₦airaland Forum

THE Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has declined a request from a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for information on the asset declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as “personal privacy.”
The Bureau insisted that it would not make the information available because the National Assembly has not prescribed the terms and conditions under which information about the assets of public functionaries would be made available on request.

In a letter to the Stop Impunity Nigeria (SIN) and the Centre for Social Justice (CENSOJ), the Bureau also noted that such information was excluded from those covered under the Freedom of Information Act.


The letter was addressed to Mr. Eze Onyekpere and entitled, “Re: Application Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 for copies of the Assets Declaration Forms submitted by President Muhammad Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.”

Ijeanuli Arinze Ofor who signed the letter on behalf of the Chairman of CCB, said: “It is conceded that Sections 1 (1), 3 and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011 guarantees the right of a person to access or request information whether or not in written form, in the custody of any public agency.

“Conversely, by virtue of Sections 12 (1) (a) (V), 14 (1) (b) and 15 (1)(a) of the same Act, the Code of Conduct Bureau has power to decline a request, which constitutes invasion of personal privacy.

“Assets declarations by public officers contain such personal information which falls within the exemptions to the disclosure of information in the FOIA.”

The letter, made available to journalists in Abuja, went on: “Furthermore, paragraph 3 (c) of the third schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, provides that the Code of Conduct Bureau shall make assets declarations of public officers available for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria only on terms and conditions prescribed by the National Assembly.

“However, the terms and conditions under which that can be done have not yet been prescribed by the National Assembly.  In view of the aforementioned, the Bureau hereby declines your request.”

The Presidency had announced recently that Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had declared their assets at the CCB, leading to a public outcry for the details to be made public.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said it was not enough for Buhari and Osinbajo to declare their assets to the CCB without making public the details as it was in 2007 when the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua made public details of his assets.

SERAP said doing so would give the needed bite to the anti-corruption stance of the new administration and truly give Nigerians hope of a “not-business-as-usual’ situation.

Its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said: “We welcome the official declaration of assets by the President and Vice President. This clearly complies with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution as contained in Chapter VI Section 140.

“However, the declaration before the Code of Conduct Bureau alone falls far short of the commitment to publicly declare their assets.”

SERAP asked Buhari and Osinbajo to “swiftly move to declare their assets publicly, consistent with their apparent anti-corruption credentials and their expressed commitments to do so and in the best interest of transparency and accountability.”

Mumuni added: “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. We now expect the President to fulfill this promise to the Nigerian people.”

He urged them to publish the information on a dedicated website, noting: “Public disclosure of assets will give the general public a true picture of the assets of the President and 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 Yar’Adua, boost this government’s fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators and fully comply with the provisions of chapter two dealing with Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, which among others require the government to take steps to eradicate corrupt practices and the abuse of power.

“We believe that public disclosure of assets is crucial for ensuring that public officials’ personal interests including that of the President and Vice President as the leaders of the nation, do not conflict with their duties and responsibilities.

“Public disclosure also helps to provide a baseline and thus means for comparison to identify assets that may have been corruptly acquired and that a public official may legitimately be asked to account for.

“We also urge the President to urgently take measures to seek amendment of 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 (UN) Convention against Corruption.”

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/06/conduct-bureau-declines-csos-application-to-make-buharis-assets-public/

if you cannot trust buhari to make his 150 cows public,
can you trust him to deal with Fulani headsmen?

Buhari and Osinbajo have said that they were going to publicly declare their assets. People should be patience and allow the CCB to finish its verification process. If after that, the duo still don't publicly declare their assets, then the brouhaha can start.

Long post! The dura born should personally do the needful! A promise is a promise, we don't really care how it gets done but it has to be done! babaonechance!!! President yaradua was not Mai gaskiya nor mr integrity, however he made his assets public without much ado.

All this stories here and there, office by office, spokes man by spokesman is all baloney!

Babagoslow do the needful! The buharimeter is thicking... Tick tuck... Tick tuck

Y do Nigerian like having junk informations. If they will steal they will we can't know the exact but they will, u all just want to make a martyr out of these men. Let their achievements judge them. We all know what fashola did for lagos but at the end no body is talking about him stealing money and trust me he did.

Buhari should be faithful to his promise and make his assets public.Although he has fulfilled the constitutional demand by submitting his assets forms to the CCB,the symbolism of such gesture will set the tone for those who will work with him and win him public support.His kinsman,Ya'adua,toed this line and that tilted public opinion in his favour.Nigerians do not need to go flat on their faces before politicians do what is right.

bbbb

Make dem no rush. Buhari and osinbajo promised to make their assets public. I am sure they will.

If they dont, then the civil organizations should use all legal means. For now, its too early.

Let the Conduct bureau verify their claims first. It's common sense.

I'm moved on with this because I know that Daura President will not declare his real assets again rather we wll be treated To another round of lies

I'm moved on with this because I know that Daura President will not declare his real assets again rather we wll be treated To another round of lies.

dustmalik:
Buhari and Osinbajo have said that they were going to publicly declare their assets. People should be patience and allow the CCB to finish its verification process. If after that, the duo still don't publicly declare their assets, then the brouhaha can start.

To being clever by half, which verification are you talking about?

Ever heard where CCB took a politician to court on grounds of falsified declaration?

Stop defending Buhari and Osinbajo until they fulfill their promises of making their assets declaration public.

Don't start what you can't finish, though we have already know the cult followership and your acceptance of NEPA bill for certificate provided it is from Buhari.

This does not bode well.
If baba is a 419, what do we expect from the suffering masses? All this legalistic garbage is designed for one thing only. Obfuscation of his pledged to make his assets/liabilities public.

newguy1:
Y do Nigerian like having junk informations. If they will steal they will we can't know the exact but they will, u all just want to make a martyr out of these men. Let their achievements judge them. We all know what fashola did for lagos but at the end no body is talking about him stealing money and trust me he did.

Your defence is but but weak. I'm very sure nobody would have given a thought to his public declaration of assets if he did not repeatedly promise it.




Singing a different tune now will amount to playing tricks on Nigerians. Personally, I believe he should be given time to do. If he fails, many people will not take him serious anymore.

nationwide1:
Your defence is but but weak. I'm very sure nobody would have given a thought to his public declaration of assets if he did not repeatedly promise it.




Singing a different tune now will amount to playing tricks on Nigerians. Personally, I believe he should be given time to do. If he fails, many people will not take him serious anymore.

am not defending as far as i have known politician will say anything to win. Also they could have give any figure just to throw us off their back. Am just interested in what we Nigeria will gain from his administration cus the men he his surrounded with r wolf in sheep skin.

This is the CHANGE some educated slaves down south voted for


Simple promise he can't keep

newguy1:
am not defending as far as i have known politician will say anything to win. Also they could have give any figure just to throw us off their back. Am just interested in what we Nigeria will gain from his administration cus the men he his surrounded with r wolf in sheep skin.

Wether he deliver actual or fake figures is a different thing entirely. Hiding his promise now under legalize is an issue. Nigerians are not lacking as copy-cats. When his double speakings start ricocheting among the general population, we should not blame them, because they just emulating the Head.What a sad change that will be for someone who rode Corruptions cleansing horse to power.