Declare your assets now, Ekiti Youth group tells Fayose

Governor Fayose

Ekiti Youth Vanguard, a group of young professionals and artisans in Ekiti State has tasked Governor Ayo Fayose to declare his assets to the public to demonstrate openness, transparency and accountability, which he had promised.

In a release signed by its spokesperson, Charles Fakunle, the group challenged Fayose to emulate his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, by making a timely and public declaration of his assets within his first month in office.

The EYV recalled that Fayemi deposed to the Assets Declaration Form for Public Officers at the registry of the State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, barely a month after assuming power.

“Fayemi is the first chief executive of the state to have made public his worth in cash and assets.

“It is high time we started holding our leaders accountable in this country that is ridden with corruption. So if our governor can come out boldly to say ‘these are my assets and when I leave office, I will declare again and you will see that I have lived a straightforward life,’ that would be very encouraging,” the group said.

According to Fakunle, Fayose has been making it a public issue that his predecessor had acquired so much.

“We now challenge him to also make a public declaration of how little or much he was able to acquire outside of politics. Such move by Fayose will not only reveal the true position of his assets, but also defray rumors that he has acquired properties in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Ado Ekiti through some shady means.

“We are also aware of the allegation of N1.3bn fraud hanging on his neck which he has yet to absolve himself of.”

“Declaration of asset at assumption of office and at leaving office is an essential tool for addressing corruption in public office.

“The mere fact that this constitution exercise is not thoroughly done and that the Code of Conduct Bureau saddled with the responsibility to ensure strict compliance with the law is not doing its work does not mean that the requirement should be discountenanced.

“No constitutional provision should be discarded at convenience of a chief executive,” the EYV advised. ...Punch