Mr Chijioke Obi, Director, Education and Advocacy Services, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), has advised public office holders to consider public interest first in the discharge of their duties.
He gave the advice at a two-day workshop on ‘strict compliance with asset declaration and code of conduct for Nigerian public officials’, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Obi, who said that public office was a ‘trust’, added that a public officer’s actions and behaviours must conform to the code of conduct of public servants.
“All public officers must exhibit attributes of integrity, transparency and openness in whatever they do.
“For instance, those in the procurement units should not use their office to embezzle government funds.
“You must maintain a high sense of morality in the conduct of government’s business,” he said.
Prof. Samuel Ogundare, a board member of the bureau, urged public office holders to declare their assets, as at when due.
He said the bureau was working to make the forms available to public office holders, online, for easy access and effective documentation of the process.
“You know that the bureau has been kind enough to defaulters who do not declare their assets as at when due.
“As public servants, we are meant to declare our assets every four years or once you assume a political position, let us not wait until we are compelled to do it.
“We can walk into any of our state offices and pick the form and ensure that we fill and return. We should ensure that our slip is given to us for our personal documentation.
“We are also working toward going online but before then, let us endeavour to comply with the code of conducts for public office holders, ” he added.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the participants for the workshop were chairmen of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. (NAN)
