Aides of President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, explained why the
president did not declare his assets publicly.
They said he will make
his assets known to Nigerians within the first 100 days of his stay in
power in line with his assertions before the election.
Meanwhile,
there were mixed reactions, yesterday, on the report that the president
and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had submitted their assets declaration
to the Code of Conduct Bureau without immediately making them public.
A
civil rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project,
SERAP, argued that it was imperative for the duo to make public their
assets. It said the action will indicate “their desire and commitment to
ending corruption in the country.”
The Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, on its part, said it would allow Buhari to settle down for
governance before taking him to task on his campaign promises.
However,
some notable Nigerians disagreed over call for the public declaration
of assets by the president and his vice president.
Among those
who expressed divergent views were constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse
Sagay, SAN; Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN; rights crusader, Mr Femi Falana,
SAN; Mr Kayode Ajulo; Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed and
rights activist, Mr Mohammed Fawehinmi.
A close associate of the
president, however, debunked criticisms on the issue saying, yesterday,
that the president still has 97 days within which to make his assets
public as he promised during the campaigns.
President Buhari had
in a document on his plan of action within the first 100 days of
assumption of office as president promised to make his assets
declaration public and influence his appointees to do the same.
“In
the document the president said what he would do within the first 100
days and among them was that he would declare his assets publicly in the
first 100 days. How many hours has he been in office? How many days
after his inauguration?
“I think that the president should be
given the benefit of the doubt. It is only three days since he came to
office. Does he not deserve the benefit of the balance of the 96
remaining days? I think he deserves commendations”, the source close to
the president said on the basis of anonymity.