BREAKING NEWS, Politics
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President Muhammadu Buhari says journalists who are interested in investigative journalism are free to investigate all the four assets declarations he has made as a public officer
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has dared journalists who are not convinced about his assets declaration to investigate him. Speaking at a joint press conference with President John Mahama of Ghana, in Accra, on Monday, September 7, said assets declaration was not strange to him and that he had done that four times as a public officer.
Buhari said: “I recall that in 1975 when the late Murtala Mohammed became the Head of State, we were lined up in the corridor – governors, ministers, members of the Supreme Military Council – and officials of the Ministry of Justice were brought and every individual was made to declare his assets.
“So right now, all heads of state and government, governors, ministers, permanent secretaries will have to declare their assets because it is a constitutional requirement.”
The president made reference to the Nigerian constitution, which has made declaration of assets as mandatory. “If you really want to do investigative journalism, you don’t have to worry me at this stage; I have declared my assets four times.
“When I was governor in 1975, I declared. After being Minister of Petroleum and as a member of Supreme Military Council, I declared. When I was Head of State and now as a President, I also declared.
“I have declared my assets and all that I have four times, and you (the media) have the right to go and demand for my declaration. Instead, I am being harassed.”
In any case, Buhari said it was a constitutional requirement that public officers declare their assets.
President Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had on Thursday, September 3, made public details of their asserts as submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau. According to a statement by Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, the president has about N30m in his only bank account with the Union Bank Plc, while the vice-president has a balance of N94m, $900,000 and 19,000 pounds in his bank accounts. Properties of both leaders were also listed.
Also at the joint press conference, Buhari said that he would name his cabinet before the end of the month.
— Sep 8, 2015 @ 13:45 GMT
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