Editor’s note: In his four-year tenure (from August 1983 up until his assassination in October 1987), President Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso managed to transform his country. He led by example and inspired the people who still remember him fondly.
The Naij.com columnist Mawuna Koutonin has translated Sankara’s public asset declaration speech from the French language; could Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari draw the inspiration from the bold move?
The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Naij.com.
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| The late Burkina Faso president Thomas Sankara Nigeria’s President Buhari could learn from |
In July 2012, the former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan was asked if he would declare his assets. He unapologetically declared: “I do not think it is necessary to make a public disclosure of my assets. After all, it is a matter of principle, not constitutional.”
To stress the president’s point further, one of his aides added: “It is a matter of principle, and whether he is criticised from ‘head to toe,’ he will not declare his assets.”
Contrary to Goodluck Jonathan, President Buhari had promised during his campaign to declare his assets publicly and encourage those who will work with him to do the same.
Buhari reiterated his promise few days ago, saying he and vice president Yemi Osinbajo would do as promised during their first 100 days in office, after the Code of Conduct Bureau completes the verification of their declared assets.
Interestingly, a lot of debate had spurred regarding the way the president should declare his assets. To help in the matter, I dug into the history bin and found the spectacular declaration of assets of the late President Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, that could be an example for Buhari.
Here is a full transcript of President Sankara’s public declaration of assets he made in front of the People’s Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (CPPC) and a large audience on February 19, 1987:
“Comrades, members of the first CPPC, comrade president, I will read you the list of my possessions, convinced that you’d conduct your own investigation, any necessary investigation wherever necessary, to verify the trustworthiness of my declaration; foremost confident that the people of Burkina Faso, wherever they live, here or abroad, would help in the verification of the trustworthiness of my declaration of assets, if by chance I’d forget something or voluntary try to escape my obligation to tell the truth, all the truth [laughter in the room].
“In terms of real estate, I will first mention a refrigerator. I should point out that it has broken down [laughter in the room]. This device is currently not available to me. It has been lent to a couple of friends, because I received a refrigerator in the presidency palace, because of my duties. I also have two televisions with VCRs that are installed in my home and in my work room. I’ve installed a TV at my work place, because I often need, wherever I happen to be, to listen to world news [laughter in the room].
“Personally, I have a lounge and a library that should be delivered shortly. Maybe by the end of the month. This is a personal purchase. I also have three acoustic guitars. I quote them because they mean a lot to me.
“As property, I own a villa in the city BND, sector two. It was acquired by commitment to a loan, No. 313/109-862, at the BND-B in December 1976.
“I am subject to the reimbursement of 120 monthly payments, and to date, it remains to pay the bank the sum 678 824F which I do by monthly installments of 31 944 CFA francs, and I can prove it by documents of the BND-B that I hold here. This house is currently occupied by a parent, who, I hope, would pay what he owes me [laughter in the room]. I say this because I intend to divest myself of this house, and we will establish between him and me, a contract in due form.
“We have an undeveloped land at Area seven, property of my wife. We also own an undeveloped land in my village. It had been seized by the CDR[laughter in the room]. According to the latest news, the CDR had returned it but required us to invest in it. They had seized it because we have not developed it for a number of years. So we received summons from the CDR to achieve something on the ground. I will discharge that obligation from the CDR in my village.
“We own a Mitsubishi brand car, acquired in 1978. It has been regularly cleared in eighteen monthly payments with the paymaster general. I have here the decision of the Ministry of Finance in February 1979 which granted me the ability to discharge these customs charges in that manner. I can read you the letter. And, I also have here the attestation by the paymaster general which proves that I have regularly paid all these customs bills.
“I have two racing bikes, a lady bike and a children’s bike. We have neither shares nor commercial inventory. We have two salaries: my salary (see balance sheet issued by the Directorate of Military Commissariat) reveals a net of 138,736 CFA francs per month [laughter in the room]. My wife has a salary of 192,698 CFA francs. As I said earlier, we share the burdens. My wife takes care of current household expenses and I take care of the large expenditures, and especially social obligations, including the constant assistance to friends and others who request it.
“I have a bank account in the BICIA-B and another account with the National Savings Bank. At the BICIA-B, my account has positive balance of 353,665 CFA francs. This amount had been frozen because we have placed an order, new orders should be paid in the month of December. Unfortunately, the carpenter from whom we placed the order has not yet delivered what we expect. We are therefore waiting for the delivery to make payment. At that time, of course, the account will tend to …
“At the National Savings Bank, I have an account, I believe since 1979, but with almost no transaction. I have withdrawn money but I have not made a deposit. The National Savings Bank reveals that I have 69,792 CFA francs. Unfortunately, I am not in position to access this account because I’ve lost the documents due to my many incessant and repeated moves [laughter in the room]…
“My wife has an account at the BICIA-B with positive balance of 43,037 CFA francs. Obviously this account has hectic withdrawals, given our family expenses, and tuitions. She holds another account at the BICIA-B with positive balance of 63,646 CFA francs.
“We each have a gold wedding ring that has value. My wife has other jewelries, chains and bracelets, but I should mention right away and keep myself available for the CPPC, that we have the list of these jewelries, but we have not been able to quantify their value, because they are usually in imitation of gold, therefore without any value except of purchase. Once you’ve bought them, these jewelries are usually called ‘junk’ and lose their value. Nevertheless, I quote them because some fellow activists said they’ve seen my wife with diamonds on TV. I declare that it is not. We’d make these jewelries available to the commission for any necessary expertise.
“I’d like to declare donations I’ve received, but would ask the commission not to reveal the donors’ identity for reasons of state.
“I’ve received a gift of 400,000 CFA francs, a donation of 20 million CFA francs, a gift of 75 million CFA francs, another gift of 350 million CFA francs and a donation of 400 million CFA francs [uproar of surprise and consternation in the room]. For all these values, these sums of money, while thanking the generous donors, I’ve deposited these sums at the National Treasury, a state institution which could attest of these deposits.
“I’ve also received cars that were all transferred to the state park. So, I got a BMW, an Alpha Romeo, a Toyota Cressida, a Mitsubishi also, but I have transferred all these vehicles to the state automobile fleet.
“My wife had received five million CFA francs once, then another five million CFA francs, and ten million CFA francs in donation. These amounts were transferred to the Revolutionary Solidarity Fund and the Women’s restaurant.
“That is it, comrade chairman, comrade members of the commission, the statement I wanted to make.
“I did not mention some goods which are perishable, therefore difficult to assess. I think about clothing, I think of the library which I’ve not been able to evaluate, books – I have quite a few of them, either purchased by myself or provided by individuals, friends, strangers, etc. … I am at your disposal, comrade president, for any questions you consider relevant.”
Following the ceremony of public assets declaration, a journalist asked Sankara: “We’ve noticed that you are probably one of the world’s poorest heads of state. Given your position as the head of state, and your rank of officer in the army, one could wonder why you have so little assets. Do you think this gives you the right to impose your austere lifestyle and your will not to possess wealth onto your loved ones?”
Sankara responded: “Yes, I believe that I have to impose it onto myself and to others. I am not against luxury. I tell my family that they must never try to take advantage of the fact that their parent happens to be today the president of Burkina Faso. They should succeed because they have worked for it, not because they are family members of the president.”
Mawuna Remarque Koutonin is an editor of SiliconAfrica.com and a social activist for Africa Renaissance. His ultimate dream is to open a world-class human potential development school in Africa in 2017. Follow @siliconafrica on Twitter.
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