The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has raised concerns over a growing trend among some public officers who allegedly engage in “anticipatory declaration of assets” to mask future acts of corruption.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the launch of the Virtual Tool on the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, organised by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in collaboration with the Technical Unit on Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Olukoyede described the practice as a calculated scheme to legitimise illicit wealth.
Citing an EFCC investigation, he revealed that one politically exposed person had declared ownership of a property valued at over ₦3 billion before it was even built, with misleading details in the official CCB asset declaration form.
He urged the CCB to adopt innovative investigative strategies to detect and curb such practices, warning that “criminally smart” tactics undermine anti-corruption efforts.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, commended the launch of the CCB’s virtual tool, describing it as a milestone in digitising and modernising public conduct oversight. He said the platform would strengthen preventive compliance and ethical awareness among public servants.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, stressed the importance of technology in governance, noting that ethical conduct is essential for sustainable reforms. She highlighted the tool’s accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and ability to promote transparency and compliance.
CCB Chairman, Abdullahi Usman Bello, said the tool would not only enhance accountability but also educate public officers on step-by-step regulations guiding their conduct.
