The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) says it has begun the automation of its asset declaration process as part of efforts to strengthen compliance among public officers.
Mr Akinfolarin Feyisola, the South-East Zonal Director of the bureau, disclosed this on Tuesday during a visit to Gov. Alex Otti of Abia, in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
Feyisola said that the system would become fully online before the end of the year.
He said that the bureau had stopped issuing physical asset declaration forms, as was previously done.
“The Code of Conduct is no more issuing asset declaration forms like we did when you were coming into office.
“We are about automating the whole system now. We are going online, and maybe in about the third quarter of the year, we are going to be fully online,” the zonal director said.
He said that officers yet to comply were expected to visit the CCB website, download the forms, fill them and submit, pending full digital migration.
Feyisola said that the bureau had also introduced an interim arrangement known as a stopgap measure, ahead of the complete transition to an online platform.
According to him, failure by public officers to declare their assets will amount to a breach of the law and can lead to prosecution.
“There’s a stopgap method that we are doing presently, which those who are yet to declare their assets are expected to do.
“They are to go online, visit the website of the Code of Conduct Bureau, download the form, fill and come to submit.
“Failure to do that will mean that such officers have things to hide from the government, and there’s a need for them to be prosecuted,” Feyisola said.
He said that the new chairman of the bureau had introduced renewed reforms, with increased emphasis on asset declaration, investigation, prosecution and recovery of proceeds of crime.
Feyisola noted that in spite of repeated directives by the state government, some political appointees and a large number of career officers in the state were yet to comply with the constitutional requirement.
He, therefore, proposed an enlightenment programme for public officers in the state, to sensitise them on the implications of non-compliance with the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
The zonal director also urged the state government to make evidence of asset declaration part of the documentation required for political appointments, promotions and employment in the public service.
“Going forward, sir, there’s a way you can assist us to ensure compliance, most especially when it comes to political officers, by the time they are appointed, I think they do a kind of documentation.
“So, evidence of compliance with Code of Conduct can be part of the paper they submit before they even start receiving their emolument from the state government.
“We are looking at a situation where compliance with Code of Conduct will be tied to some incentive in the public service.
“Maybe before you go into the next promotion, you have to show evidence that you have declared your asset.
“At the point of being employed, the first thing is that you have to show evidence that you have declared your assets,” he said.
Feyisola further appealed for government support in providing a befitting office accommodation and an official vehicle for the bureau’s operations in the state.
Responding, Otti reaffirmed the importance of the CCB in Nigeria’s democratic system, describing compliance with asset declaration as a minimum standard for all public office holders.
He said that no public officer had any excuse for non-compliance.
“The Code of Conduct Bureau is a necessary part of our democratic system and, for me personally, it is a minimum standard for people who want to operate in the public sector space.
“I am not sure that anybody has a choice. If anyone has not complied, it may be out of ignorance and not a deliberate attempt to beat the law, because the law is very clear,” he said.
Otti said that he and his deputy duly declared their assets before assumption of office, adding that all political appointees and public officers in the state must comply with the constitutional requirement.
He directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work with relevant officials to ensure full compliance by all officers required to declare their assets.
The governor commended the bureau for moving towards a technology-driven asset declaration process, noting that the digital transition aligned with global best practices and the state government’s reform agenda.
“We look forward to a situation where someone can sit in the comfort of his home, fill the form and return it electronically; that is where the world has gone.
“This is also the direction this government is going, even Certificates of Occupancy are processed and signed electronically,” he said.
Otti said the state had embraced digital governance to improve efficiency and service delivery, adding that those who failed to adapt to technological changes risked being left behind.
He described the bureau’s automation initiative as the right step toward strengthening transparency and accountability in public service.
Otti also directed the Commissioner for Lands to inspect the CCB office in Umuahia, with a view to upgrading the facility.
He said the state government would also consider the bureau’s request for an official vehicle to support its operations. (NAN)
