Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and his Edo state counterpart, Adams Oshiomole say they will not be following in the footsteps of President Buhari in declaring their assets publicly.
Speaking with Punch Newspaper through his chief press secretary Sam Onwuamado, Governor Okorocha said declaration of assets was an individual thing and that no governor is mandated to do so by law..
“This is an individual thing. Governor Okorocha believes he is a second term governor. He is not a new governor that should be declaring assets. Meanwhile there is no law that says governors should declare their assets. When former president Jonathan was in power, who talked about declaration of assets? What president Buhari has done is a good thing but it is not mandatory”he said
On his part, Oshiomole who also spoke through his media aide, Kassim Afegbua, said it was not enshrined in the constitution that it was mandatory for him to declare his assets.
“My governor has said while it is constitutional for public office holders to declare their assets making it public is not a matter enshrined in the 1999 constitution. Every public officer is bound to declare but the idea of making it public is not in the constitution”he said
Having no skeletons circumstantially the governors, senators, representatives, members of House of Assembly should deem necessary and sincere to openly declare assets.