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Of Buhari’s Cold Feet Over Asset Declaration by IBBG(m): 2:48am On Aug 19, 2015 |
President Muhammadu Buhari shocked many Nigerians
last October when he announced that he took a loan of
N27.5m to buy the All Progressives Congress’ expression
of interest and nomination forms for the 2014
presidential primary.
The act endeared the Katsina-born general to many who
saw his stance as a departure from the profligacy which
characterised the campaign of some of his opponents. It
also gave him an edge over his co-contestants in the
party who included the then Governor of Kano State,
Rabiu Kwankwaso; a former vice-president, Atiku
Abubakar; Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and
the publisher of Leadership newspapers, Mr. Sam Nda-
Isaiah.
While also delivering his speech shortly before delegates
voted at the APC presidential primary which held at the
Teslim Balogun Stadium, in Lagos, last December, Buhari
said, “I have always served Nigeria to the best of my
ability. I have always tried to give more to the nation
than it has given me. This is the principle of service that
has guided my public life. Thus, I am not a rich person.
“I can’t give you a pocketful of dollars or naira to
purchase your support. Even if I could, I would not do so.
The fate of this nation is not up for sale. What I will give
you and this nation is all of my strength, commitment,
sweat and toil in the service of the people. What I can
give you is my all.”
Buhari maintained that he was the only former Head of
State that does not have a house in Abuja despite also
being a former petroleum minister and former military
governor.
This emotional speech inspired many of the delegates at
the jam-packed stadium, causing Buhari to win
convincingly as the number of votes he garnered
surpassed those of others combined. Buhari polled 3,430
votes while Kwankwaso, who came second, scored 974
votes. Former vice-president Abubakar got 954 votes to
occupy the third position.
In his three months of campaign, posters of ‘Sai Buhari’
and ‘Sai mai Gaskiya’ meaning “an honest person,” and
“tested and trusted” adorned major cities in Nigeria.
At the climax of the presidential campaign, Buhari stated
that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, if
voted into power.
Buhari stated this in a document which highlights what
he would do in his first 100 days in office. He said he
would encourage political appointees in his
administration to also declare their assets publicly.
Buhari, in the document titled, “I pledge to Nigeria,” also
said that all his political appointees would only earn
salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue
and Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission.
He said, “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and
liabilities, encourage all my appointees to publicity
declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for
appointment. “All political appointees will only earn the
salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC.”
The promise again gave Buhari an electoral boost
because the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was the first
and the only Nigerian President to have publicly declared
his assets when he assumed office.
Buhari’s promise also threatened the chances of the then
President, Goodluck Jonathan, who had said during a live
media chat that he did not give a damn about public
declaration of assets.
Jonathan, when asked why he had refused to publicly
declare his assets as an example for members of his
cabinet, said, “The issue of public asset declaration is a
matter of personal principle. That is the way I see it, and
I don’t give a damn about it, even if you criticise me from
heaven.”
However, many Nigerians were shocked when after
being inaugurated as the President, Buhari and Vice-
President Yemi Osinbajo, declared their assets to the
Code of Conduct Bureau as required by the constitution
but failed to make the contents public as promised.
The development has even been compounded by the fact
that 80 days after Buhari and Osinbajo took over, they
have not commenced the process of having the CCB
verify details of their declared assets.
The Chairman of the CCB, Sam Saba, said the bureau
was prepared to commence the verification of assets
declared by the president and the vice-president, but
said the CCB was awaiting a convenient time for the two
leaders to carry out the exercise.
He said a conference verification which involves the
examination of the particulars of an asset and the field
verification which requires physical validation of a listed
property had yet to be done.
He said, “For instance, if you say you have three
vehicles, let us see the registration numbers. We don’t
have to see all the details. “Once we are able to see the
receipts of the purchase of the vehicles or the
registration documents, we are satisfied. But we still
have to see them physically and that is the second stage
which we call field verification.”
The possibility of Buhari declaring his assets publicly
might have further dimmed as his Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has said Buhari
never promised to make his assets public. He said
rather, it was the APC that made the promise during the
campaign.
While speaking with a social commentator, Kayode
Ogundamisi, during an interview, Adesina said, “You
need to get his words right. Go and check all that the
President said during the campaign. In no place would
you see it attributed to him as a person.
“But then there is a document by his party, the APC,
saying he would declare publicly. So, we need to set that
right; it was a declaration by his party. The law requires
public officers to declare their assets and he has done
that.”
