Declaration of assets by public Officers has become necessary to ensure integrity, transparency and accountability in the conduct of public administration.
The Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu stated this at the 2019 Judges’ Conference held at the State Judiciary Complex, Kobape, Abeokuta, with the theme, Declaration of Assets by Public Officers-implications for Judicial Integrity.
Justice Dipeolu noted that assets declaration by public Officials was one of the powerful tools in preventing and combating corruption in public service, pointing out that the State Judiciary was committed to continued fairness and objective dispensation of justice, as ignorance is not an excuse in law.
“The 2019 Judges’ Conference is a unique one as it marks the first to be held at the new Judiciary Complex building, apart from the Swearing-in of new Customary Court members and staff awards, held recently”, she said.
The Chairman, Nigerian Code of Conduct Bureau, Prof. Isah Mohammed noted that assets declaration engender trust of citizens, prevent conflict of interest among employees and monitor wealth variation of individual political office holders, Judicial Officers and civil servants.
Prof. Mohhammed said every public Officer is by law, required to declare all assets within a specified period giving by law, noting that part of the institutions empowered by law to administer assets of public officials were Code of Conduct Bureau, High Court of Justice, Code of Conduct Tribunal and Central Bank of Nigeria, among others.
In his contribution, Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Akin Oyebode, opined that Judiciary had a vital role to play in the sustenance of the society, as corruption had eaten deep into the economy, adding that the Code of Conduct Bureau was therefore essential for national development.
