Saraki: I can't declare my wife's familys assets
Senate President Bukola Saraki says the Nigerian law does not require him to declare the assets of his wife's family.
He was reacting to reports that he failed to declare at least four assets listed in a massive leak of documents detailing how prominent global figures are helped to stash away billions of dollars in secret offshore accounts by Panama-based law firm, Mossack Fonseca.
In a statement on Monday by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his media adviser, Saraki said he "fully complied" with the provisions of the law on declaration of assets by public officers.
He said the claim that he failed to declare the assets belonging to his wife, Toyin, is not true since "he has in his different asset declarations included properties owned individually by himself and his wife". Saraki is currently undergoing trial for allegedly failing to make full disclosure of his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
"The property in question forms part of Dr Saraki's wife's family asset. It is public knowledge that Mrs. Saraki comes from a family of independent means and wealth with numerous and varied assets acquired over decades in family estates and investments," the statement read.
"Furthermore, the law only requires a public officer to declare both his own assets and those held by his spouse and his children under 18 years of age. The law does not require a public officer to declare assets held by the spouse's family.
"It is not expected by the law that a public officer should declare such assets held in the spouse's family estate. Indeed, the Code of Conduct form does not make provision for declaration of spouse's family assets."
His wife is from the Ojora family in Lagos.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Abdulfatai Salman Baakini Temitope Ogunbanke Muslim Cementary Aso-ofi Iyabo Adewuyi Labour Party Principal Private Secretary Ayo Opadokun Tunde Saad Abegunde Goke Ilorin Airport Abdulkareem Alabi Akanji Oba Mogaji Abdulkadir Ayodele Kuburat Olaosebikan March 18 Abraysports FC Sherif Shagaya Ilorin Curfew Shuaibu Yaman Christian Association Of Nigeria Okin Biscuit Ajidagba Offa Poly Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication Gamji Members Association Pilgrims Board Saadu Alanamu Moro Adeola Abraham Third Estate Funmilayo Oniwa Eghe Igbinehin Hijaab TIC BECE SAPZ Project Alabe Oniye Ahmed Ayinla Jimoh Muyideen Ajani Bello Buari Edun Ubandawaki Dan-Kazeem Lanre Issa Onilu Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union Na\'Allah Babajide Ajayi Sulu Babaita Isiaka Samuel Adedoyin Kamaldeen Gambari Lithium Deposit Abdulahi Abubakar Bata Adewuyi Funmilayo Aisha Ahman-Pategi Muhammadu Gobir Oba Abdulraheem C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng Forgo Battery Olaoye B. Felix Awodun Sadiq Buhari Alfa Yahaya Road Ibrahim Mohammed Amusa Bello Yekeen Alabi Kwara State Sports Commission Senate Presidency Nigeria Association Of Women Journalists Hamza Usman Joseph Offorjama A.E. Afolabi Innocent Okoye Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed Gabriel Fashanu Vasolar

