The Secio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has commended the public declaration of assets by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, adding that the gesture has set the tone for a culture of transparency in governance.
SERAP, in a statement on Thursday by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, praised Buhari and Osinbajo for the gesture, saying they had demonstrated that transparency in governance is not a mirage.
The group also expressed the hope that the public declaration of assets by the President and the Vice President would bring about the needed transformation in the institutional framework for fighting corruption in Nigeria, urging them to ensure that other top government officials and the ministers to be appointment take a cue from them.
The statement read in part: “Today’s publication of asset declarations by President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, turns the page on transparency and accountability in Nigeria.
“Compared to former President Goodluck Jonathan who notoriously failed to publish his asset declaration despite repeated demands by Nigerians, both Buhari and Osinbajo have shown by publicly declaring their assets that transparency doesn’t take years to achieve.
“Nigerians will now be able to use the assets published as a baseline for comparison at the end of the term of this government.
“SERAP urges the Buhari government to also publish asset declarations of their senior officials and ministers once appointed.”
“SERAP hopes that this publication of asset declarations will translate into real reform of the legal and institutional frameworks established to fight corruption and good governance as well as greater respect for human rights including socio-economic rights of Nigerians such as the rights to food, to health, to education and to adequate housing, and thus improve quality of life for ordinary citizens.
“We also urge President Buhari to urgently take measures to seek amendment of the law relating to declaration of assets to include the requirement of public disclosure so as to bring it in line with international standards and best practices such as the UN Convention against Corruption.”
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