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 as promised.
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.
It will be recalled that 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.
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