President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the mounting calls on public office holders to publicly declare their assets while in office, saying such clamour by Nigerians is not right, as officials should be allowed to determine whether making their assets public agree with their principles.
He made it clear his own principle disagree vehemently with allowing the people he governs know how much he is worth and what he really owns.
Fielding questions on Sunday during his third Presidential media chat at the Aso Villa Abuja, Mr. Jonathan said when the matter camme up during his time as Vice President to late President Musa Yar’adua he made it very clear that it was not a right decision to take.
Asked why he has refused to publicly declare his assets as an example for members of his cabinet, the President 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. When I was the Vice President , that matter came up, and I told the former President (late Musa Yar’adua) let’s not start something that would make us play into the hands of people and create an anomalous situation in the country.
“The law is clear. A public officer should declare his assets, and if there are issues, then the relevant agencies would have a basis to assess whether you have amassed wealth or not. When it is said that people should declare their assets in public, it is not only the President or the vice President, it includes everybody, incluidng Ministers.
“When I was a governor in Bayelsa state for about a year before becoming vice president, I was investigated thoroughly. I have nothing to hide. But, because I was under somebody and it was becoming an issue, because of the media, and because my boss had declared, it was said that the vice President must. I declared, not because I wanted to.”
Mr. Jonathan continued, “Initially I said they can talk about it from morning to night, I will not. I said it is a matter of principle. It is not proper. If one amends the law to say that only the President and the Vice should declare assets publicly, fine. But, presently everybody who is holding political office is expected to do, and I say it is not right. Those who made the law knew why they put the law that way. I could be investigated when I leave office.

Vicadonis:
Stop ranting... Jonathan I gone. Face your change master...
After all, that's one of the reasons you voted change, to see something different.
#Leave Jonathan alone

Jonathan publishes assets, worth N295m
From Madu Onuorah, Abuja
The Guardian Online
Thursday, August 9 2007.

VICE President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday succumbed to public demand that he release the details of the assets he declared before the Code of Conduct Bureau. In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, the Vice President put his total assets at N295, 304, 420.

On June 28, 2007, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua published details of his assets, which he put at N856.64 million.

Details of the assets, which Jonathan declared on May 30, 2007 before Justice Muktar N. Dodo of the Abuja High Court, show that the Vice President has no foreign account or assets.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President (Media and Communications), Mr. Ima Niboro, who released the details of the assets to journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said in a press statement: "This merely shows that in the affairs of man, there comes a time when even the law must take a second place, and the public mood must define our actions."

Niboro added: "To the Vice President, this is such a time, hence the choice to send you a copy of his declaration for publication. There is nothing to hide, as you can very well see!"

A breakdown of the assets showed that the Vice President's private buildings are worth N67, 990,000. These include a four-bedroom duplex in Kpansia, Yenagoa, valued at N15 million, a four-flat storey extension of the family house in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, valued at N10 million and a four-flat storey building at Otuoke, Ogbia Local Council, which was bombed days before his inauguration as Vice President, valued at N18 million. There is also a five-bedroom personal residence in Gwarinpa, Abuja, worth N24.99 million.

Under the vehicles and household items, Jonathan declared a total assets of N41.8 million. They include a BMW car in Abuja valued at N15 million, generators, electronics, air conditioners, furniture, kitchen utensils and others in Kpansia, Yenagoa, Otuoke, and Gwarimpa costed at N26 million. The BMW was declared as a gift while the other items were said to be gift or procured from savings.

He also declared some vacant and undeveloped plots as worth N60.538 million. They include five undeveloped plots of land in Bayelsa State, two undeveloped plots of land in Cadastral Zone BO2 and AO6 in Abuja .

Jonathan listed N62, 072, 200 million as accruing from income yielding investments. This comprises investments in stocks managed by City-Code Trust and Investment Company Limited. He categorised them as 16 different stocks in Nigerian blue-chip companies.

The Vice President said that he has four 16-seater passengers' boats for hiring by companies and other agencies.

According to him, total cash in Nigerian banks (Bank PHB, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, UBA and others is N58.984 million. He stated that the total income includes personal savings and income from his investments, among them performing stocks and hiring of the boats.

Niboro said that the assets declared did not include those of Jonathan's wife, because "the wife of the Vice President is a public officer, being on the staff of the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education, Yenagoa."

"She could, on her own, being in service, declare her assets through laid-down procedures," he added.

Niboro added that Jonathan's children, being under the mandatory age of 18, do not own assets.

Noting the controversy that Jonathan's reluctance at releasing the assets had caused, Niboro said: "There is no question that the issue of the publication of the Vice President's assets declaration has been the source of vigorous debate in the mass media in the past week or so. There have been strong opinions on both sides of this emerging, if unnecessary, divide."

He added: "His Excellency, the Vice President, is a firm believer in the rule of law, and this has guided his conduct in public office through the years. It is this belief that also guided his position that having fulfilled the requirements of the law by declaring his assets for a total of seven times, there was no point in going further to publish the declaration."

The Vice President's aide regretted that "this position has generated an unfortunate storm, which is not only distractive but also quite unnecessary. We are worried that some newspapers and citizens we hold in high esteem have joined the fray. To the Vice President, this is such a time, hence the choice to send you a copy of his declaration for publication. There is nothing to hide, as you can very well see."

