By
Wale Odunsi
Rivers
State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday said he had already declared his
assets to the relevant authority according to the law, adding that declaring
his assets publicly was not part of the dictates of the law.
His
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, in a statement
noted that it was necessary for people to de-emphasise asset declaration, but
the sincerity behind such exercise.
According
to him, some public office holders could over-declare their assets to pave the
way for them to steal public funds in future, while others, who had held public
offices in the past, might under-declare their personal belongings in order to
give the impression that they were never involved in corrupt practices while in
office.
He
said: “The governor has declared his assets and this is exactly what he told
newsmen during the tour of his administration’s projects.
“There
is no law compelling him to make his declaration public. He has declared his
assets and the declaration was made to the relevant authority.
“Let
me also say that it is not just about asset declaration; it has to do with the
sincerity of the person because some may over-declare when they want to steal
in future. So, they declare to accommodate the theft in future.
“Some
may also declare for whatever reason; maybe they have held public offices in
the past and they don’t want people to know that they have stolen money. So,
people will declare; it is not all about the declaration of assets.
“What
is crucial is the sincerity of the person declaring and you are supposed to
declare when you get out of office.
“But
the truth is that if you are a governor or a minister, what matters is the
delivery of the dividends of democracy. That is what is important and it is not
about what you declare and how much you declare.”
Wike
debunked the claim by the All Progressives Congress in the state that most of
the projects completed by his administration were started by the immediate past
governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
He,
however, noted that projects that will impact on the lives of the people should
not be abandoned by any successor.
Culled
from www.dailypost.ng
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