Ministerial nominees must declare assets publicly, says TUC

THE Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has called on the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, and his colleagues in the red chamber of the National Assembly to ask all ministerial nominees to declare their assets publicly as one of the preconditions for their confirmation as ministers. ‎

According to TUC, this will be in the public interest, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari and the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo have ‘set the ball rolling’.

TUC in a statement said it was ‘saddened’ by the reported arrest of former Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, by the British authorities and the alleged amount of money found in her possession.
TUC explained that there is need to verify the financial and material states of each nominee before allowed to assume.

In a statement jointly signed by its President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary General, Musa Lawal, the Congress explained that the time has come for various government ministries to be headed by only persons of ascertained and proven integrity in all ramifications; not “socially insensitive ministers with hearts of stone who will tell us they are answerable to the President and not the Nigerian people. We do not need ministers who are only interested in buying and paying cash for mortgages in choice cities all over the world.”

The workers’ leaders said: “Although we have waited so long for ministers to be appointed, we are willing to wait a little longer provided we get it right. We are on the same page with other well-meaning Nigerians who feel that the President has already taken too long to form a formidable team, but a few more days should suffice for the Senate and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to investigate the nature, value and locations of declared assets. This is necessary because Nigerians voted for this government because of their yearning for something positively different from the usual.”

The statement signed by Assistant Secretary General (Media), Kenneth Mokwenye added that: “It is ridiculous how much shame our politicians have brought upon this country. As things stands today, there is rarely any month we do not hear news of Nigerian youths being executed in Asia or some other part of the world due to their involvement in one crime or the other.

“This would not be the situation if our economy was doing well, if we had steady power and adequate infrastructure in place like in other climes, if our successive governments were interested in creating jobs for the army of unemployed youths. Indeed, in a worst case scenario, we might not be in such sorry state if the stolen monies were re-invested internally instead of being siphoned out to create jobs elsewhere.

“We are very mindful of the fact that we will be doing the country a great disservice if the Congress, as mouthpiece of Nigerian workers and the masses, fails to call attention of the Senate on this issue, especially in view of the weight of allegations of monumental corruption already leveled against some of the nominees. Nigerians’ hope for true change must not be dashed again by men and women who have thrown their integrity to the wind.”

The Congress charged the Saraki-led Senate to do the needful no matter whose ox is gored, insisting that, in order to ensure thorough screening, the upper legislative chamber must go beyond mere looking at the profiles and other personal documents of nominees.