Tinubu Appoints Forensic Expert Abdullahi Bello to Lead Code of Conduct Bureau

Abdullahi Bello Sworn in as CCB Chairman by President Tinubu

“Like you mentioned, the Code of Conduct Bureau is the foremost anti- corruption agency...”

Dr. Abdullahi Bello Vows to Combat Corruption as New CCB Chairman - Integrity, Accountability Top Priorities

President Bola Tinubu officiated the swearing-in of Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello as the new Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on October 23. The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa's Council Chamber, preceding the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

Key FEC members attended, except for a few on international assignments. Notably absent were Vice President Kashim Shettima (at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa) and Ministers Wale Edun, Yusuf Tuggar, Festus Keyamo, Adebayo Adelabu, Professor Joseph Utsev, and Nyesom Wike.

Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, the newly sworn-in Chairman of Nigeria's Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), has reaffirmed his dedication to combating corruption. He stressed the importance of integrity and accountability among public officials, aligning with the Bureau's mission to prevent corruption.

Recognizing corruption as a global issue, Dr. Bello expressed confidence in Nigeria's existing systems and institutions to tackle it effectively. He pledged to enhance these mechanisms to fulfill the CCB's mandate.

Priorities for Dr. Bello's Tenure:

Integrity and Accountability: Emphasizing the need for public officials to uphold the highest standards 

Corruption Prevention: Strengthening institutions to prevent corruption and ensure accountability

 

Global Cooperation: Acknowledging corruption as a global challenge, while leveraging Nigeria's systems to combat it.

As the primary anti-corruption body in Nigeria, the CCB plays a vital role under Dr. Bello's leadership. His commitment to fighting corruption aligns with the Bureau's objectives, ensuring a stronger stance against corruption in the country.

“I want to thank Mr. President for appointing me to this position. Really happy, and I want to assure Mr. President and the people of Nigeria, I will do my best to make sure that I deal with this huge task that is ahead of me.

“Like you mentioned, the Code of Conduct Bureau is the foremost anti- corruption agency, the first anti- corruption agency in Nigeria and I intend to deliver on the mandates of the Bureau. It's all about making sure that people, public servants, behave with integrity, avoid corruption, no conflict of interests.

“So that is the aim of it; integrity, accountability, those are the duties that I need to deliver on. I promise Nigerians that Insha Allah, I'm going to do my best to make sure that I deliver on the mandate of the Bureau.

“All right, you have gone around the world. Yes, you've seen it for from what you've observed in the past those who have come before you, yes, where do you think the challenge is really about conduct in this country, and what do you intend to do to fix this?

Speaking on what he thinks his challenges might be, Bello said “I always say that it's not about the individuals, everybody can be corrupt in the world. It doesn't matter whether you are in the UK, or in the US, everybody has a tendency to be corrupt. One of the most important things is the systems that we have in place to check it.

“So if we have the systems in Nigeria, we are going to deal with this problem. So I assure you that we have the systems, we have the institutions, we only need to deliver on the mandate that is given to us, and then everything will be all right,” he said.