Constitutional Breach: Nigerian Governors Yet To Declare Assets, Says Code Of Conduct

Many Nigerian governors may have breached the constitutional oath they swore to uphold from day one. According to the chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) the governors were not expected to start work unless they had declared their assets.

Chairman Sam Saba’s worry is that many of the governors have not fulfilled this constituitional requirement.

Saba in an interview in Abuja expressed worry over the delay by some of the state governors in making the assets declaration, one month after assuming office.

The Chairman of CCB, Mr Sam Saba, expressed the concern in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. He, however, said the bureau had no problem with members of the National Assembly over assets declaration.

He added: “let me say that we really don’t have problem with members of the National Assembly as far as assets declaration is concerned.

“Also, the president and the vice-president declared their assets before they took oath of office in compliance with schedule seven of the constitution.

“The people we are having problem with now are some governors, but I cannot be categorical in terms of statistics except I confirm.’’

Saba said he had demanded to know the number of governors that had declared their assets from state directors of the bureau.

The CCB boss then blamed the delay by some governors to declare their assets to their failure to study the constitution.

He said “the governors are not even supposed to start work as political office holders until they declare their assets.

“It is provided in Section 185 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“It reads that; a person elected to the office of a governor of a state shall not begin to perform the function of that office until he has declared his assets and liabilities.’’

Saba said that in spite of the fact that the section made assets declaration prelude to taking oath of office, some governors took over office without declaring their assets because of ignorance.

“It is not like they are not willing to declare, but because of the erroneous impression that they have up to three months within which to declare their assets and liabilities. But the issue is that they are supposed to have declared before being sworn in as governors.’’