Make asset declaration forms public – Confab

The secrecy surrounding assets of public officials have generated so much interest amongst Nigerians and took the front burner, when in June 2012 President Goodluck Jonathan said he wouldn’t publicly declare his asset and didn’t “give a damn” about what people think, insisting it was a personal matter.But the conference voted that “asset declaration form […]

The secrecy surrounding assets of public officials have generated so much interest amongst Nigerians and took the front burner, when in June 2012 President Goodluck Jonathan said he wouldn’t publicly declare his asset and didn’t “give a damn” about what people think, insisting it was a personal matter.
But the conference voted that “asset declaration form submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau should be made accessible to the general public,” stressing that “such declaration of assets by public office holders should be before and after assumption of office.”
Delegates noted that some public office holders declare much more than they own in anticipation of stealing to make up the difference in the course of their regime.  
Jonathan had in June 2012, while responding to a question on why he refused to publicly declare his assets said “the issue of public asset declaration is a matter of personal principle. That is the way I see it and I don’t give a damn about it even if you criticise me from heaven.
“The law is clear. A public officer should declare his assets and if there are issues, then the relevant agencies would have a basis to assess whether you have amassed wealth or not.
“You don’t need to declare assets publicly; otherwise you are playing to the gallery. You don’t need to publicly declare assets. That’s a matter of principle. If I have to declare publicly, it means every political office holder will have to declare publicly. And it is not the right thing to do. That is my belief.
“It is not the President’s declaration of assets that would change the economy. There are challenges; security, power and revolutionising agriculture. These are areas we should be interested in. Whether Mr. Jonathan publicly declares his assets or not is not the issue,” Jonathan said.