Adesina added that after the CCB had verified the assets,
Buhari could choose to make it public or not.
The Nigerian constitution states in Chapter VI , Section
140, that a person elected to the Office of the President
shall not begin to perform the functions of that office
until he has declared his assets and liabilities as
prescribed in the constitution.
Although Buhari has committed no crime by failing to
declare his assets publicly, many see it as a betrayal of
trust as well as a setback in his ferocious war against
corruption.
Also, separating the promises Buhari made from those
his party made during the electioneering seems to be an
ominous sign of what to expect of APC’s promises such
as free meals for pupils, allowance for unemployed
youths and N5, 000 for every poor family.
A civil society group, Stop Impunity Nigeria, invoking the
Freedom of Information Act, applied to the CCB to
request copies of the completed assets declaration forms
by Buhari and Osinbajo.
However, the CCB declined the request. The CCB cited
the absence of a prescribed law by the National
Assembly authorising the release of such information to
the public, thereby making it impossible for anyone to
know Buhari’s assets.
Responding to the development, the Socio-Economic
Right Accountability Project, argued that the declaration
before the CCB alone fell short of the commitment to
publicly declare assets.
The group said Buhari’s public declaration of assets
would boost his fight against corruption.
The Executive Director, SERAP, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni,
said, “SERAP recalls that the President had said before
the election that he would publicly declare his assets and
liabilities, and encourage all his appointees to publicly
declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for
appointment.
“Public disclosure of assets will give the general public a
true picture of the assets of the President and the Vice-
President and will send a powerful message that it is not
going to be business as usual with this government.
“This will also follow the best practice by former
President Umaru Yar’Adua, boost this government’s fight
against corruption and impunity.’’
SERAP stated that public disclosure of assets provided a
baseline and means of assets to identify assets that
might have been corruptly acquired and for which a
public official might legitimately be asked to account for.
SERAP also “urged the President to urgently take
measures to seek amendment to the law relating to
declaration of assets to include the requirement of public
disclosure so as to bring it in line with international
standards and best practices such as the United Nations
Convention against Corruption.”
Another group, Civil Societies Legislative and Advocacy
Centre, said Nigerians were requesting that the
president and the vice-president make public their asset
declarations to increase transparency.
Its Executive Director, Awual Musa, said even though
the two top government functionaries had fulfilled the
constitutional requirement of submitting their asset
declaration forms, they needed to take it a step further
by making it public.
“What Nigerians are saying now is that making it public
will take it a step further because when they make their
declaration public, other public officers will have no
excuse not to follow suit.”
Another human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa,
said that it was unfortunate that the assets were not
made public.
“Government is run on trust and integrity; and this was
one of the selling points for Buhari during his campaign
when he made a solemn covenant with Nigerians. There
is no reason to turn away from that path of honour which
he has promised Nigerians,” he added.
According to Transparency International, most countries
expect their top leaders to publish information about
their assets. “When they don’t, or if the figures don’t
seem to add up as it is happening in both Argentina and
Nigeria, this can lead to both public unrest and political
instability.”
The organisation noted that the United States’ approach
to asset declarations is often considered a model
because it is both comprehensive and transparent.
Although there is no requirement to audit declarations in
the US, they are available to the civil society on request.
As Buhari continues his raging war against corruption,
Nigerians looking forward to September 7 when the 100-
day deadline for the public declaration of his assets will
lapse. Needless to say, Buhari’s public asset declaration
will boost transparency and give credence to his anti-
graft campaign. After all, he who comes to equity must
come with clean hands.
www.punchng.com/politics/of-buharis-cold-feet-over-asset-declaration/ |
Re: Of Buhari’s Cold Feet Over Asset Declaration by donholy28(m): 5:01am On Aug 19, 2015 |
Forcing him to come and declare his assets will be forcing him to come and openly lie...he will omit many things...liar |
Re: Of Buhari’s Cold Feet Over Asset Declaration by springtech(m): 9:21am On Aug 19, 2015 |
I wonder why Nigerians would not allow this man be. He has declared his assets to the ethics & conducts bureau . The bureau is meant to do their due diligence - to confirm if what has been declared is true or false. After which the one who made the declaration can therefore decide to make it public or not. This confirmation is still ongoing . How on earth do you expect PMB to declare publicly what has not been verified & certified true by the bureau. I an getting pissed already. #iamspringtech |
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