funds to print forms for free. It’s time we depart from this. A nominal fee will ensure the Bureau can operate independently’, he said, assuring the Bureau of the National Assembly’s continued support.
The digital system, expected to become fully operational after ongoing validation and harmonisation sessions with stakeholders, marks a significant step in Nigeria’s fight against corruption.
