• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

      PRNigeria logo fearured image

      EFCC Arraigns Ex-Convict, Other for Naira Abuse in Lagos

      EFCC Arrests 37 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Ilorin

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Nigeria Customs, ICPC and the Audit of Conscience

      Customs Diplomacy: Nigeria, Saudi Arabia Ink Mutual Assistance Deal

      Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Nigeria, Belarus Forge Alliance to Combat Smuggling, Facilitate Trade

      President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and CG Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

      Tinubu Hails Customs Boss Wale Adeniyi on Historic Election as WCO…

      WTO Lauds Nigeria Customs for Embracing Global Trade Standards

  • National
    • Ribadu Proposes Reintegration of Military Veterans to Bolster National Security

      DICON signs MoU with Saudi firm

      DICON, Saudi firm sign MoU to produce security drones, satellites in…

      Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya

      Ex-COAS Urges Reforms in Recruitment, Training of Army, Harps on Prioritisation…

      Prioritise Troops’ Welfare, Mission Over Personal Gain – COAS Charges Army…

      Nigeria’s Growth Numbers Tell Only Half the Story By Umar Farouk…

    • Government
      • Corporate Affairs Commission

        CAC Unveils AI-Powered Registration Portal to Revolutionize Business Registration in Nigeria

        Employment: ICPC Secures Conviction of FAAN Staff

        Staff of PRNigeria with federal lawmakers

        Federal Lawmakers Endorse PRNigeria Fellowship, Pledge Support for Youth Empowerment

        G7 Countries

        Iran Must Never Possess Nuclear Weapons – G7 Declare

        Nigerian Dignitaries, Business Leaders Attend Aminu Dantata’s Burial in Madinah Saudi…

  • Security
    • Ribadu Proposes Reintegration of Military Veterans to Bolster National Security

      DICON signs MoU with Saudi firm

      DICON, Saudi firm sign MoU to produce security drones, satellites in…

      Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya

      Ex-COAS Urges Reforms in Recruitment, Training of Army, Harps on Prioritisation…

      Prioritise Troops’ Welfare, Mission Over Personal Gain – COAS Charges Army…

      Customs Hands Over N172m Worth of Cannabis to NDLEA in Ogun,…

  • Features
    • Nigeria’s Growth Numbers Tell Only Half the Story By Umar Farouk…

      NYSC Corps Members in Camp

      The Burden Too Many Nigerian Youths Bear Alone

      Combating Deepfake Videos: A Fight for Nigeria’s Soul By Mukhtar Ya’u…

      Domestic Violence

      Marriage and the Silent Wounds Within Homes By Hafsat Ibrahim

      FutureMap Foundation Sparks Innovation with Design Thinking in Nigeria

  • State
    • Customs Hands Over N172m Worth of Cannabis to NDLEA in Ogun,…

      Combating Deepfake Videos: A Fight for Nigeria’s Soul By Mukhtar Ya’u…

      IEDs found at the bridge

      Military Foils Terrorists’ Bomb Attack, Discovers 56 IEDs on Marte–Dikwa Bridge…

      Suspected Gunrunner

      Plateau: Troops Nab Suspected Gunrunner, Recover AK-47, Ammunition in Plateau

      Troops Neutralise Scores of Militias in Plateau

  • Event
    • President & Chairman of Governing Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku

      NIPR Lauds Nigerian PR Firms for Outstanding Performances at 2025 SABRE…

      SCN NGO signs partnership with PRNIGERIA

      SCN NGO Seals Partnership with PRNigeria to Amplify its Humanitarian Projects

      NELFUND

      NELFUND Warns Students Against Fake Loan Application Portal

      EFCC Witness: Yahaya Bello Had No Property Dealings With EFAB

      Hon. Rukayat Motunrayo Shittu (RMS), with PRNigeria Ladies in PR I'm Abuja

      Rukayat Shittu Set to Publish Inspirational Book “Cracking the Glass Ceiling”,…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper

    SERAP Sues CCB Over Buhari’s Asset Declarations and Others

    By
    Kolawole Oluwadare
    -
    June 23, 2019
    President Muhammadu Buhari
    President Muhammadu Buhari

    SERAP Sues CCB Over Buhari’s Asset Declarations and Others

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit in the Federal High Court, Lagos against the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over the CCB’s claim that it could not disclose details of asset declarations submitted to it by successive presidents and state governors since 1999 because doing so “would offend the right to privacy of presidents and state governors.”

