President Jonathan after the media chat
By Emmanuel Edukugho
The third media chat of President Goodluck Jonathan last Sunday after his return from Brazil where he participated in this year’s United Nations’ Earth Summit at a time violence was raging in Kaduna and Yobe states killing several people, has come and gone, but the ripples caused by the chat are still spreading across the polity.
The third media chat of President Goodluck Jonathan last Sunday after his return from Brazil where he participated in this year’s United Nations’ Earth Summit at a time violence was raging in Kaduna and Yobe states killing several people, has come and gone, but the ripples caused by the chat are still spreading across the polity.
Just one year into his presidency, he seemed to have become the taunt of some people, mocked by opposition elements, who likened him to Nero fiddling while Rome was burning. Although many people on phone didn’t get through to the President which looked deliberate to avoid critics and genuine democrats from asking questions that may rattle him. Nevertheless, he responded to some salient issues confronting the nation such as security, terrorism, trip to Brazil despite the troubles in Kaduna, Borno, Yobe in which several lives were being lost, asset declaration, fuel subsidy probe, increase in electricity tariff, the 2015 presidential vote, controversial renaming of University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University and alleged money laundering by the Nigerian embassy in the USA.
But what tends to cause political storm and unsettling to most people was his contention that he does not need to publicly declare his assets as a matter of principle.
Hear him: “It is personal and I don’t give a damn about that. The law is clear about it and so making it public is no issue and I will not play into the hands of the people. I have nothing to hide, I declared assets publicly under late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua because he did it, but it is not proper. I could be investigated when I leave office. You don’t need to publicly declare it and it is a matter of principle. It is not the president declaring assets that will change the country.”
Early reactions came from opposition parties including Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) which frowned at President Jonathan’s refusal to openly declare his assets before assuming office. The party argued that there is a clear mandate on him to make his assets public to the people of Nigeria, because refusal would mean that his administration supports corruption in the country. It is highly ridiculous that President Jonathan, while he was Vice-President to late President Umaru Yar’Adua, declared his assets alongside Yar’Adua only for him to now allege he was compelled and forced to do so because his boss did that.
The CPC and many people also have described him as “an unprincipled person,” who otherwise ought to have resigned if he was forced to act against his wish.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Promulgation) 1999 No. 24, Chapter VI – The Executive, Part 1 – The Federal Executive. A – the President of the Federation. 140 – Declaration of assets and liabilities; oaths of president. 140 – (i) states that a person elected to the office of president shall not begin to perform the functions of that office until he has declared his assets and liabilities as prescribed in this constitution and has taken and subscribed to the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.
In the Fifth Schedule, Part 1 Code of Conduct for public officers, it was stated in general, that, 1. a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.
On Declaration of Assets 11. – (i) subject to the provisions of this constitution, every public officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this Code of Conduct or immediately after taking office and thereafter – (a) at the end of every four years; and (b), at the end of his term of office, submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of eighteen years.
(2 Any statement in such declaration that is found to be false by any authority or person authorised in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a breach of this code.
(3 Any property or assets acquired by a public officer after any declaration required under this Constitution and which is not fairly attributable to income, gift, or loan approved by this Code of Conduct Bureau shall be deemed to have been acquired in breach of this Code unless the contrary is proved.
There is also Code of Conduct Tribunal consisting of a chairman and two other persons with powers that where it finds a public officer, guilty of contravention of any of the provisions of this Code, shall impose upon that officer any of the punishments specified and such other punishment as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.
So , while it is mandatory for the President, Vice-President and others referred to as pubic officers for the purpose of the Code of Conduct to declare their assets and liabilities to the Bureau as required by the Constitution, there is no law making these public officers to declare same publicly.
According to Saturday Vanguard investigations, anyone who desires to know the assets and liabilities of any public officer should apply to the Code of Conduct Bureau for such information.
Under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, the Bureau cannot refuse to provide the needed information required by anybody after following due process. The only problem is that people may find it difficult and cumbersome to access such information from Code of Conduct Bureau. It is much more easy if such information is in the public domain when public officers declare their assets and liabilities publicly just as late President Umaru Yar’Adua did when he was alive – at least for transparency, honesty, accountability so that others can follow suit and therefore checkmate corruption and graft by our leaders.
Dr. Tunde Owolabi of Lagos State University, LASU, and Dr. D.S. Braimoh, reacting, told Saturday Vanguard that those who want to get information on assets and liabilities of Mr. President should be investigative and approach the Code of Conduct Bureau instead of waiting for his public declaration. “They should go to INEC where he filled forms for the presidential election to get such information, or go to Otuoke or Abuja to see if he has embezzled public fund, not to overheat the polity with this issue of public declaration of assets.” Both academics said there are other sensitive national issues to address than assets declaration.
“Too much energy is being expended on this. Issues that warrant immediate attention are food, power, bad roads, unemployment, poverty, underfunded hospitals, and so on,” Braimoh and Owolabi asserted.
However, the need to tackle corruption that has eaten deep into the fabric of our nation cannot be overlooked. “If Nigeria cannot kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. Some of our founding leaders like Ahmadu Bello, late Premier of Northern Region, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Prime Minister of Nigeria, Aminu Kano, left behind just a house and a farm, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, did not acquire choice properties here or abroad, compared with the ill-gotten fortunes of our present day political leaders,” said Yakubu Ibrahim, a teacher.
