President Muhammadu Buhari has been labelled as the poorest leader in sub Saharan Africa and possibly the least corrupt leader in Africa.
Last week, President Buhari and the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo publicly declared their assets which was made known through a statement released by Garba Shehu, the senior special adviser to the president on media and publicity. The report showed that the president, prior to his inauguration in May 29 had N30 million which is equivalent to $150,000.
In a report by The Washington Post, the declaration showed that the president is not in the league of rich African leaders.
“By the standards of sub-Saharan African leaders, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is dirt-poo”.
The report pointed out rhetorically if the president was telling the truth with his declaration considering that Nigeria has been riddled with corruption for a long time.
The report however said that Buhari was elected due to his promise that he would rid the country of the culture of corruption and his declaration already showed a sense of transparency.
“The question on many minds is this: Is Buhari, Nigeria’s former military ruler and ex-head of the oil ministry, telling the truth?
Corruption, after all, is a major problem in Africa’s largest economy. Buhari himself has publicly said that more than $150 billion is missing from the government’s coffers. Still, the public declaration appears to be an attempt to show some much-needed transparency. Buhari was elected in March largely by promising that he wouldn’t tolerate corruption.”
Buhari’s action was considered a clear move which many African leaders have not done before.
“What’s clear is that Buhari has done what his predecessors — and most other African leaders — have never done”.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party said the declaration of assets by the president and the vice president was not enough and that the first lady should also make her asset public too.
Read the rest of the report on Washington Post.
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