New Assets Declaration to Capture Cryptocurrency – FG

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) says its new Assets and Liabilities Declaration System (ALDS) will capture emerging trends, including digital and cryptocurrency assets.

The bureau’s chairman, Abdullahi Bello, who announced this on Monday in Abuja at a two-day stakeholder workshop, said the platform was designed to strengthen the anti-graft fight through technology.

Mr Bello, represented by Justice Ibrahim Buba, CCB board member, added that the platform was designed to enhance compliance and strengthen verification.

He said the platform was a transition from a manual to a fully digital process to combat corruption and enhance public service transparency.

“The new ALDS is a technology-driven platform designed to enhance compliance, strengthen verification, and capture emerging trends, including digital and cryptocurrency assets,” he said.

“It is not merely punitive but preventive, ensuring public officers’ actions meet the highest standards of public morality.”

The CCB chairman highlighted that the old manual system was plagued by challenges, including printing and distribution issues, manual completion risks, and storage issues.

He called on the judiciary to validate the system’s legal robustness, anti-corruption agencies to shape its investigative utility, and civil society to scrutinise its transparency mechanisms.

“The fight against corruption is a marathon, not a sprint, and it requires continuous innovation and unwavering collaboration,’’ he added.

Mr Bello urged the participants at the workshop to “engage actively, critique constructively, and collaborate passionately” to empower the CCB with a system that “matches the aspiration of Nigerians for a truly accountable public service.”

In his presentation, Ibraheem Mahmood, the coordinating director of CCB, noted that a pilot online project involving over 21,000 declarations proved successful but also exposed weaknesses in CCB’s current digital capabilities.

“The current system still requires manual submission of physical documents, which poses challenges in terms of storage and accuracy.

“The bureau is committed to developing a robust and user-friendly system that protects data and proactively detects corruption,” he said.

According to him, the CCB is committed to improving its systems and processes to meet the demands of a modern anti-corruption agency.

The workshop provided a platform for stakeholders to provide input and feedback on the system, ensuring that it meets the needs of all users.

(NAN)