SERAP demands ex-presidents, govs assets declaration from CCB

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

Following the conviction of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CN), Justice Onnoghen, for misconduct, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has written the Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Muhammed Isah, asking him to provide information on specific details of asset declarations submitted to the CCB by successive presidents and state governors between 1999 and 2019.

The request was made under the Freedom of Information Act specifically asked “details of asset declarations by successive presidents and state governors between 1999 and 2019.

A statement signed by deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the project is seeking for details of declarations made immediately after they took offices and at the end of their term of office.

The group also sought Information on the number of asset declarations so far verified by the CCB and the number of those declarations found to be false and deemed to be in breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, by the Bureau.

In the FOI request dated 18 April 2019 and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “While we welcome the judgment by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Justice Walter Onnoghen, we now urge the CCB to extent its mandates to enforce constitutional provisions on asset declarations by public officers to cover elected officers and to vigorously pursue the prosecution of any such officers who use their powers either as presidents or state governors over public funds to enrich themselves.”

According to the organisation, “While judicial corruption is bad, the level of corruption involving many politicians since 1999 and the entrenched culture of impunity of perpetrators is equally appalling.

“Publishing the asset declarations of elected public officers since the return of democracy in 1999 to date would improve public trust in the ability of the Bureau to effectively discharge its mandates.

“This would in turn put pressure on public officers like presidents and state governors to make voluntary public declaration of their assets.”