PRESIDENT BUHARI’S LEAN ASSETS Femi Ojo

Picture courtesy of Daily Post

Sometime last week there was an answer to Nigerians' inquisitiveness on President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo assets declaration. Before now the main opposition party, Peoples’ Democratic Party and other notable Nigerians have been calling on the President and his Vice to declare their assets in order to set example for others and to approximate the ruling party’s mantra of ‘change ’to reality. After long polemics by many on this issue, Mr. President and his Vice did the needful and declared what they are truly worth. This we must commend Mr. Buhari and Prof. Osinbajo for in all sincerity.

Going  memory’s lane especially in the history of our contemporary democratic experiment since 1999, Nigeria has had up till date four Presidents namely, President Obasanjo, late President Yar’Adua, former President Goodluck Jonathan and now President Buhari. I cannot remember if Obasanjo declared his assets publicly when he was President for straight eight years. I remember the late President Yar’Adua was the one who against all odds even with his then ruling party, declared his assets publicly, he was the first President to do so in our nascent democratic rule. The man from Otuoke, the immediate past President, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, who succeeded  Yar’ Adua never declared his assets publicly at least to the best of my knowledge. And therefore, the current President deserves commendation for also towing the path of the late President Yar’Adua his kinsman from Kastina State.

For Mr. Buhari, a former military President, ex-head of the oil industry and now a democratically elected President with a lean nature of personal assets which include, a paltry sum of N30 million in a single account with Union Bank, shares in Berger Paints, Union Bank and Skye Bank, homes in Daura, Kaduna and Abuja. Two plots of land in Kano and Port Harcourt respectively. His other assets are farms, an orchard and a ranch; 270 herds of cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, birds and economic trees, only two cars bought from his savings though with many others cars supplied to him by the Federal Government as a former Head of State. To me all these are modest assets going by the materialistic nature of our politicians and perhaps as The Washington Post posited, Buhari probably is the least corrupt African leader. The Vice President’s assets are to me proceeds or fruits from his labour. For a man who runs his own law practice and consults both locally and internationally with only four houses, two of which are in Lagos, one in Ogun state, a mere two-bedroom apartment and the fourth one, a mortgaged 2-bedroom flat in England, one may say these  modest assets are really shocking for a man of such enterprising status. His cash worth in Naira as declared by him is N94 million while he has $900,000. He has only three cars and with shares in six companies based in Lagos.  For a successful lawyer who before his foray into politics had made honest living by investing in diverse businesses, these assets are modest enough!

Now that the President and his Vice President have yielded the path of integrity and shown leadership by example, this should not be seen as a mere merry making exercise but should be a clarion call to public accountability for other elected politicians in the country. Our Senators, House of Representatives members, State Governors, State House of Assembly members and of course all appointed political personalities across our country should toe that path which Mr. President and his Vice have walked. It is time for our politicians to let the public know their worth and upon leaving office should make public their  assets in order to compare and contrast how wealthy they are and what they have added to their wealth or otherwise. It is in this country that a man will venture into politics with little or nothing and by the time his tenure is due, he has suddenly acquired so much illegally.  

The action of the President and his Vice President should be made all inclusive and indeed all public office holders should be made to do so. This will make the war against corruption as championed by this current administration inclusive and will impose a moral burden on all public office holders in the country. It is my believe that those public office holders who made known publicly their sources of wealth will command the respect, trust and legitimacy to manage our affairs but those who fail to do  will be seen as promoters of corruption and looters of our common wealth.

Finally as Nigerians await major announcement by the President on his cabinet ministers, those who will be made to fill these positions should equally be advised by President Buhari to prepare to declare their assets public and be ready to make accountable all their actions.

Picture courtesy of Google