Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged the Code of Conduct Bureau to remain apolitical and maintain strict independence in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.
Shettima also urged the bureau to sustain its digitisation process to ensure public officers can declare their assets and liabilities electronically from any location, in line with global best practices.
The Vice President gave the charge on Friday while receiving a delegation of the bureau led by its Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said the integrity and credibility of the bureau depend largely on its ability to operate transparently and free from political interference.
“Remain steadfast. Be as apolitical as humanly possible and do your job as much as you can,” Shettima told the delegation.
He congratulated Bello and members of the new management team on their appointment, while cautioning them against actions that could drag the bureau into controversy.
The Vice President commended the ongoing reforms within the agency, particularly the digitisation of its operations, noting that technological advancement had become imperative in modern governance systems.
“There is no need for public officials thronging your offices trying to fill in some forms. And you can take them to task, since it has been digitized. You expect everyone to play by the rules,” he added.
Shettima stressed that the bureau has a critical role to play in promoting accountability and projecting a positive image for Nigeria internationally.
He said the adoption of electronic systems for asset declaration would eliminate the delays and inefficiencies associated with paper-based processes and align Nigeria with practices obtainable in advanced jurisdictions.
Earlier, the CCB Chairman, Dr. Bello, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President for appointing a new leadership team for the bureau and increasing its budgetary allocation.
He disclosed that the bureau had undertaken several reforms, including the digitisation of its associated processes.
According to him, the agency has intensified verification, investigation and prosecution activities, leading to several recoveries within and outside Nigeria, including in London.
Bello assured the Vice President that with adequate support and empowerment from the Federal Government, the bureau would sustain the anti-corruption fight and contribute meaningfully to national development.
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