Public Servants Unveil Underhanded Methods of Dishonest Anticipation of Asset Declarations to Hide Theft
Nigeria's Anti-Corruption Agencies Introduce Virtual Tool for Public Officers
In an effort to combat corruption and promote transparency, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in collaboration with the Technical Unit on Good Governance and Anti-corruption Reforms (TUGAR) has launched a virtual tool for the Code of Conduct for Public Officers. This was announced at the tool's launch event on an unspecified date.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, emphasized the importance of adhering to the standards and ethics of service as the bedrock of public service. He urged public servants to adopt the new tool and improve conduct in public service.
The virtual tool, according to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Abdullahi Usman Bello, is intended to promote preventive compliance and awareness among public officers. Bello stated that the tool will make public officers accountable and easy to use. He further explained that the tool will ensure that public servants carry out their duties in high esteem and educate them on the step-by-step rules and regulations that guide them.
The launch of this virtual tool comes in the wake of investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which unearthed various criminal activities by some public officers. One of the notable cases involved a property valued at over ₦3 billion declared before it existed, with discrepancies in the declared address and actual location exposed by the EFCC. This tactic, known as anticipatory asset declarations, involves public officials listing assets they plan to purchase after assuming office on their CCB declaration forms, thereby shielding these assets from later scrutiny and investigations.
The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, made a statement on August 12, 2025, emphasizing the need for the leadership of CCB to intensify investigations to curb corruption. Olukoyede stated that many public officers are perfecting the art of anticipatory declaration of assets. He claimed that this is done to justify their intended theft of public funds and other acts of corruption.
The virtual tool is seen as a significant milestone in the digitisation and technological investigation of public conduct. The EFCC has intensified scrutiny and urged adoption of innovative investigative strategies and digital tools to detect and prevent such fraudulent practices. These efforts include the launch of the virtual tool by the CCB and TUGAR to enhance transparency and ethical compliance among public officers.
- The EFCC Chair, Ola Olukoyede, stressed on August 12, 2025, the importance of the CCB intensifying investigations to curb corruption, as some public officers are perfecting the art of anticipatory asset declarations to justify theft of public funds.
- The launch of the virtual tool by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Technical Unit on Good Governance and Anti-corruption Reforms (TUGAR) is a significant milestone in the digitization and technological investigation of public conduct and will promote preventive compliance and awareness among public officers.
- The PDP and APC, Nigeria's major political parties, have yet to release statements on the launch of the virtual tool for public officers to ensure accountability and transparency, but the tool is expected to have a positive impact on policy-and-legislation and general news related to politics and crime-and-justice.
- The virtual tool introduces a new level of transparency in the public service sector, making it easier for the EFCC to detect and investigate cases of corruption, such as the case involving a property valued at over ₦3 billion declared before it existed.
