President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, charged the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, to keep his filled assets declaration forms safe as those facing corruption charges under his administration will come after him when he exits office in 2023.
Buhari stated this when he, alongside the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, received fresh assets declaration forms from the CCB Chairman, Prof Mohammed Isa, who led a team, including Barr. Murtala Kankia, and Dr. Emmanuel Attah, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President in his remarks said: “I am very pleased that you are here. I assure you I will quickly fill this form and dispatch it back to you so that at the end of 2023, I believe there are a lot of people that will like to take it back on me.
“So please, make sure you keep it safely because there are people who believe they shouldn’t be questioned and are being questioned and some of them are already in trouble. I expect them to fight back and this is one of the instruments. So, I hope you will keep it.”
Noting that he was meeting the group for the first time since their appointment, the President said: “I have never met you before. I thank you for accepting to be in this very important institution and I thank you very much for serving me my forms, which I must fill constitutionally before my second term of office.
“I think we cannot over emphasize the importance of your office because Nigerians are notorious for cutting corners in serving and rendering account and we are trying to impress our nation and the world that this administration is based on accountability.
“It is only institutions like yours that will bail us out, to ensure that the efforts we have been making to make sure people in public office do not abuse that public office.”
Speaking earlier, Isa had said: “We first have to start by expressing our sincere gratitude to Mr President for finding us worthy of being appointed to head this very important and sensitive agency as a pioneer anti-corruption institution.
“Mr President, we are very much grateful for this honour done to us and we want to assure you that we will do our work with every sense of honesty.
“Second, we want to congratulate you for winning the 2019 genera elections and for the inauguration that is forthcoming on 29, May.”
Isa observed “Mr President, as part of the constitutional requirements, there is need for every public officer – President, Vice, Minister, members of the National Assembly – to swear in his assets declaration and liabilities in compliance with paragraph 11 sub 1 of the part 1 of fifth schedule to the constitution.
“Mr President, it is in view of this we found it pertinent to present ourselves and also present forms to Mr President and the Vice President for end of tenure and beginning of new tenure in office. The forms are readily here with us for presentation.”
Present at the brief event were the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina
