1st anniversary: It’s time to publish your assets, SERAP tells Tinubu

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “use the anniversary of your first year in office as an opportunity to demonstrate your oft-expressed commitment to democracy, accountability and openness in government by immediately publishing your asset declaration form.”

SERAP urged him “to encourage your Vice-President Kashim Shettima, ministers and state governors to also widely publish their asset declaration forms.”

It also urged him “to urgently propose a constitutional amendment to include provisions on the creation of asset declaration database to publish government officials’ asset declaration forms before, during and after serving in public office.”

In the open letter dated May 25, 2024 signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Widely publishing your asset declaration form and encouraging your vice-president, ministers, and state governors to also widely publish their assets would serve legitimate public interests.

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“Publishing your asset declaration form and encouraging others to do so would also promote public trust and establish a system of transparency, accountability and public participation.”

According to SERAP, “Openness and transparency in the details of asset declaration forms of high-level public officials would strengthen the country’s democracy and promote accountability at all levels of government.

The letter read in part: “You promised in your inaugural speech on May 29, 2023 ‘to take proactive steps to discourage corruption’, and to ensure that ‘Nigeria is impartially governed according to the constitution and the rule of law’.”