Gen Muhammadu Buhari has during the weekend said that all political office holders serving under his administration including ministers, head of foreign staffs, governors, ministers, permanent secretaries, will surly declare their assets before a law court on assumption of their appointment and at the end of their appointment. According to him, this would ensure accountability amongst public servants.
While speaking during an interview with Sahara TV, the president said that this will go a long way in making Nigerian a corruption free nation
"All those that were governors, ministers, permanent secretaries, head of foreign staff and all those with political appointments will have to declare their assets on the assumption of their appointment and definitely with the courts. And once they leave they have to re-declare their assets.” he said
Gen. Buhari made it known that his administration will not interfere in the judicial process that will be used to pursue corrupt officials. According to him, if his administration “become embroiled in investigation of every ministry, then the government will not have time to move forward.”
When asked about his thoughts on the recent remarks by the Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the fiscal conditions and government spending in Nigeria, he said said “I’m afraid the Finance Minister has no cause to complain because the governors cannot force the central government to act outside the Constitution.”
"Proliferation of oil fields to people who don’t even know what it is, is one of the messes partisan politics has brought.” he said
Reacting to insinuation in some quarters that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was indirectly having influence in his incoming government, Gen Buhari said "I think that people have to accept the realities of Nigeria’s political development. General Olusegun Obasanjo is the only living Nigerian that led Nigeria for more than 11 years, so for anybody to think that General Obasanjo is irrelevant or he was trying to push his influence over issues, I think is being uncharitable and not being fair to Nigeria’s political development."
