The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Bola Tinubu to “use the anniversary of your first year in office as an opportunity to demonstrate your oft-expressed commitment to democracy, accountability, and openness in government by immediately publishing your asset declaration form.”
SERAP urged him “to encourage your Vice-President Kashim Shettima, ministers, and state governors to also widely publish their asset declaration forms.”
SERAP also urged him “to urgently propose a constitutional amendment to include provisions on the creation of asset declaration database to publish government officials’ asset declaration forms before, during, and after serving in public office.”
In the open letter dated 25 May 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Widely publishing your asset declaration form and encouraging your Vice-President, ministers, and state governors to also widely publish their assets would serve legitimate public interests.”
SERAP said: “publishing your asset declaration form and encouraging others to do so would also promote public trust and establish a system of transparency, accountability and public participation.”
According to SERAP, “Openness and transparency in the details of asset declaration forms of high-level public officials would strengthen the country’s democracy and promote accountability at all levels of government.
The letter, read in part: “You promised in your inaugural speech on May 29, 2023 ‘to take proactive steps to discourage corruption’, and to ensure that ‘Nigeria is impartially governed according to the constitution and the rule of law’.”
2 kidnapped Kogi varsity students killed – Police
The police command in Kogi has confirmed the killing of two of the abducted students of Confluence University of Science and Technology, CUSTECH, Osara.
The State Police Commissioner, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, said this while speaking with newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday.
Onuoha described the killing by their abductors as very unfortunate.
The CP, did not however, gave the details of the killing, said that the security operatives were on the trail of the abductors to bring them to book.
Recall that abductors invaded the school around 9pm, on May 9 while the students were studying in their classes ahead of their examinations slated for May 13 and abducted some students, after shooting sporadically into the air.
Although security agencies had rescued 21 of the abducted students with the help of local hunters, a few were still in the hands of the abductors.
Meanwhile, a non-governmental organization, Education For All, E4A, had condemned the killing of two student in spite of ongoing negotiations with the parents to pay ransom for their release.
Malam Nasir Ibrahim, the Publicity Secretary of the NGO said this in a statement in Lokoja.
Ibrahim described the killing as the height of callousness.
He said that the intent of the kidnappers was to scare young people from going to school, which was unfortunate.
“It is sad that the criminals killed two of the students who were not among the 21 rescued through the operation coordinated by the Kogi Government.
“Although the circumstances of their kidnap and being traced to a forest in Kwara State by security agencies are yet to be ascertained. This is sad, callous and a call for collective action against attackers of educational institutions.
“We are aware that parents of the students were negotiating with the kidnappers which slowed down the offensive on the kidnappers by security agencies so as not to endanger the lives of the captives.
“We were very hopeful and optimistic that they will be released at the end of the negotiations,” he said.
Ibrahim added, “Information reaching us shows that the students allegedly killed were James Michael Anajuwe, a 100 level Information Technology student and Musa Hussein, a 100 level Software Engineering student of the university.
“They were allegedly killed at the kidnappers’ hideout in Kwara.
“We are broken and shattered that despite the efforts of the parents, NGOs and the State Government, we still lost these promising students.”
He called on the Kogi government to work with its Kwara counterpart to take a decisive action against the perpetrators who were said to be hiding in a forest in Kwara, very close to Kogi and Ekiti States.
2024 Hajj: Nigeria loses first pilgrim at Makkah
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has announced the death Tawalkatu Busare Alako, a pilgrim from Kebbi State, in Makkah.
A statement by the commission said the pilgrim died on Saturday.
While condoling with the Kebbi State Pilgrims’ Welfare Board and the family of the pilgrim, NAHCON’s Chairman/CEO, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, prayed for the Allah to grant comfort to the family.
In a condolence message delivered by the Makkah Office Coordinator, Dr. Aliyu Tanko, to the board officials led by Alhaji Garba Takware, the Chairman, expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the family and the people of Kebbi and prayed the Almighty Allah to grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest.
In his response, Takware thanked the leadership of the Commission for the visit and prayed for a very successful Hajj Operation.
“Special supplication was made for the soul of the deceased, other pilgrims and for the country (Nigeria). Those who accompanied the Coordinator on the visit includes; Saudi Liaison Officer, Ustaz Abubakar Lamin, other staff.”
