The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to use his first year in office as an opportunity to publish his assets declaration form.
This request was made to demonstrate his commitment to democracy, accountability, and transparency in government.
In a statement issued on Sunday by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization urged the President to make this significant gesture on the anniversary of his first year in office.
SERAP also encouraged President Tinubu to urge Vice-President Kashim Shettima, ministers, and state governors to publish their asset declaration forms.
The organization emphasized that promoting public trust and establishing a system of transparency and accountability is crucial.
SERAP recommended that Tinubu propose a constitutional amendment to create an asset declaration database, ensuring that government officials’ asset declarations are published before, during, and after their public service.
Highlighting the benefits of transparency, SERAP stated that publicizing the details of asset declaration forms for high-level public officials would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and promote accountability at all levels of government.
The statement referenced Tinubu’s inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, in which he committed to discouraging corruption and ensuring impartial governance according to the constitution and the rule of law.
The organization believes that transparency in asset declarations would allow Nigerians to scrutinize and verify the financial situations of public officials, thus preventing conflicts of interest and corruption.
SERAP underscored that asset declaration by public officials is a matter of public interest and that the government should provide leadership in this area.
They pointed out that corrupt politicians often hide assets to perpetuate corrupt practices.
SERAP’s appeal aligns with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution, international anti-corruption conventions, and human rights obligations.
The organization stressed that information about the property and economic interests of public officials should be accessible through a dedicated website.
Public officials, as trustees of Nigeria’s wealth and resources, should not claim privacy violations regarding the publication of their assets.
Publishing the President’s asset declaration form, and encouraging others to do the same, would enable Nigerians to scrutinize the assets of public officials before they take office and at the end of their term.
This step would foster greater public confidence in the integrity of government officials.
Additionally, SERAP cited sections of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in the Nigerian Constitution, the Tribunal Act, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, and the UN Convention against Corruption, all of which support the declaration of assets by public officers.
In related developments, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, spoke on Tinubu’s readiness to dismiss underperforming ministers who fail to meet set targets.
Onanuga also rated the administration’s performance highly as it approaches its first anniversary, giving it a score of 70 per cent.
