The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has pledged full institutional support to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to strengthen public awareness and enforcement of ethical standards in the public service.
The minister gave the assurance in Abuja while receiving the Chairman of the CCB, Abdullahi Bello, during a courtesy visit, stressing that effective communication remains critical to promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
Idris said the ministry would deploy all its media platforms and agencies to amplify the activities of the bureau, noting that public enlightenment is key to preventing corruption and infractions among public officers.
“This is the destination for whatever Nigerians need to know. Once you come here, everything you have said will be communicated to the public,” he said.
The minister emphasised that enforcement alone cannot curb corruption, insisting that awareness and value reorientation must go hand in hand to achieve lasting impact.
“If you enforce and people are not aware, you will continue to reproduce these infractions. Enforcement and awareness must go together,” he added.
Idris also highlighted the need to educate over 4.5 million public officers on asset declaration, conflict of interest rules and ethical conduct, describing public sensitisation as essential to reducing violations.
He further commended the bureau for its recent recovery of assets abroad, including a forfeiture linked to properties in London, noting that many Nigerians were unaware of the CCB’s role in such achievements.
“This is the first time many Nigerians are knowing that you are not just operating locally but also securing forfeitures overseas. That is commendable,” he said.
The minister assured the bureau of collaboration through agencies such as the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), adding that the partnership aligns with the federal government’s broader anti-corruption and national reorientation agenda.
Earlier, Bello said the visit was aimed at seeking strategic collaboration with the ministry in areas including public sensitisation on ethics, asset declaration, and anti-corruption campaigns.
He noted that the bureau is primarily a preventive institution focused on promoting integrity rather than prosecution, stressing the need for stronger media engagement to improve public understanding of its mandate.
Bello also proposed joint programmes, media campaigns, capacity building for public officers, and the establishment of a formal framework, including a memorandum of understanding, to guide collaboration between both institutions.
