The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has challenged President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to use the anniversary of their first year in office to make public by publishing their assets declaration form.
SERAP particularly urged President Tinubu to use the anniversary to demonstrate his oft-expressed commitment to democracy, accountability, and openness in government by immediately publishing his asset declaration form.
These were contained in a statement on Sunday, May 26, 2024, by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP Deputy Director in which the organisation urged Tinubu to also encourage Vice President Kashim Shettima, ministers, and state governors to also widely publish their asset declaration forms.
SERAP specifically said that to promote public trust and establish a system of transparency, accountability and public participation, the President should urgently propose a constitutional amendment to include provisions on the creation of asset declaration database to publish government officials’ asset declaration forms before, during, and after serving in public office.
SERAP further said; “Openness and transparency in the details of asset declaration forms of high-level public officials would strengthen the country’s democracy and promote accountability at all levels of government.
“You promised in your inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, ‘to take proactive steps to discourage corruption’, and to ensure that ‘Nigeria is impartially governed according to the constitution and the rule of law’.
“We urge you to use your first anniversary in office as an important opportunity to underscore and reaffirm your oft-repeated commitment to democratic governance, openness and public accountability by immediately taking concrete steps to implement the proposed recommendations.
“Transparency in the details of asset declaration forms would also enable Nigerians to scrutinise the forms and verify the financial situation of public officials and alert about possible conflicts of interest and corruption,” it said.
The organisation noted that declaration of assets by public officials is a matter of public interest, adding that the Tinubu-led government ought to provide the leadership, stressing that one of the ways through which corrupt politicians in the country have perpetuated corrupt practices is through hiding assets.
SERAP said that its requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and Nigeria’s international anticorruption and human rights obligations, adding that information regarding the property and economic interests of public officials ought to be accessible to the public through a website created for that purpose,
In the words of SERAP; “Because asset declaration forms are public documents, public officials cannot claim that publishing their assets would violate their privacy rights. There is an overriding public interest in the disclosure of information on the assets of public officers who are trustees of Nigeria’s wealth and resources.
“Publishing your asset declaration form and encouraging your Vice-President, ministers and state governors to also widely publish their asset declaration forms would enable Nigerians to scrutinise the assets and worth of public officials before taking office and at the end of their term of office,” it said.
SERAP further highlighted sections of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, contained in Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the Tribunal Act, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and Articles 7(4) and 8(5) of the UN Convention against Corruption, among others, as supportive of assets declaration by public officers.
It said; “We hope that the aspects highlighted will help guide your steps in taking steps to publish your asset declaration form and to encourage others to do so”.
