The Chairman of the Northern Elders’ Council, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, on Tuesday commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for publicly declaring their assets.
The former Special Assistant to former President Shehu Shagari, described the public declaration as “a very encouraging development.”
The elder statesman spoke on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television.
He said: “That will give you an indication whether during their tenure they enriched themselves at the expense of the public or not for them to check. So I think declaration of assets is very important for a developing country like ours that we are fighting corruption.
“And also publically declaring asset is a very encouraging development which was started as you could remember, by the late Umaru Yar’Adua. Not only he declared his asset, his vice also declared his assets and he also declared the asset of his wife.”
Yakassai urged all elected officers to emulate the President and his vice by making their assets public.
He said the asset declaration by elected officers will encourage accountability and transparency in the eyes of the public.
He said: “It should be like this for all elected officers not just the President.
“In the first place it should be because we are aiming at transparency, and accountability. The more they do it the more transparent they are, the more accountable they will be regarded by the public.”