ABUJA — Nigerians who are itching to see the net worth of President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, may need to wait a bit longer, as the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, which keeps custody of the assets declared by the two leaders, says it lacks the power to make them public for now.

Chairman of the CCB, Mr. Sam Sada, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard through his Special Assistant, Mr. Gwimi Sebastian Peter, said only the National Assembly is vested with the powers to decide the terms and conditions under which such documents could be made public.


The chairman said even though the Constitution of Nigerian made it clear that the agency should make available to the citizens the assets declared by public officials, the same law vested the National Assembly with the power to decide the terms and conditions for making such materials public.

Sada explained that the CCB was ready to comply with the terms and conditions specified by the National Assembly on the matter but would only do so once the law was amended.

He said: “While the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act give the bureau powers to receive assets declarations, verify, examine, keep in custody and enforce compliance when there is a breach, the responsibility of determining how and on what terms asset declarations will be made accessible to the public was left to the National Assembly.

“Several National Assemblies have come and gone since the establishment of the CCB without addressing the matter.”

Lacuna in FOI Act

When his attention was drawn to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, which makes it compulsory for the CCB to make available to media houses and other interested Nigerians the assets of public officers, the chairman said the FOI Act could not override the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

He said that there was a lacuna in the FOI Act, which makes it difficult for the bureau to make public the assets declared by public figures.

Regarding what Buhari and his vice submitted to the agency, the chairman said while it was rather too early for Nigerians to ask the President and his vice to make public their assets, it was necessary for them to exercise some patience and see what the two leaders would do after having voluntarily filed their assets with the CCB.

What the constitution says

Sub-section 3c of Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution actually takes away the right it intended to give to the CCB to publicly display the assets of public officers by stipulating that only the NASS can decide the terms and conditions for making such assets public.

The section is yet to be repealed many years after it was made.

The same section also seems to have rendered impotent Section 4 of the FoI Act 2011, which states: “A public institution shall ensure that information referred to in this section is widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means, including print, electronic and online sources, and at the offices of such public institutions.”

Buhari and Osinbajo had last week secretly filed their assets with the CCB, thereby reneging on the pledge by the President to publicly declare his assets if elected into office.

But some aides of the President argued last night that Buhari might make a public declaration of his assets as his administration takes shape in the days to come.

They argued that the declaration of their assets by the two men was to demonstrate their determination to break away with the opaqueness that had attended government activities in the past and pave the way for change.

Rawani:
Clearly the past PDP administration was not committed to transparency, accountability and the whole asset declaration process, which is why we are just discovering these constitutional challenges now, an issue that would have been long resolved through making the required amendments which will force the CCB to publish submitted asset declarations in the newspapers.

Regardless of these hiccups, it would be great if President Buhari sets an example and ignores the usual long process, and publicly announces his declared assets so we can concentrate on other issues of national importance.

Mykevp2p:


No, PMB is not setting example... Yar'adua, a PDP president had done the same, even GEJ had previously declared his assets public... The constitution was there when Yar'adua declared his assets ( even though he didn't promise to do so like PMB).

Rose2014:
But Buhari knew this before he promised during campaign to declare his asset PUBLICLY






Now he's hiding under constitution to break his promise


So much for change

Truckpusher:
Buhari right from the word go and all that saintly toga and I will pite kworofshion mantra was all nothing but lies from the pits of hell, unfortunately we have too many zombies in the society today that can't sit down and ask themselves some hard questions.

What would a Buhari be doing with a Tinubu,Obasanjo,Amaechi,Kwakwanso and all the rest of the thieving elites that decamped from the PDP to join forces with the remaining set of thieves in the ACN turned APC?

Buhari is the greatest lie ever sold to a people because of their ingrained hatred for a particular region and people.The truth is we must see that change they promised ,else it is every man to thine own tent.
Enough of running around in a cycle with no end in sight.

Rose2014:


He's just rubbing it all in the faces of Nigerians.
No office of First Lady
He borrowed to buy nomination form and has only one million naira n 150 cows while the wife donated over a hundred million naira on the other end
Same wife flaunting her $34K wrist watch
Now his asset cannot be declared publicly



Where are those APC e rats that have bn beating their chest that Buhari will declare his asset publicly and that it's too early to conclude?

Mykevp2p:


No, PMB is not setting example... Yar'adua, a PDP president had done the same, even GEJ had previously declared his assets public... The constitution was there when Yar'adua declared his assets ( even though he didn't promise to do so like PMB).

M4gunners:
And this is how the matter will die.We don enter one chance i tell una. No smoke without fire, they have reason for refusing to make it publicly.

Rose2014:
But Buhari knew this before he promised during campaign to declare his asset PUBLICLY


Now he's hiding under constitution to break his own promise

If this is not scam, then tell me what scam is

Politicians using the head of the masses every 4years since 1914

So much for change

Jesusloveyou:
have u see pmb since inauguration? He has many things to attend to, he has not even resume duty,not to talk of having time for less important thing like asset declaration, don't u pple have common sense? boko haram just strike for d first day, and he has swift into action immediately, not like ur 'i don't care' ex-president. Is high time u saTANiod should have common sense.

Rose2014:


He's just rubbing it all in the faces of Nigerians.
No office of First Lady
He borrowed to buy nomination form and has only one million naira n 150 cows while the wife donated over a hundred million naira on the other end. Same wife is now flaunting her $34K wrist watch.
Now his asset cannot be declared publicly.
I'm really amazed how gullible Nigerians bought into their Mr.Integrity sermon honestly.



Now Where are those APC e rats that have bn beating their chest over Buhari's integrity?

Amaudeogu:
I don't see anything difficult for the president elect to declare his assets publicly if he is not hiding something from the masses...

xcolanto:
Buhari is a joke! Making a mockery of the Nigerian populace with his mr "intergrity" and "holy" false status. If not that him and his cronies intend to steal and syphon government funds, why not just make what is already given to CCB available to those that seek to know it. What a brainless action to take... Smh

Jesusloveyou:
have u see pmb since inauguration? He has many things to attend to, he has not even resume duty,not to talk of having time for less important thing like asset declaration, don't u pple have common sense? boko haram just strike for d first day, and he has swift into action immediately, not like ur 'i don't care' ex-president. Is high time u saTANiod should have common sense.

Rose2014:
But Buhari knew this before he promised during campaign to declare his asset PUBLICLY


Now he's hiding under constitution to break his own promise

If this is not scam, then tell me what scam is

Politicians using the head of the masses every 4years since 1914

So much for change

Jesusloveyou:
have u see pmb since inauguration? He has many things to attend to, he has not even resume duty,not to talk of having time for less important thing like asset declaration, don't u pple have common sense? boko haram just strike for d first day, and he has swift into action immediately, not like ur 'i don't care' ex-president. Is high time u saTANiod should have common sense.