The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), has introduced its Online Assets Declaration System (OADS) for public servants, saying it is part of effort towards ensuring that the government anti-corruption fight achieves maximum results.
Speaking at a forum with stakeholders during the week, the government agency said the initiative was created to ease the rigours involved in assets declaration by public servants and to avert corrupt practices in the public sectors.
“Technology advancement has been prominent for the past two decades. Today, the world is transforming from analogue systems to electronic processes to enhance efficiency and better results. Therefore the Bureau is doing everything possible to ensure administrative bottleneck is reduced to the barest minimum which will further instill transparency and confidence in our process,” said Prof. Isah Muhammad, the Chairman Code of Conduct Bureau in his remarks at the forum, organized to sensitize stakeholders on the efforts made so far by the Bureau which he said has yielded positive results with the new initiative.
Noting that the Bureau will not relent in its efforts to curb corruption in the public sector and will not rest in its commitment to achieving its mandates, Prof. Isah said the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has put in place careful strategies and efforts to ensure these initiatives succeeds.
He stressed that the Bureau is ready to entertain contributions from stakeholders to ensure the country’s global corruption index ranking improves and the administration’s objective of a corruption-free public sector is ultimately achieved collectively. The soft-spoken Prof. of Law noted that the CCB is building stakeholders’ synergies that will further help win the nation’s anti-corruption fight.
Meanwhile, in his goodwill message, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said, “considering the enormous nature of the mandate of the Bureau and work done so far by the CCB and the demand of keeping the records of over five million public workers, there is the need for all stakeholders to support the Bureau in order to enable them proactively tackle corruption in the country.
Abdullahi maintained that the new initiatives of OADS by the Bureau would enable public servants to declare assets from the comfort of their offices or homes and for the Bureau to have all public servants records intact hence NITDA was partnering them to build the right capacities and appropriate technology use to achieve the government’s desires.
He however advised the CCB to adopt emerging technologies like blockchain, cloud computing, geo-mapping, and other cutting edge technologies for proper documentation, litigations, integration to other services.
According to the NITDA Director-General, CCB’s adoption of Online Asset Declaration is a further testament of NITDA’s quest to ensure e-Government services. “I urged the Bureau to go ahead with this project. As a regulatory agency, we are going to give you all the necessary supports to make sure you succeed on this project,” he said.
He further admonished the CCB to ensure they make the application easier for people to have access to fill the necessary information.
Also at the Forum, the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, represented by Senator (Dr) Ayo Akinyelure commended the CCB for undertaking this novel initiative. He also applauded the partnership with the European Union (EU) Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROJAC) project, saying it will no doubt aid in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
“The campaign against corruption is certainly not a day’s job. Problems that have eaten deep into the fabric of nations are always challenging to tackle. This is why we have to be meticulous in approaching it from the point of view of awareness creation and through the criminal justice system,” he said.
Senator Lawan stressed that the bigger focus on the National Anti-Corruption strategy has given the country the opportunity to adopt tactics from different positions and these tactics will add up to tackling the menace. “I am confident that curbing or eliminating corruption is only a matter of time, going by the synergy of purpose. I do know that this is not an easy task to achieve but with collaborations such as this with relevant multi-lateral organisations like the European Union, United Nations, amongst others, it can only remain a boost and an added advantage”, he emphasized. The Senator then called on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to consciously pay attention to improve the funding and budgetary provision of the principal anti-corruption agencies in other to help them meet up with their set mandates.
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is an anti-corruption agency established in 1979. It is the first anti-corruption agency that was set up in Nigeria with the core aim of battling corruption in the Nigerian public service.