By Shola Abayomi.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have both received their asset declaration forms from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) following the CCB’s directive that the president, his vice, governors and other public office holders whose tenure ends on May 29 must submit their end-of-tenure asset declaration forms on May 28, 2019.
Consequently, President Buhari who opted to hurriedly fill his assest declaration form, appealed to the CCB to keep his form safe as he was certain of vindictive plans by victims of his anti-corruption war to get back at him after he leaves office in 2023.
Addressing the CCB, he said: “I am very pleased that you are here. I assure you I will quickly fill this form and dispatch it to you.
“I believe there are a lot of people that will like to get back at me. So please, make sure you keep it safe because there are people who believe they shouldn’t be questioned but they 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 when I finish.”
Buhari hailed the chairman of the CCB for his commitment to serve. He said: “I am very pleased, I think I am meeting you for the first time since your appointment. 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 short and not giving account of their public responsibilities and we are trying to impress it on our nation and the world that this administration is based on accountability.
“It is only institutions like yours that will bail us out from the efforts that we have been making to make sure that people in public offices do not abuse that public office and that those who come in and those that are leaving in certain positions make sure that they hold the integrity of the office and of the country generally in high esteem.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the CCB, Muhammad Isah, said: “Mr President, as part of the constitutional requirements, there is need for every public officer – President, Vice, Minister and 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 the fifth schedule of the constitution.
“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,” he said.
Some of the dignitaries present at the brief event were the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.