Sunday, 30 July 2017

Gambia, declaration of assets...

How a political system is ruled can be culture-specific, hence from generally accepted practices we derive specific conditions. That's why in Ghana, public office holders submit a written declaration of their assets and liabilities to the Auditor-General. In Nigeria, it's done through their Code of Conduct Bureau. In Uganda, the Inspectorate General of Government receives such, and it's called Wealth Declaration; some Latin American countries go further to publish it, and some just file it with their parliament or some anti-corruption body - etc.

So, if the Government of the Republic of The Gambia weighs the options and reaches the decision that declarations be done through some government entity but available on a need to know, I wouldn't be too fussy about them publishing the information only for us to come on here to give vent to envy by indicting wealthy ministers, or taunting those ministers who are still living in their fathers' houses, like it was the avoidable banter during that flawed Justice Paul Commission of 2004.

The idea of assets declaration is to check potential conflicts of interests and to keep eye on extraordinary increases in the wealth of public officials. To that, the Constitution made it easy by providing for an independent Auditor General's office, and we have also elected a representative body that will hold government to account, and give the electorate assurance as to the fiscal discipline and actions of public officials. So if you ask me, the chosen mode of declaration is sufficient means to the end intended.

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