SERAP tasks Tinubu on assets declaration in Presidency, NASS
30 December 2024 |
5:31 am
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to request the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to publish his assets.
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Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to request the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to publish his assets.
It also urged him to encourage Vice President Kashim Shettima, ministers, leadership of the National Assembly, state governors and local council chairmen to also request the same.
The President had during his first Presidential Media Chat, last Monday, said he would consider asking the CCB to release his assets. In a letter at the weekend signed by the Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP welcomed the assets declaration issue as a significant development and a signal of the President’s intent, willingness and commitment to show leadership on this important matter of public interest.
SERAP said: “But your ‘consideration’ would ‘carry more weight’ if you were to promptly translate the intent into action by asking the CCB to publish your assets and encouraging your Vice, ministers, leadership of the National Assembly and state governors, as well as the chairmen of local councils to do the same.”
According to SERAP, secrecy in the assets declared by high-ranking public officials to the CCB continues to facilitate corruption at all levels of government, especially in the country’s 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as local councils.
The civil society group also said secrecy in asset declaration forms also provided the biggest opportunities for the abuse of public money for private gain, noting that acting as recommended would reduce the opportunities for corruption at all levels of government.
“Transparency and accountability in the states and local councils won’t happen without you pushing for the immediate and effective implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision of July 11, 2024, stopping state governors from taking over local council funds,” SERAP stated.
The organisation lamented that despite the apex court’s decision, several state governors reportedly continue to take over local council funds. Corruption, SERAP notes, continues to directly affect the lives and well-being of millions of Nigerians in several states, and to erode public trust in public institutions.
It added, “Corruption is one the greatest challenges to improving the country’s democracy and rebuilding a transparent, accountable and participatory system of governance. One way that corrupt politicians in the country have perpetuated corrupt practices is through hiding assets.
“There are widespread reports of corruption in several states of the federation, and federal MDAs. The best measure of a country’s progress toward transparency and accountability is total obedience to the rule of law. The law ought to command the highest levels of respect by, for example, the state governors immediately obeying the Supreme Court’s judgment and stop collecting and taking over local council funds,” SERAP cautioned.
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