Asset Declaration: SERAP Calls On Buhari, Osinbajo To Take Lead

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, and other high-ranking officials in the government to publicly disclose their assets as they prepare to vacate their respective offices.

In a letter dated Sunday, April 15, 2023, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, the deputy director of SERAP, the organization urged these public officials to comply with the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, which mandates that all public officers declare their assets immediately after taking office, at the end of every four years, and at the end of their term of office.

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SERAP argued that publishing their asset declaration forms and encouraging other public officials and officials of the next administration to do the same would enable Nigerians to scrutinize the assets and worth of public officials before taking office and at the end of their term of office.

The organization maintained that because asset declaration forms are public documents, public officials cannot claim that publishing their assets would violate their privacy rights.

SERAP further stated that the disclosure of information on the assets of public officers is in the overriding public interest, as public officials who voluntarily seek or occupy public offices 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.

The organization called on these officials to emulate the example set by former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who consistently published his asset declaration forms as president and governor of Katsina State, and planned legislative reform to make it mandatory for all public officers to declare their assets publicly.

SERAP urged the officials to publish their asset declaration forms widely, as it would address allegations that many officials tend to make false declarations to cover up assets illegally acquired through corruption or abuse of office.

The organization cited various legal provisions, including the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, the UN Convention against Corruption, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which require public officials to declare their assets.

SERAP emphasized that asset declaration by public officials plays a significant role in promoting transparency, accountability, and preventing and combating corruption in the public service.

It also stated that asset declaration forms kept with the Code of Conduct Bureau qualify as public documents under section 109 of the Evidence Act and that the Nigerian Constitution and the anti-corruption and human rights treaties guarantee access to information.

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SERAP’s request is brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended]. The organization hopes that its letter will help guide the officials in taking steps to publish their asset declaration forms and encourage others to do the same.