The Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to fighting corruption at all levels of government.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive of HYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa stated this on Monday in Makurdi while declaring open a two-day training workshop on “Compliance with Assets Declaration and Code of Conduct for Public Officers”, organised by the commission.
The HYPPADEC boss who was represented by the commission’s Director of Administration, Dr Murtala Marshal, said that transparency and accountability were the life support of democracy hinged on the need for all public officers irrespective of their rankings to declare their assets in line with the provision of the Code of Conduct.
He said, “It needs not to be emphasised that the Nigerian Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is unprecedentedly committed to fighting corruption and improving accountability in the Nigerian civil and public service.
“After this training, therefore, we expect each and every one of you – the trainees, to comply with the Federal Government’s rule and regulation on assets declaration.”
He faulted the assumption that assets declaration was limited to only top-tier public officers.
“Transparency and accountability are the life-support of democracy. As a result, the 1999 constitution (as amended) stipulates that all persons on the payroll of the federal, state and local governments, from the president to the lowest ranking personnel in a local government office, should declare their assets and that of their spouse(s) who are not in civil and public service and their children under 18 years age.
Yelwa emphasised that public officers need to declare their assets immediately after taking office and do the same thing at the end of their terms of office.
He further stated that the commission was committed to assets declaration with the view of aiding the government in tracking the assets and liabilities of its staff vis-à-vis their income in order to mitigate unethical conducts such as corruption, money laundering and fraud.
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