Rep Member Decries Public Declaration Of Assets

Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, a member of the House of Representatives (Adamawa-APC) has said that public declaration of assets by public officers on assumption of office is not compulsory.
Namdas made this known in Abuja on Monday, while also noting that assets declaration by public officers on assumption of office will help check corruption in the country.

He stated that while the law had made it mandatory, it was not compulsory for the declared assets to be made public.
The APC lawmaker also stressed the need for public office holders to obey the law on assets declaration to strengthen good governance.

He said, “I think there is a misconception about Nigerians on the declaration of these assets; there is this feeling that it’s only elected members or elected officials that are to declare assets.
“No! Every public officer, whether serving at the Local Government level, State level, Federal level – whichever level, once you are a public officer, you are expected to sign.

“And corruption does not just stop among those that are elected, it goes around even those that are appointed, so when you falsely declare your assets, be it whether elected or appointed, the bureau will follow due process. But I think this idea of people looking as if it is only elected individuals that should declare, I think it is not true, it is for everybody and I expect that everybody should subject himself to the law.

“It is not something we are negotiating on this matter, it is a constitutional requirement. So people should adhere to it,” he said.

Namdas said misconception was largely responsible for the insistence that an individual’s assets be made public by the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“In my own opinion, it is constitutional provision that all elected and public office holders should declare their assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau on assumption of office and even on leaving office,” the House of Rep member said.

By Patrick Aigbokhan