President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as probably the least corrupt African leader, following the public declaration of his assets. Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, refused during his administration to make public his asset which was declared to the Code of Conduct Bureau. Ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua, who Jonathan succeeded, was worth $5m.
“By the standards of sub-Saharan African leaders, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is dirt-poor. The question on many minds is this: Is Buhari, Nigeria’s former military ruler and ex-head of the oil ministry, telling the truth?” the paper asked.
According to a statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Thursday, the President has about N30m in his only one bank account with Union Bank Plc, while the Vice President has a balance of N94m and $94,000. Buhari’s assets consist of houses in his hometown, Daura, Kano, Kaduna and Abuja, as well as his farm in Daura. The President equally declared his investment in Berger Paints and landed property in Kano and Port Harcourt.
The Washington Post added:
“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. What is clear is that Buhari has done what his predecessors – and most other African leaders – have never done.”