”I Will Declare My Assets Publicly” – Buhari

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said he would publicly declare his assets and
liabilities, if voted into power.
Buhari stated this in a document obtained by PUNCH in Abuja on
Thursday. The document highlights what Buhari will do in his first 100
days if he assumes power on May 29.
He said he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also declare their assets publicly.
If the APC candidate keeps to his promise, he will be the second Nigeria’s President to publicly
declare his assets.
The late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, also from Katsina State
as Buhari, was the first and the only Nigeria’s President to have
publicly declared his assets when he assumed office.
This action forced his then deputy, who is now the President
Goodluck Jonathan, to also make his assets declaration forms available
to the public.
However, since he assumed office as the substantive President,
Jonathan has refused to make the forms available to the public, saying
that he did that when he was serving as deputy to Yar’Adua.
Asked during a media chat whether he would consider declaring his
assets publicity, the President refused, saying he did not give a damn.

But Buhari, in the document titled, “I pledge to Nigeria” also said
that all his political appointees would only earn salaries and
allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and Mobilisation and Fiscal
Allocation Commission. He said:

“I pledge to publicly declare my assets
and liabilities, encourage all my appointees to publicity declare their
assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. All political
appointees will only earn the salaries and allowances determined by the
RMFAC.”

While pledging to personally lead the war against corruption in the
country, Buhari also said that he would inaugurate the National Council
on Procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act.
He added that the Federal Executive Council, which he said had been
turned to a weekly session of contract bazaar, would be made to
concentrate on its principal function of policy making.
He said that he would also work with the National Assembly towards the immediate enactment of a Whistle Blower Act.
On the other ways to strengthen the anti-graft war, he said:

 “We will work with the National Assembly
to strengthen the Independent Corruption Practices and other related
Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by
guaranteeing institutional autonomy, including financial and
prosecutorial independence and security of tenure of officials. 

We will also make the Financial
Intelligence Unit of the EFCC autonomous and operational; encourage
proactive disclosure of information by government institutions in the
spirit of the Freedom of Information Act.”

He also promised that his government would work with the leadership
of the National Assembly and the judiciary to cut down the cost of
governance.
On insurgency and insecurity in the country, the former head of
state said that he had had the rare privilege of serving the country in
the military in various capacities and rose to the rank of a major
general and Commander -in -Chief of the Armed Forces, he would defend
the integrity of the nation.

“I pledge, as Commander-in-Chief, to lead
from the front and not behind in the comfort and security of Aso Rock,
to boost the morale of fighting forces and the generality of all
Nigerians,” he said.

On the fate of the kidnapped Chibok girls, Buhari said that as a
father, he had been feeling the pain of the victims of insurgency,
kidnapping and violence whether “they are widows and orphans of the
military, paramilitary, civilians and parents or the Chibok girls
“My government shall act decisively on any actionable intelligence to #BringBack Our Girls.”

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