Why we can’t release details of Buhari, Osinbajo’s assets – Code of Conduct Bureau

The Code of Conduct Bureau will
not make public the details of
assets declared by President
Muhammadu Buhari and Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo due to
limitations in federal laws
covering such release, the office
has said.
There has been controversy over
the release of the details of the
president and vice president’s
assets since their inauguration
May 29.
Mr. Buhari pledged to publicly
declare his assets despite the lack
of a law requiring him to do so.
The Nigerian Constitution
stipulates that senior office
holders declare their assets,
without requiring them to do so
publicly.
Despite his promise, the president
has yet to publicly declare his
assets three weeks after taking
office. His office said those details
will be made available after the
Code of Conduct Bureau
authenticates claims in the
declaration forms.
A civil society group, Stop
Impunity Nigeria, an affiliate of
the Centre for Social Justice, had
on June 1, 2015 applied to the CCB
to request copies of the completed
assets declaration forms by the
President and his deputy.
The application, signed by the
Lead Director of the Centre, Eze
Onyekpere, was pursuant to the
provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) 2011.
But, in its response CCB/HQ/670/
G/1/104 dated June 10, 2015 and
signed by Ijeanuli Ofor on behalf
of the Chairman, the CCB declined
the request, citing the absence of
prescribed law by the National
Assembly authorizing the release
of such information to the public.
The Bureau, in its response, made
available to PREMIUM TIMES,
conceded the right by Nigerians
under section 1(1) 3 and 4 of the
FOIA 2011, to “access or request
information, whether written or
not in written form, in the
custody of any public agency”.
Regardless, the Bureau said
sections 12(1) (a) (v), 14(1) (b)
and 15(1)9a) of the same Act
empowered it to decline any request, which it
considered an “invasion of personal privacy”.
“Assets declarations by public officers contain
such personal information, which falls within
the exemptions to the disclosure of
information in the FOIA,” the Bureau said.
The office explained that paragraph 3(c of the
Third Schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution
(as amended) empowered it to “make assets
declarations of public officers available for
inspection by any citizen of Nigeria only on
terms and conditions prescribed by the
National Assembly”.
“However, the terms and conditions under
which that can be done have not yet been
prescribed by the National Assembly,” the
Bureau said, adding that the group’s request
was rejected in view of the absence of the
prescribed “terms and conditions”.