The Kano State Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa, has tasked public officers to declare their assets on time and accurately.
He warned that failure to do so could lead to public disgrace.
The Head of Service made the declaration on Wednesday at a workshop on the Online Assets Declaration System (OADS), organized by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), with support from the European Union/IDEA’s Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (ROLAC) Program.
The event at Tahir Guest Palace sought to build the capacity of public officers, civil society actors, and media professionals on the effective use of the online assets declaration system.
According to the Head of Service, “If the Code of Conduct Bureau forces public officers to declare their assets, it will be in a shameful way.”
He emphasized that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is committed to transparency, noting that asset declaration is regularly discussed at monthly State Executive Council meetings.
“If you don’t want to be tagged as corrupt, declare your assets correctly. Don’t declare what is more than you have or below what you have,” Musa warned
He clarified that asset declaration isn’t limited to money alone but includes goods, liabilities, and other physical assets.
The Chairman of the CCB, Dr. Abdullahi Bello Usman, expressed optimism that the online asset declaration is a revolutionary step in Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight.
“Corruption remains one of the most formidable obstacles to our nation’s development. It erodes public trust, stifles growth, and perpetuates inequality,” he said.
He emphasized the need for public officers to embrace the digital shift.
“Manual systems are susceptible to inefficiency and abuse. This digital platform eliminates bottlenecks and deters malfeasance,” Dr Usman assured.
He described asset declaration not only as a legal requirement but a moral obligation. “It is the bedrock of ethical governance,” he said.
CSJ Executive Director Eze Onyekpere said the OADS will ease compliance, reduce costs, and improve transparency.
He described the analogue system as outdated.
“Storage, verification, and logistics are major challenges. OADS is the leap forward in our fight against corruption in Nigeria.
“Our vision is a Nigeria where social justice drives public decisions. We cannot achieve this with business as usual,” he added.
Participants will receive hands-on training, while CSOs and media will engage the system from the demand side.
“Doing this will generate national dialogue and entrench reform in asset declaration,” Onyekpere stated.
