The Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, in collaboration with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), has organised a one-day enlightenment programme for local government officials across the 20 Local government areas of the State to reinforce ethical conduct and promote compliance with asset declaration requirements.

Speaking during the programme, themed, ‘Code of Conduct for Political Office Holders and Public Officers on Self-Service Asset Declaration Form’, at the Obas complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat, said the workshop was aimed at reinforcing transparency, accountability and integrity in local government administration, adding that it would equip public officers with the knowledge required to uphold the highest ethical standards in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Hamzat, stressed that the Code of Conduct Bureau was set up to play a critical role in promoting ethical compliance within the Public Service, noting that integrity remained the foundation of public trust and effective governance.

Delivering a keynote address, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Rt. Hon. Abdulsalam Olawale, reaffirmed the Bureau's commitment to promoting ethical standards and accountability in Public Service, adding that the Bureau would continue to enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct for Public Officers as contained in the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Represented by the South-West Zonal Director of the Bureau, Mrs. Popoola Kafayat, Hon. Olawale said the CCB was committed to educating, guiding and partnering government institutions to foster integrity-driven governance, urging public officers to familiarise themselves with constitutional provisions relating to asset declaration, conflict of interest, abuse of office and the proper management of public assets

In his goodwill message, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Rotimiolu Akinlesi, said asset declaration was a practical demonstration of the commitment of public and political office holders to transparency and accountability, noting that the process would strengthen public confidence in government and ensure that public resources were managed in the interest of the people, while urging participants to cascade the knowledge gained during the training to officers in their respective Local Government Councils.

Also, making a remark, Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government Pensions, Engr. Olufisan Osiyale and the Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission, Engr. Olanike Ogunbona, urged public officers to make integrity and ethical values the guiding principles of their official duties, emphasising that public service should always take precedence over personal interest.

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Ogun State chapter, Hon. (Dr.) Afolashade Adeyemo, also challenged participants to lead by example and embrace continuous learning, urging them to "learn, unlearn and relearn" in order to improve service delivery.

Presenting a paper titled: ‘Ethical Compliance and Enforcement Procedure in Asset Declaration by the Code of Conduct Bureau’, the Director of Education and Advocacy Services in the Bureau, Mrs. Afolabi Ayobami, said corruption could be significantly reduced if public officers strictly adhered to ethical standards and constitutional provisions, maintaining that compliance with the Code of Conduct was not optional but a constitutional obligation designed to promote transparency, accountability and public confidence in government.

Mrs. Ayobami, highlighted the Bureau's 14 Code of Conduct provisions, including conflict of interest, private business and employment, foreign bank accounts, gifts and benefits, post-retirement appointments, restrictions on foreign companies, loans, bribery, abuse of office, membership of societies, asset declaration, reporting obligations to the Bureau, exemptions and the use of nominees, trustees or agents, stating that the provisions are intended to prevent abuse of office and strengthen accountability in public service.

During the practical session on the self-service asset declaration platform, Mrs. Popoola Kafayat, urged public officers to take the asset declaration process seriously, warning that false declarations would attract sanctions, including removal from office, disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of undeclared assets.

She clarified that the Bureau was not opposed to wealth creation but was committed to promoting accountability and transparency, stressing that asset declaration remained mandatory for all public officers from the point of assumption of office to their exit from Public Service.