Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has promised to declare his assets openly after his tenure just like he did when he assumed office.
Makinde gave the assurance in Ibadan while receiving the Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, and his management team in his office.
The governor stressed that accountability would be the watchword of his administration.
“We have taken corruption as a canker-worm that we know can destroy all of us if not checked”.
“Most importantly, for the leaders, you have very few of us that decided to hold ourselves accountable, that is why upon resumption of office, I publicly declared my assets. I did not want people to start going through Freedom of Information Act channel to have clarity of where one is coming from”.
“At the end of my tenure of office, I also will come out to declare my assets publicly. I strongly believe that even if we are able to reduce the amount of transactions with elements of corruption, we may just reduce it by 30 per cent to 40 per cent. It is a huge amount that will become available to develop our country and our state,” Makinde said.
On the domestication of anti-corruption commission in the state, the governor stated that it was to guide against theft of the state’s resources.
“We also feel the closer the anti-corruption efforts get to the people, the better the resources we are going to get at the end of the day,”he said.
Owasanoye, on his part, said the visit by ICPC was to thank the governor for the release of a parcel of land for the commission to build a prototype structure of the commission in the state.
Owasanoye said the commission was ready to cooperate with the government in the state, especially in the area of system’s review.
He disclosed that the commission had commenced a system review at the sub-national level, adding that the commission does not want Oyo State to be left out of the process.
The ICPC boss also urged the government to allow the commission help nurture its upcoming anti-corruption commission.
Some members of the Senate and House of Representatives committees on anti- corruption agencies were among the team that visited the governor.
Among them were Sen. Kola Balogun, Sen. Abba Moro, Mr Nicholas Garuba, Mr Jimoh Olajide and Mr Odebunmi Jenyo.(NAN)