Jonathan's failure to release the details of his assets had generated a storm particularly because President Yar'Adua had set the standard by making his own public.

The public, which had lauded the President's action, had expressed concern that the moral high ground on which the government could proceed with its avowed anti-graft war would be undermined if the Vice President did not follow suit.

The Code of Conduct Act, which prescribes the declaration of assets for public officers, is silent on whether the document should be made public or not, therefore leaving it at the discretion of the affected persons.

Jonathan, had in the defence of his decision not to make the assets public, cited the bombing of his country home in Yenagoa shortly before he took office as a strong disincentive.

He also challenged key officials of the opposition party, the Action Congress (AC), which had been at the forefront of the campaign, to also make public their assets.

Jonathan particularly threw the challenge at the current Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, his predecessor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and AC's national spokesman, Lai Mohammed.

None of them is yet to accede to the request.

nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-11876.html
nigeriapolitical.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/08/femi-aderupat-8.html

“We will stick to the issues by renewing our call on His Excellency, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, to toe the path of
honour by publishing the assets he has now declared seven times in line with the leadership shown by his boss, President Umaru Yar'Adua.
Those at the helm of the nation's affairs owe it a duty to the citizens who supposedly elected them, not only to be transparent, but also to be seen to be so. The leadership of the country has shown the way and it is only honourable not necessarily as a matter of law for members of his team to follow suit. It is therefore imperative, not even mandated by law, for the VP to stop hiding behind one finger and publish his assets declaration immediately”.www.expatnigeria.com/the-fuss-over-vps-asset-declaration/

Firefire:

barcanista:
Whether forced or coerced, Jonathan declared his asset in 2007.

Where is Buhari's Asset?

barcanista:
Boss, Where is Lai Muhammed? where is Buhari Asset?

StOla:


Indeed! He declared it against his wishes, because Yar Adua will not be fooled and therefore insisted.

But as President he refused, seeing there was no superior to force him. He then threw the Challenge to Tinubu and Lai Mohammed who were not holding public positions, and Fashola a State Governor. How presidential?

President Jonathan wanted Fashola a state governor to lead him?

Apparently, Jonathan never managed to pick up any leadership attributes from Yar Adua.
[size=18pt]
Buhari, will eventually declare publicly as promised.[/size]

Firefire:


Nigerians are waiting...

StOla:


Indeed! He declared it against his wishes, because Yar Adua will not be fooled and therefore insisted.

But as President he refused, seeing there was no superior to force him. He then threw the Challenge to Tinubu and Lai Mohammed who were not holding public positions, and Fashola a State Governor. How presidential?

President Jonathan wanted Fashola a state governor to lead him?

Apparently, Jonathan never managed to pick up any leadership attributes from Yar Adua.

Buhari, will eventually declare publicly as promised.

Firefire:


Alhaji Lie Mohamed has gone into hiding, the shame and ghost of the evil past is hunting the serial liar.

StOla:


Yes let's wait to hear from the horses mouth.

Jonathan made his clarifications on his refusal 13months after he became elected president, and 25months after his presidency began.

I hope to hear declarations and not clarifications from Buhari within his first 100days.

barcanista:
Is it Lie Muhammed or Lai Muhammed?

barcanista:
By law ALL category of Public officer, from Councillor to President are to declare their assets before CCB on assumption to office and after leaving office. Fashola as Governor fell into the category. BAT as ex-Governor also fell into the category. Remember that Yardaua first declared his Asset in Year 2000 When he was the Governor of Katsina state. AC was at the forefront for the call of Jonathan's declaration. To show that he had nothing to hide, he DECLAReD his Asset. Where is the asset of Fashola, Tinubu and co....I'm not even interested in them!

Where is the Asset of Buhari and Osinbajo? I don't care whether forced or coerce, they should at least declare their assets. At least GEJ declared his in 2007. Osinbajo was AG Lagos State, did he publicly declare?

Where is President Buhari Asset? Where is Osinbajo's?

get the asset before doing your damage control

it is only honourable not necessarily as a matter of law for members of his team to follow suit. It is therefore imperative, not even mandated by law, for the VP to stop hiding behind one finger and publish his assets declaration immediately”. Alh Lai Muhammed (2007)

Firefire:



In Yorubaland we respect our elders...

It is Alhaji Lie Mohammed

The mouthed professional town crier!

barcanista:
The man has gone AWOL

StOla:


We all agree that after fulfilling the requirements of the CCB to file their assets, any public disclosure is only honourable not mandatory.

Even my mum had to declare her widow's mite worth of assets as a federal civil servant during the 2nd half of the OBJ regime.

Yar Adua was a trail-blazer as regards public declarations, the question is why did Jonathan refuse to continue a noble tradition as President?

StOla:


We all agree that after fulfilling the requirements of the CCB to file their assets, any public disclosure is only honourable not mandatory.

Even my mum had to declare her widow's mite worth of assets as a federal civil servant during the 2nd half of the OBJ regime.

Yar Adua was a trail-blazer as regards public declarations, the question is why did Jonathan refuse to continue a noble tradition as President?

barcanista:
Boss, Where is Lai Muhammed? where is Buhari Asset?

dearpreye:


Why won't he? The lying machine has been successfully installed.