Ahead of the 29th of May, handover to a new administration in the country, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate leadership and assume his role as the African Union Anti-Corruption Champion by widely publishing his asset declaration form before leaving office.
SERAP, which made the demand in an open letter it sent to President Buhari which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York, also asked him to encourage Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and other high-ranking officials of the outgoing administration to do the same.
The rights group, in a letter dated April 15, 2023 and signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, stressed that if the assets were published, it would enable Nigerians to scrutinise them and know the worth of public officials before they take office and at the end of their term of office
It pointed out that the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, in Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], stipulates that all public officers are to declare their assets immediately after taking office, at the end of every four years, and the end of their term of office.
SERAP also asserted that those who voluntarily seek or occupy public office and are catered for by the public have certain fiduciary duties to be open, transparent, and accountable to Nigerians regarding the details of their asset declaration forms.
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SERAP stated that there is an overriding public interest in disclosing information on the assets of public officers who are trustees of Nigeria’s wealth and resources, adding that asset declaration forms are public documents, so public officials cannot claim that publishing their assets would violate their privacy rights.
The letter read in part, ‘SERAP urges you to emulate a good example of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who consistently published his asset declaration forms as president and as governor of Katsina State.
“He also planned legislative reform to make it mandatory for all public officers to declare their assets publicly. He believed that publishing his assets would put pressure on other public officers to do so.
“Publishing your asset declaration form and encouraging other public officials and the next administration officials to do so would also send a powerful message of your commitment to uphold the country’s constitutional guarantees and international obligations.
“It would also show that you are ready to do what is needed to leave a legacy of transparency and accountability.’
The group added that the Nigerian constitution and the anti-corruption and human rights treaties show the significant role that asset declaration by public officials plays in promoting transparency, accountability and preventing and combating corruption in the public service.