July 1, 2007
The attention of Saharareporters has been drawn to a statement signed by Alhaji Mas'ud Adebimpe, Chief Press Secretary to Dr Bukola Saraki, Governor of Kwara State, Nigeria protesting the publication by Saharareporters of the governor’s declaration of assets documents on our website.
Though, we are not inclined to enter into a media war with Dr Saraki and his handlers over this issue, we nonetheless note that there’s nothing in the statement credited to Dr Sam Aba, Secretary to the Code of Conduct Bureau impugning the content or authenticity of our publication. Dr Aba only stated that the information we published “did not emanate from the Asset Declaration Forms in the custody of the Bureau”. It is also noteworthy that neither he nor Alhaji Adebimpe specified what constitute “fictitious items” in the publication by Saharareporters.
However, if Dr Saraki’s only legitimate worry is that “a document that was freely sworn to and delivered to the Code of Conduct Bureau as classified document under the law was said to be freely circulating on the internet”, he’d need to borrow a leaf from the Obasanjo-imposed Umar Yar’Adua who has caused to be published publicly the details on his own Asset Declaration Form. Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, Special Adviser to Mallam Yar'adua on Communications stated clearly that the President’s declaration “was borne out of his conviction that the war against corruption cannot have meaning until those at the helm begin to live by example”. From all indications therefore, it would seem Dr Bukola Saraki is morally (if not legally) at odds with Umar Yar’Adua, the leader of his party and the government he serves.
While it is true that the assets declaration provisions in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution do not compel the public servant to make a public declaration of his assets beyond submitting same to the Code of Conduct Bureau, they also do not have any provisions banning the public official or a third party from revealing the contents of such declarations. In other words, it is not a known offense under the Official Secrets Act or any Nigerian law to reveal the content of a declaration whose logical intent is to engender public confidence in such a declaration. This is exactly why the President made the contents of his own declaration public, because, as his spokesperson said, he knows no law against such publication.
Indeed, we are prepared to say here and now that if there’s any ‘law’ that prevents the public from getting relevant information about public officials, including knowing the content of their assets declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, we would gladly break that law to bring to Nigerians and the world at large such information, as far as we’ve adjudged this to be of public interest and benefit. We will do so in the full knowledge that we can robustly defend our conduct in a proper court of law.
We therefore urge Governor Saraki to immediately do either or all of two things. He can take the moral high ground by following in the footsteps of the President by publishing what he considers to be the true contents of his Assets Declaration Form or he can sue Saharareporters if he thinks he has legally justifiable reasons to do so. While we readily concede that publication of the so-called contents does not necessarily mean that the person making the public declaration is saying the truth (especially as the Code of Conduct Bureau does not have any power to investigate or verify declarations so made), at least it would signify the intention of Dr Bukola Saraki to publicly answer questions relating to how he’s come to amass such stupendous wealth.
We firmly stand by the publication in question and call on decent and patriotic Nigerians to ignore the shadow-boxing from the governor’s quarters until he takes the morally or legally appropriate steps to defend his honour if, as he now claims, he’s being smeared.
On our part, we are working with a team of international attorneys and NGOs to offer the Nigerian and global audience a full disclosure of Dr. Bukola Saraki's unexplained wealth. Our goal is to ensure that, before long, his assets in the UK, US and Nigeria would be fully recovered and used to make partial restitution for the damages done to SGBN customers and the Nigerian public.
Though, we are not inclined to enter into a media war with Dr Saraki and his handlers over this issue, we nonetheless note that there’s nothing in the statement credited to Dr Sam Aba, Secretary to the Code of Conduct Bureau impugning the content or authenticity of our publication. Dr Aba only stated that the information we published “did not emanate from the Asset Declaration Forms in the custody of the Bureau”. It is also noteworthy that neither he nor Alhaji Adebimpe specified what constitute “fictitious items” in the publication by Saharareporters.
However, if Dr Saraki’s only legitimate worry is that “a document that was freely sworn to and delivered to the Code of Conduct Bureau as classified document under the law was said to be freely circulating on the internet”, he’d need to borrow a leaf from the Obasanjo-imposed Umar Yar’Adua who has caused to be published publicly the details on his own Asset Declaration Form. Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, Special Adviser to Mallam Yar'adua on Communications stated clearly that the President’s declaration “was borne out of his conviction that the war against corruption cannot have meaning until those at the helm begin to live by example”. From all indications therefore, it would seem Dr Bukola Saraki is morally (if not legally) at odds with Umar Yar’Adua, the leader of his party and the government he serves.
While it is true that the assets declaration provisions in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution do not compel the public servant to make a public declaration of his assets beyond submitting same to the Code of Conduct Bureau, they also do not have any provisions banning the public official or a third party from revealing the contents of such declarations. In other words, it is not a known offense under the Official Secrets Act or any Nigerian law to reveal the content of a declaration whose logical intent is to engender public confidence in such a declaration. This is exactly why the President made the contents of his own declaration public, because, as his spokesperson said, he knows no law against such publication.
Indeed, we are prepared to say here and now that if there’s any ‘law’ that prevents the public from getting relevant information about public officials, including knowing the content of their assets declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, we would gladly break that law to bring to Nigerians and the world at large such information, as far as we’ve adjudged this to be of public interest and benefit. We will do so in the full knowledge that we can robustly defend our conduct in a proper court of law.
We therefore urge Governor Saraki to immediately do either or all of two things. He can take the moral high ground by following in the footsteps of the President by publishing what he considers to be the true contents of his Assets Declaration Form or he can sue Saharareporters if he thinks he has legally justifiable reasons to do so. While we readily concede that publication of the so-called contents does not necessarily mean that the person making the public declaration is saying the truth (especially as the Code of Conduct Bureau does not have any power to investigate or verify declarations so made), at least it would signify the intention of Dr Bukola Saraki to publicly answer questions relating to how he’s come to amass such stupendous wealth.
We firmly stand by the publication in question and call on decent and patriotic Nigerians to ignore the shadow-boxing from the governor’s quarters until he takes the morally or legally appropriate steps to defend his honour if, as he now claims, he’s being smeared.
On our part, we are working with a team of international attorneys and NGOs to offer the Nigerian and global audience a full disclosure of Dr. Bukola Saraki's unexplained wealth. Our goal is to ensure that, before long, his assets in the UK, US and Nigeria would be fully recovered and used to make partial restitution for the damages done to SGBN customers and the Nigerian public.
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