We lack power for now to display Buhari, Osinbajo’s assets – CCB

ABUJA — Nigerians who are itching to see the net worth of President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, may need to wait a bit longer, as the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, which keeps custody of the assets declared by the two leaders, says it lacks the power to make them public for now.

Buhari and Osinbajo

Chairman of the CCB, Mr. Sam Sada, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard through his Special Assistant, Mr. Gwimi Sebastian Peter, said only the National Assembly is vested with the powers to decide the terms and conditions under which such documents could be made public.

The chairman said even though the Constitution of Nigerian made it clear that the agency should make available to the citizens the assets declared by public officials, the same law vested the National Assembly with the power to decide the terms and conditions for making such materials public.

Sada explained that the CCB was ready to comply with the terms and conditions specified by the National Assembly on the matter but would only do so once the law was amended.

He said: “While the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act give the bureau powers to receive assets declarations, verify, examine, keep in custody and enforce compliance when there is a breach, the responsibility of determining how and on what terms asset declarations will be made accessible to the public was left to the National Assembly.

“Several National Assemblies have come and gone since the establishment of the CCB without addressing the matter.”

Lacuna in FOI Act

When his attention was drawn to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, which makes it compulsory for the CCB to make available to media houses and other interested Nigerians the assets of public officers, the chairman said the FOI Act could not override the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

He said that there was a lacuna in the FOI Act, which makes it difficult for the bureau to make public the assets declared by public figures.

Regarding what Buhari and his vice submitted to the agency, the chairman said while it was rather too early for Nigerians to ask the President and his vice to make public their assets, it was necessary for them to exercise some patience and see what the two leaders would do after having voluntarily filed their assets with the CCB.

What the constitution says

Sub-section 3c of Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution actually takes away the right it intended to give to the CCB to publicly display the assets of public officers by stipulating that only the NASS can decide the terms and conditions for making such assets public.

The section is yet to be repealed many years after it was made.

The same section also seems to have rendered impotent Section 4 of the FoI Act 2011, which states: “A public institution shall ensure that information referred to in this section is widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means, including print, electronic and online sources, and at the offices of such public institutions.”

Buhari and Osinbajo had last week secretly filed their assets with the CCB, thereby reneging on the pledge by the President to publicly declare his assets if elected into office.

But some aides of the President argued last night that Buhari might make a public declaration of his assets as his administration takes shape in the days to come.

They argued that the declaration of their assets by the two men was to demonstrate their determination to break away with the opaqueness that had attended government activities in the past and pave the way for change.

 

We lack power for now to display Buhari, Osinbajo’s assets – CCB

Declare Your Assets Publicly - Serap Tells Buhari, Osinbajo

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have been urged  to declare their assets publicly in line with their promises for transparency and accountability.

Buhari and Osinbajo

In a statement issued by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and signed by its executive director, Tokunbo Mumuni, it stated that this will indicate their desire and commitment to end corruption in the country.

Already the President and Vice President have declared their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by the Constitution but not doing so publicly in line with their promises.

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 alone falls far short of the commitment to publicly declare their assets.”

“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 fulfil this promise to the Nigerian people,” the organisation said.

It added,  “SERAP trusts that the President and Vice President will move swiftly to publicly declare their assets and to publish widely the information on a dedicated website.”

“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 former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, boost this government’s fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators, and fully comply with the provisions of chapter two of the 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.”

It also called on 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 UN Convention against Corruption.

 

Declare Your Assets Publicly - Serap Tells Buhari, Osinbajo

Buhari, Osinbajo refuse to declare asset publicly

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have declared their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by the Constitution but failed to make the contents public.

General Buhari

The head of Buhari’s media team, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Saturday, said the President and the Vice President submitted their assets declaration forms separately on Thursday.

Shehu added that the CCB, through its Chairman, Sam Saba, on Friday acknowledged the receipt of the forms.

He gave Buhari’s declaration identity number as “President: 000001/2015.”

Shehu, however, did not disclose the contents of the assets declaration forms.

“By declaring their assets, President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo may have not only fulfilled the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution, but also fulfilled the first of their many campaign promises.

“While seeking election into the highest office in the land, the President had promised Nigerians that he would publicly declare his assets as soon as he took over government,” he wrote.

The Nigerian Constitution states in Chapter VI Section 140 that a person elected to the Office of the President shall not begin to perform the functions of that office until he has declared his assets and liabilities as prescribed in the Constitution.

Though the president’s aide believes the declaration was in fulfillment of Buhari’s campaign promises, analysts claim the President has not done anything spectacular because the contents were not made public.

In February this year, while campaigning Buhari had said that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, if voted into power.

Buhari stated this in a document. The document highlighted what Buhari would do in his first 100 days if he assumed power on May 29.

He said he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also declare their assets publicly.

Had the new president kept to his words he will be the country’s second president to publicly declare his assets.

Reacting to the news of the asset declaration by Buhari and Osinbajo to the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the PDP was not ready to engage the All Progressives Congress-led government on asset declaration by the two most important persons in the country or any other issue.

Metuh said, “No comment for now. These are early days. At the moment, we wish them well.”

The late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, also from Katsina State as Buhari, was the first and the only Nigeria’s President to have publicly declared his assets when he assumed office.

This action forced his then deputy, Jonathan, to also make his assets declaration forms available to the public.

However, since he assumed office as the substantive President, Jonathan had refused to make the forms available to the public, saying that he did that when he was serving as deputy to Yar’Adua.

But Buhari, in the document titled, ‘I pledge to Nigeria’ had also said that all his political appointees would only earn salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission.

He said, “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities, encourage all my appointees publicly declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. All political appointees will only earn the salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC. I pledge, as Commander-in-Chief, to lead from the front and not behind in the comfort and security of Aso Rock, to boost the morale of fighting forces and the generality of all Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, about 48hours after they took their oaths of office, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have yet to move into the Presidential Villa, Abuja, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

Investigation by our correspondent on Saturday showed that the duo only attended the events held in the Villa on Friday and returned to town.

While Buhari was suspected to have returned to the Defence House, the official residence of the President-elect, which he started using shortly after he won the March 28 presidential election, Osinbajo might have returned to his private residence.

Immediately after they were inaugurated as President and Vice President at the Eagle Square on Friday, Buhari and Osinbajo moved to the Presidential Villa for a state luncheon organised in honour of world leaders who attended the inauguration.

They left and later returned in the evening for the inauguration gala night held inside the villa’s old Banquet Hall.

“The President and the Vice President have yet to move into the State House. I learnt that the President returned to Defence House on Friday,” a source said.

Buhari, Osinbajo refuse to declare asset publicly