FG's asset declaration system enables corruption before office
Nigeria's Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) accepts anticipatory asset declarations from public officers before they assume office, allowing officials to declare assets they don't yet own. This creates a shield when public funds later acquire those same assets. The CCB's failure to verify implausible declarations transforms it from watchdog to warehouse. While the 1999 Constitution mandates truthful asset declarations and CCB examination, the system remains reactive rather than preventive. Anticipatory declarations of billions in cash and foreign holdings are celebrated as evidence of success rather than scrutinized. This institutional failure enables corruption by design, as officials enter office with pre-cleared justifications for future wealth. The real scandal is not corruption itself, but its administrative protection through unverified declarations.