    The CCB had last week refused a Freedom of Information request by SERAP, stating that: “Asset declaration form is private information.”

    But in the suit number FHC/L/CS/1019/2019 filed last Friday, SERAP argued: “Asset declarations of presidents and state governors submitted to the CCB are public documents. Public interest in disclosure of the details of asset declarations sought by SERAP clearly outweighs any claim of protection of the privacy of presidents and state governors, as they are public officers entrusted with the duty to manage public funds, among other public functions.”

    According to SERAP: “A necessary implication of the rule of law is that a public institution like the CCB can only act in accordance with the law, as to do otherwise may enthrone arbitrariness. The CCB does not have reasonable grounds on which to deny SERAP’s FOI request, as it is in the interest of justice, the Nigerian public, transparency and accountability to publish details of asset declarations by presidents and state governors since the return of democracy in 1999.”

    SERAP also argued that: “Disclosing details of asset declarations of public officers such as presidents and state governors would improve public trust in the ability of the CCB to effectively discharge its mandate. This would in turn put pressure on public officers like presidents and state governors to make voluntary public declaration of their assets.”

    The suit filed by SERAP counsel Adelanke Aremo read in part: “The right to receive information without any interference or distortion should be based on the principle of maximum disclosure, and a presumption that all information is accessible subject only to a narrow system of exceptions. It is a settled principle of law that details such as asset declarations of presidents and governors should be disclosed if there is an overriding public interest in having access to such information, which is clearly so in this matter.”

    “Democracy cannot flourish if governments operate in secrecy, no matter how much open discussion and debate is allowed. The very nature and quality of public discussion would be significantly impoverished without the nourishment of information from public authorities such as the CCB, and to guarantee freedom of expression without including the right to know would be a formal exercise.”

    “The CCB has an obligation to proactively keep, organize and maintain all information or records about their operations, personnel, activities and other relevant or related information or records in a manner that facilitates public access to such information or record.”

    “Given that many public officers being tried for or convicted of corruption are found to have made a false declaration of their assets, the CCB should no longer allow politicians to undermine the sanctity and integrity of the asset declaration provisions of the Constitution by allowing them to continue to exploit legal gaps for illicit enrichment.”

    Read Also:

    • Ribadu Proposes Reintegration of Military Veterans to Bolster National Security
    • DICON, Saudi firm sign MoU to produce security drones, satellites in Nigeria
    • Ex-COAS Urges Reforms in Recruitment, Training of Army, Harps on Prioritisation of Troops’ Welfare

    “While elected public officers may not be constitutionally obliged to publicly declare their assets, the Freedom of Information Act 2011 has now provided the mechanism for the CCB to improve transparency and accountability of asset declarations by elected public officers.”

    “Allegation of false or anticipated declarations by public officers apparently to steal or mismanage public funds is a contributory factor to Nigeria’s underdevelopment and poverty level. All efforts to get details of asset declarations by presidents and state governors have proved abortive.”

    “The right to information and truth allows Nigerians to gain access to information essential to the fight against corruption, institutionalise good governance and improve citizens’ confidence in public institutions.”

    “Persistent refusal by successive presidents and state governors to make public their asset declarations is entirely inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the 1999 Constitution, and has been particularly harmful to the country and its people, especially given the widespread evidence of grand corruption among politicians holding public offices in Nigeria.”

    “Sections 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 20 and 31 of the FOI Act are clear and unambiguous, stating a clear intention to make public information such as details of asset declarations by presidents and state governors more freely available to the members of the public and a clear obligation on the part of public institutions to proactively keep proper records in a manner that facilitates public access to such information or record.”

    “It is a settled cardinal principle of statutory interpretation that where in their ordinary meaning the provisions are clear and unambiguous, effect should be given to them without resorting to external aid. SERAP therefore submits that the use of the word “shall” in sections 2 and 4 of the FOI Act 2011 connotes that the provisions are mandatory and must be complied with to the extent provided by the Act.”

    SERAP is therefore seeking the following reliefs:
    AN ORDER granting leave to the Applicant to apply for judicial review and to seek an order of mandamus directing and compelling the Respondent to compile and make available to the Applicant information on specific details of asset declarations submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau by successive Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senate Presidents, Speakers of House of Representatives, State Governors and Deputy Governors from 1999 to 2019 and to publish widely including on a dedicated website, any such information.

    AN ORDER granting leave to the Applicant to apply for judicial review and to seek an order of mandamus directing and compelling the Respondent to compile and make available to the Applicant information on the number of asset declarations so far verified by the Code of Conduct Bureau and the number of those declarations found to be false and deemed to be in breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by the Bureau and to publish widely including on a dedicated website, any such information.

