SERAP to Tinubu: Tell CCB to Publish your assets

• SERAP noted that the secrecy in the assets declared by high-ranking public officials to the CCB continues to encourage corruption at all levels of government

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has implored to President Bola Tinubu to publicly declare his assets.

SERAP also urged to the President to encourage Vice-President Kashim Shettima, ministers, leaders of the National Assembly, state governors, and chairmen of Nigeria’s 774 local governments to also request the CCB to publish their assets.

In his first Presidential Media Chat last Monday, Tinubu stated that he would consider asking the CCB to publish his assets.

In a letter signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, dated December 28, 2024, SERAP stated that it welcomed the President’s reported decision to consider asking the CCB to publish his assets as a signal of his intent, willingness, and commitment to show leadership on an important matter of public interest.

“But your ‘consideration’ would ‘carry more weight’ if you were to promptly translate the intent into action by asking the CCB to publish your assets and encouraging your vice-president, ministers, leadership of the National Assembly and state governors, as well as the chairmen of local governments, to do the same,” SERAP told Tinubu.

SERAP noted that the secrecy in the assets declared by high-ranking public officials to the CCB continues to encourage corruption at all levels of government, especially in the country’s 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and federal ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, as well as local governments.

SERAP also said that the secrecy in asset declaration forms also provides the biggest opportunities for the abuse of public funds for private gain, stressing that acting as recommended would reduce the opportunities for corruption at all levels of government.

The letter explained that transparency and accountability in the states and local governments won’t happen without the President pushing for the immediate and effective implementation of the Supreme Court decision of 11 July 2024, stopping state governors from taking over local government funds.

The letter noted that “asking the CCB to publish Tinubu’s assets and encouraging the vice-president, ministers, the leadership of the National Assembly and state governors, as well as the chairmen of local governments, to also ask the CCB to publish their assets would promote and ensure public trust, transparency and accountability”.