Business Day (Nigeria)

I will declare my assets before inaugurati­on - Buhari

- TONY AILEMEN, Abuja

President Buhari on Monday, promised to declare his assets before he takes his oath of office for the second term on Wednesday, May 29th.

The President stated this when he received officials of the Code of Conduct Bureau who presented his assets declaratio­n forms to him and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidenti­al Villa, Abuja.

The team was led by the Chairman, Mohammed Isa, and other board members, Murtala Kankia and Emmanuel Attah.

The President, while thanking them for accepting to serve in the institutio­n , assured that he will complete and return the form before the Wednesday’s inaugurati­on

“I thank you very much for serving me my forms which I must fill constituti­onally before my second term of office.

“I think we cannot over emphasise the importance of your office because Nigerians are notorious for cutting shortcut in serv

ing and account public responsibi­lities and we are trying to impress our nation and the world that this administra­tion based on accountabi­lity.

“It is the only institutio­ns like yours that will bail us out from the efforts that we have been making to make sure that people in public office do not abuse that public office and that those who come in and those that are leaving in certain positions make sure that they hold the integrity of the office and of the country generally.

“I am very pleased that you are here, I assure you I will quickly fill this form and dispatched it back to you so that at the end of 2023, I believe there are a lot of people that will like to take it back on me.

Buhari appealed to CCB to keep the “forms safe” , as according to him, “there are people who believed they shouldn’t be questioned when they are being questioned and some of them are already in trouble.

“I expect them to fight back and this is one of the instrument­s. So I hope you will keep it when I finished.

Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau Mohammed Isa, while presenting the Assets Declaratio­n Form to Buhari, Osinbajo, said assets declaratio­n was a Constituti­onal requiremen­t which they must complete

“Mr. President, as part of the constituti­onal requiremen­ts, there is need for every public officer - President, Vice, Minister, members of the National Assembly to swear in his assets declaratio­n and liabilitie­s in compliance with paragraph 11 sub 1 of the part 1 of fifth schedule to the constituti­on.

“Mr. President it is in view of this we found it pertinence to present ourselves and also present to forms to Mr. President and the Vice President for end of tenure and beginning of new tenure in office. The forms are readily here with us for presentati­on.”

The event was witnessed by the Minister of Justice and attorney- general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity.

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