CCB Checks Wealth of Over 20 Ministers and 30 Top Government Officials

(Code of Conduct Bureau. Photo by The News Digest)

The Code of Conduct Bureau has investigated and verified the assets of more than 20 ministers and 30 permanent secretaries to strengthen accountability among public officers.

The bureau chairman said this at an anti-corruption workshop in Abuja on Wednesday.

The CCB has moved beyond just taking asset declaration forms to examining them, investigating suspected wrongdoing and prosecuting offenders.

The chairman said they are no longer just receiving forms but are examining them, investigating and prosecuting.

The bureau has focused its checking exercise on high-profile public officials.

It has interviewed and verified the records of more than 20 ministers, 30 permanent secretaries, 32 health agencies and other prominent individuals.

The bureau invites public officers to its office for face-to-face examination of their records.

The key thing the bureau does is verify assets declared at the start of an official's term then check again at the end.

If there is any difference between the beginning and the end, it can only be explained by income that is not from social sources.

The bureau then investigates and prosecutes.

The bureau can also investigate during an official's tenure if there are allegations or intelligence against them, not waiting until they leave office.

The workshop was aimed at strengthening work between agencies, sharing intelligence and the role of civil society in fighting corruption.

The meeting was meant as a technical working session to advance core goals including bridging gaps between agencies and encouraging civic teamwork and the need for good information sharing among government agencies and civil society groups.

There is also a call for greater use of the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Code of Conduct Bureau's legal tools in tracing and recovering illegal assets.

On protecting whistleblowers, there is a need for more safeguards to encourage people to give information on corruption and other crimes.