The Kano Open Government Partnership (OGP), with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Program (RoLAC II) funded by the European Union and implemented by IDEA has validated the draft Kano State Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) (POC) Bill, 2025.
POC Bill contains comprehensive provisions for seizure, confiscation, forfeiture, and management of properties derived from unlawful activities and other related matters.
The objectives of validating the POC Bill were to capture stakeholders’ inputs, create awareness among participants on the draft version, and confirm the draft as a clean copy of the Bill.
Stallion Times reports that OGP, with support from RoLAC II, paid advocacy visits in February 2024 to the Kano State House of Assembly, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, and Ministry of Justice, respectively, on the need to domesticate/develop the Kano State Proceeds of Crime Bill.
Delivering his welcome address on Tuesday at Tahir Guest Palace, the Kano State OGP Non-state Actors Co-chairman, Abdulrazak Alkali, said fighting corruption is an important aspect of OGP to make governance work for the people.
“The POC is a milestone that the OGP has achieved.”
He urged participants to work tirelessly to achieve the objectives of the validation workshop.
The Non-state Actors OGP Co-chairman spoke on behalf of the Kano State Head of Service and Government Co-chair, Abdullahi Musa, thanked ROLAC II for supporting the initiative and acknowledged PACE, Kano State House of Assembly, and the Public Complaint and Anti-corruption Commission.
Partnership for Agile Governance & Climate Engagement (PACE) State Team Lead Auwal Hamza called on stakeholders and citizens to appreciate the Bill as it will improve governance and livelihood.
He solicits deliberate and collaborative stakeholders’ efforts to strengthen the Bill.
In his goodwill message, RoLAC II State Program Coordinator, Ibrahim Bello, commended Kano OGP for pushing for the law and draft framework for implementation in the state.
He said, “The gathering is to ensure the accuracy, durability, trustworthiness, and credibility of the Bill to tackle the problem of corruption in the state.”
Bello appealed to stakeholders to be Ambassadors of the Bill until it is passed into law.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Kano State House of Assembly Committees on Finance, Judiciary and Anti-corruption through the Principal Legislative Officer, Mohd Lawal Tijjani, said: “We recognize the invaluable efforts of the OGP, RoLAC II, the Technical Committee, the Office of the Attorney General, and other key stakeholders in championing the development of this important legislative framework.
“As the legislative arm of government, we assure all stakeholders that, once the finalized Draft Bill is transmitted to the House, it will receive expeditious and thorough consideration.
“The Kano State House of Assembly remains fully committed to passing the Proceeds of Crime Bill into law in earnest, recognizing its critical role in strengthening the legal framework for asset recovery, crime prevention, and financial accountability in the state.”
The State House of Assembly Committees appreciated the efforts of the stakeholders to build a more transparent, accountable, and just State.
The Coordinating Consultant, Prof. Jafaru Uman, took participants at the 2-day (Tuesday and Wednesday) validation workshop through cross-checking and confirming of internal cross-referencing in the draft of the Kano State POC draft Bill.
The validation workshop has civil society advocates, OGP Thematic Leads, Academia, professional bodies, the Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission, community-based organizations, Government Ministries and Agencies, and the Media in attendance.
