- Says 94% of public officials guilty of non-asset disclosure
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
A Civil Society Organisation, Fixing The Future, has called on the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima, incoming governors and other public officials to declare their assets before the May 29 inauguration.
The ground also insisted that the assets of their spouses, including that of their unmarried children under the age of 21 as prescribed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) act, must be declared.
Its Executive Director, Stanley Ekpa, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, said the request became expedient sequel to findings which showed that public officials only declare their personal assets and not of their spouses and unmarried children under the legal age as required by law.
Ekpa claimed that about 94 per cent of public officials in Nigeria do not comply with the provisions of section 15 (1) (c) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act on full disclosure of assets and liabilities.
He said: “We want to draw the attention of public officials – public officials within the constitutional contemplation of section 318, paragraph 19 of Part I, and Part II of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), that the law requires all public officials, their spouses, and their unmarried children under the age of twenty-one (21), to declare their assets and liabilities, in the asset declaration forms as prescribed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
“The scourging cost of corruption is staggering. Of the approximately US$13 trillion that governments spend on public projects across Africa, more than 45% is lost to contract corruption.
“Data from the African Union shows that Nigeria losses over $7 billion to corruption annually. At the continental level, it is estimated at $140 billion.
“A figure that is equivalate of the GDP of all but five countries in Africa. PwC projects that corruption in Nigeria could cost up to 37 per cent of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) by 2030 if it is not curtailed. As we all know, corruption drains public finances, affects efficiency in governance and lowers standard of living.
“To curtail corruption in public service in Nigeria, public officials must observe and obey the provisions of the extant law on full disclosure of their assets and liabilities before and duration their tenure in office.
“Further given that there are newer windows and complex channels for hiding proceeds of corruption, particularly through such means as asset by proxy, blockchain and real estate investments, all stakeholders – including the media and the citizens must support the Code of Conduct Bureau in its statutory mandate to receive declarations, ensure compliance, receive complaints about non-compliance with or breach of the code, investigate complaints, and where appropriate, refer such matters to the Code of Conduct Tribunal.”
He disclosed that the group would hold a symposium on asset declaration and declared asset verification, in partnership with all relevant stakeholders.
He said the “symposium is meant to raise awareness with both outgoing, incoming and existing public officials on the need to comply fully with the legal requirements for asset declaration, and seeks creative ways for collaborative action in verifying declared assets.”