President Muhammadu Buhari has said his strict adherence to the constitutional requirement of assets declaration before and after taking office is aimed at strengthening best practices, raising moral standards in public service, helping to build integrity and combating corruption.
To this extent, according to a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu, he has directed that all out-going officials, elected and appointed from the vice president downwards must collect the assets declaration form, fill and return it as he has done.
Speaking upon collecting his form from Professor Isah Mohammed, chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau in Abuja yesterday, President Buhari said no one is excluded from the constitutional duty of assets declaration.
“I signed, collected and acknowledged receiving my form. From here, I will ask my bank manager in Kaduna to show me what has gone in and out of my account. Nobody is excluded from declaring their assets. I expect everyone from the vice president downwards to follow the system,” he said.
Professor Mohammed said compliance by the president in the last eight years and the support he had given to the bureau had enabled it to achieve 99% compliance by elected and appointed officials.
He also acknowledged the support of the president in the achievement of the digitisation of its services and operations thereby helping the organisation to open investigation of cases with greater efficiency.