    AN ORDER granting leave to the Applicant to apply for Judicial Review and to seek an order of mandamus directing and compelling the Respondent to immediately take cases of false asset declarations to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for effective prosecution of suspects, and include banning the politicians involved from holding public offices for at least a period of 10 years and seeking refund of stolen public funds as part of the reliefs to be sought before the Tribunal
    AND for further order or orders as this Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances
    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

    Kolawole Oluwadare
    SERAP Deputy Director

    VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
    PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
    EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
    HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
    ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
    • TAGS
    • Asset Declaration
    • CCB
    • Muhammadu Buhari
    • SERAP
    Previous articleKatsina Banditry: Nigerian Troops Nab 21 Notorious Bandits
    Next articlePresidential Panel Dragged to Court Over Illegal Take Over of Property
    Kolawole Oluwadare
    Kolawole Oluwadare
    http://www.PRNigeria.com

    RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

    ‎FACT-CHECK: Are Nigerian Soldiers Protecting Cattle Instead of Citizens in Yelewata Benue State as Shown in a Viral Video?

    How a Single Electricity Market Will Empower Africa’s People and Economies

    World’s Largest Electricity Market Kicks Off as AU Launches Steering Committee to Drive Continental Integration

    General Christopher Gwabin Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, CDS

    DHQ, NIS Team Up to Revive Nigerian Sports

    Nigerian Military Troops

    Nigerian Troops Eliminate Scores of Terrorists in Fierce Battle in Borno and Cameroon Border

    FACT-CHECK: Did Borno Governor Zulum’s Wife Lift Primary School Mate Out of Poverty in Viral Video?

    Fact-Check: Did Saudi ‘Sleeping Prince’ Wake Up After 20 Years in a Coma?

    Fact Check: Does Rat Faeces Cure Appendicitis as Claimed in Viral Video?

    FG Officials Arrives S’Arabia for Business Mogul Aminu Dantata’s Burial in Madinah

    Police Officer

    Police Rescue 29 Captives, Arrest 3 Suspects in Kogi, Lagos, Katsina

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and CG Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

    Tinubu Hails Customs Boss Wale Adeniyi on Historic Election as WCO Chair

    Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack

    18 Workers, Two MDAs Honoured as Federal Civil Service Week Ends

    LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

    Log in to leave a comment

    Recent Posts

    • Ribadu Proposes Reintegration of Military Veterans to Bolster National Security
    • DICON, Saudi firm sign MoU to produce security drones, satellites in Nigeria
    • Ex-COAS Urges Reforms in Recruitment, Training of Army, Harps on Prioritisation of Troops’ Welfare
    • Prioritise Troops’ Welfare, Mission Over Personal Gain – COAS Charges Army Commanders
    • Nigeria’s Growth Numbers Tell Only Half the Story By Umar Farouk Bala
    • Home
    • About
    • Adverts
    • Contact
    © 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
    Latest News
    Ribadu Proposes Reintegration of Military Veterans to Bolster National SecurityDICON, Saudi firm sign MoU to produce security drones, satellites in NigeriaEx-COAS Urges Reforms in Recruitment, Training of Army, Harps on Prioritisation of Troops’ WelfarePrioritise Troops’ Welfare, Mission Over Personal Gain - COAS Charges Army CommandersNigeria's Growth Numbers Tell Only Half the Story By Umar Farouk BalaThe Burden Too Many Nigerian Youths Bear AloneCAC Unveils AI-Powered Registration Portal to Revolutionize Business Registration in NigeriaEmployment: ICPC Secures Conviction of FAAN StaffCustoms Hands Over N172m Worth of Cannabis to NDLEA in Ogun, Commissions 13 New Patrol VehiclesCombating Deepfake Videos: A Fight for Nigeria's Soul By Mukhtar Ya'u MadobiMilitary Foils Terrorists' Bomb Attack, Discovers 56 IEDs on Marte–Dikwa Bridge in BornoNIPR Lauds Nigerian PR Firms for Outstanding Performances at 2025 SABRE Africa AwardsDHQ: How Troops Nabbed Mastermind of NDLEA Commander’s Kidnap in AnambraFederal Lawmakers Endorse PRNigeria Fellowship, Pledge Support for Youth EmpowermentSCN NGO Seals Partnership with PRNigeria to Amplify its Humanitarian Projects
    X whatsapp