CCB’s Refusal To Disclose Asset Declarations Of Presidents, Govs Illogical, Says Falana SAN

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN has condemned the Code of
Conduct Bureau (CCB) over its refusal to grant a Freedom of
Information request by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project (SERAP) on the ground that asset declaration form is
private information.

Falana described the ground as “illogical.”

Falana stated this today in Kano in a keynote address titled
Involvement of Nigerian people in the fight against corruption, and
delivered at Stakeholders Dialogue on Corruption in Nigeria
organised by ActionAid Nigeria.

According to Falana, “The federal government has also failed to
show commitment to the fight against corruption by encouraging
secrecy with respect to asset declaration by public officers. A few
days ago, the CCB turned down the request made by SERAP for the
release of copies of the declaration forms of former state
governors and Presidents on the grounds that the declaration forms
are private documents.”

Falana said, “With respect, it is illogical to claim that the
asset declaration forms submitted by the erstwhile public officers
are private documents. Accordingly, the rejection of the request by
SERAP is a contravention of section 1 of the Freedom of Information
Act, 2011 and article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples
Rights.”

Falana also said, “It is hoped that the CCB will review its
position and allow citizens to access the information in the
declaration forms submitted to it by all public officers in view of
the new policy of the Buhari administration to enforce effective
asset declaration by public office holders.”

Falana’s paper read in part: “It is an undeniable fact that the
progressive withdrawal of subsidies from social services by the
State which is a key component of the IMF/World Bank sponsored
Structural Adjustment Programme has led to mass poverty in the
land.”

“Through the privatization of public enterprises and assets
including banks and other financial institutions the economy was
taken over completely by foreign and local interest groups. Thus,
the privatization of public companies, commercialization of social
services, have increased poverty and income inequality in the
society.”

“From the reports compiled by the federal ministry of justice
and federal ministry of finance as well as the anti-graft agencies
the federal government has recovered not less that N1 trillion from
treasury looters and through the whistleblowing policy of the
Buhari administration.”

“It is suggested that the sum of N1 billion be set aside for the
establishment of a factory in each of the 774 local governments in
the country while the balance should be allocated to the police to
secure the country.”

“Having managed the Petroleum Trust Fund under the Sani Abacha
junta President Buhari should have no difficult in investing the
recovered loot in addressing the crises of insecurity and
unemployment. After all, the sum of $321 million from the Abacha
loot is being distributed to the poor as dictated by Switzerland
that illegally warehoused the loot for almost two decades.”

“The role of the civil society in ensuring the effective fight
against corruption and the implementation of the above
recommendations cannot be over-stressed. In fact, both the UN
Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on
Preventing and Combating Corruption clearly articulate important
roles for civil society in the fight against corruption.”

“A good example of the role civil society can play is that
currently being played by SERAP, a Nigerian based human rights and
anti-corruption NGO. But as corruption in Nigeria has assumed a
dangerous dimension due to the anti-people’s economic programme of
the government CSOs must link up with the people in combating the
menace of corruption.”

“We have shown that since the imposition of the Structural
Adjustment Programme in the 1980s the country has continued to
witness increasing poverty and underdevelopment in spite of the
many laws that have been enacted against corruption. To reverse the
dangerous trend the government should mobilize the people to create
wealth and abolish poverty.”

“Henceforth, the anti-graft agencies aided by CSOs should form
an alliance with progressive political parties, trade unions, women
and youth organizations with a view to fighting together for a
society where the welfare and security of the majority of the
people will be the primary purpose of government.”

“To achieve the objective, popular forces should be prepared to
challenge neo-liberal ideologues who are promoting poverty through
the domination of the economy by market forces.”