By Mercy Peter
The Federal Government has underscored the importance of sustained public enlightenment as a critical tool in advancing accountability, transparency, and ethical conduct within Nigeria’s public service, particularly in the operations of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
This position was reiterated by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during a courtesy visit by the Chairman of the Bureau, Abdullahi Usman Bello, and his delegation to the Ministry in Abuja.
Idris emphasised that public awareness remains a foundational pillar for preventing corruption and unethical practices in government institutions.
According to him, a significant gap in knowledge about the mandate of the CCB persists among public servants, many of whom narrowly associate the agency with asset declaration.
“Many public servants in this country do not know much about the Code of Conduct Bureau beyond asset declaration; this must change through sustained public enlightenment,” the Minister stated.
He stressed that the Bureau’s mandate is fundamentally preventive rather than punitive, noting that its core responsibility lies in stopping infractions before they occur.
“The Code of Conduct Bureau is not about arresting people after offences are committed; its primary duty is to prevent those infractions from happening in the first place,” he said.
The Minister also called for deeper and continuous institutional collaboration between the Ministry and the Bureau, warning against one-off engagements that fail to deliver long-term impact.
He argued that sustained partnerships are necessary to strengthen governance frameworks and promote ethical standards across the public sector.
, Idris maintained that neither approach can succeed in isolation
“Enforcement and awareness must go hand in hand; without awareness, enforcement alone will not stop unethical conduct,” he noted.
He assured the Bureau of the Ministry’s full backing, pledging to deploy its agencies and communication platforms to amplify the CCB’s activities and enhance public understanding of its mandate.
Earlier, Bello described the Bureau as primarily a preventive institution focused on fostering compliance and ethical conduct among public officials, rather than merely enforcing sanctions.
“CCB is not only an enforcement agency; we are primarily a preventive organisation committed to ensuring that public servants do not engage in corrupt practices in the first place,” he said.
The CCB Chairman disclosed that the Bureau is seeking strategic collaboration with the Ministry in key areas, including nationwide sensitisation campaigns, media engagement, capacity building for public officers, and wider dissemination of its activities.
He expressed confidence that leveraging the Ministry’s communication infrastructure would significantly improve compliance with asset declaration requirements while entrenching a culture of integrity and transparency in public service.
