The governor, who made the declaration while speaking at the inauguration of the South West Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the United Kingdom, said that he was aware why there had been so much searchlight on his person and his administration by critics.

A statement by Governor Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, also quoted the governor as charging PDP stakeholders to readily project the good deeds of the party’s office holders in order not to give room for negative narrative by critics.

Governor Makinde, who observed that interest groups in the United Kingdom had played important roles in the politics of Nigeria, said that no fewer than 200,000 Nigerians now lived in the United Kingdom.

He said that the task ahead of the PDP was to regroup and launch chapters everywhere Nigerians were found.

The Governor said: “I am aware of the enormity of the responsibility that rests on me. The searchlight is beamed upon me, and all my actions are being met with the strictest scrutiny.”

He added:  “I know that it is the seeming controversy that will be given more attention. My open declaration of my assets is generating furore in certain quarters, but these are unnecessary distractions, my focus and the focus of our administration is on good governance. We shall not be distracted.”

Governor Makinde also seized the opportunity to invite investors to Oyo State, declaring that his efforts so far had been geared towards eradicating the out-of-school children syndrome, which he said, accounted for 400,000 right now, expansion of the state’s economy and promoting security.

“In the past month, I have focused on two things to set Oyo State on the path to greatness: Ensuring that we put the right policies and processes in place, and working with ideas that will help increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state.”

He stated that his focus on security was borne out of the fact that without security, businesses could not thrive, adding that he had given his commitment to enhancing security to the Commanders of the Task Force in charge of Oyo and Osun, Operation Burst.

According to the governor, the decision by the state government to cancel the N3, 000 school levy, and examination fees had resulted in the unprecedented huge turnout of students for placement examination into JSS1, and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) conducted in the state last week.

The governor also said that the commitment of the PDP towards strategising for the future was not in doubt, adding that members of the party must also be alive to their responsibilities.

He said: “The PDP has one job and one job only:  regroup, refocus, re-strategise. Creating chapters, everywhere in the world where Nigerians are found, shows our commitment to this job. I believe Nigerians have had the opportunity to see clearly which party really means business.

“I have one request to make of you: never stop talking about the good things we are doing. When good things are not given prominence, the consensus is that only bad things are happening. We cannot allow evil narratives about the PDP or its stakeholders to gain any type of momentum. It is our jobs as worthy ambassadors to shut down such narratives, quickly and definitively.”

The post Assets declaration: Critics of my transparency can’t distract me -Makinde appeared first on Frontpageng.

The party made the call in a statement issued by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Diran Odeyemi, on Friday in Abuja.

Odeyemi also urged the President of the Senate, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila to also make public their assets.

He said that the call was important as the Code of Conduct Bureau was insisting that it could not release details of assets of the President and other top officials without their consent.

Odeyemi said that public declaration of the assets would go a long way to convince Nigerians that the national leaders were indeed partners in the fight against corruption.

“The party therefore called on all high-ranking political office holders to waive the caveat placed on the Code of Conduct Bureau and make their asset known to Nigerians,” he said.

He recalled that former Chief Justice of the Federation, Walter Onnoghen, was prosecuted for not declaring in full his asset.

He advised that other top government officials should submit themselves for public scrutiny through public declaration of what they owned as asset.

“We are of the opinion that Buhari,  Osinbajo, Lawan and Gbajabiamila should declare openly their assets to allow Nigerians to further see how much wealth they have acquired since joining government,” he said.

Odeyemi urged  Buhari and other top government officials to be more coordinated and exhibit transparency not only in fighting graft but in their dealings with Nigerians.

Source:  NAN

The post Buhari, Osinbajo should declare assets publicly –PDP appeared first on Frontpageng.

The forms, according to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, were duly completed and submitted to the Chairman of the CCB, Professor Mohammed Isa, on behalf of the President by Sarki Abba, Senior Special Assistant, Household and Domestic Affairs.

The forms, submitted ahead of his second term inauguration, as signed by the President and sworn to before a Judge of Abuja High Court showed no significant changes in assets as declared in 2015 by him.

There are no new houses, no new bank accounts at home and abroad and there are no new shares acquired.

The Chairman of the CCB commended the President for leading by example by declaring his assets in accordance with the law.

The post Buhari declares assets, ready for second term inauguration appeared first on Frontpageng.