A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations under the aegies of Organizations for Good Governance (OGG), has called for an immediate probe of Zamfara State Governor, Mr. Dauda Lawal, to know how he acquired houses in France, USA, and the United Kingdom, which he declared in his asset declaration form.

Convener of the group, Comrade Femi Lawson, made the call at a press conference in Lagos, positing that OGG was not against people gathering wealth before seeking public office, but the source of their wealth should be transparent.

Lawson, who briefed journalists in company of members of the executives, including Declan Ihekaire, Sina Loremikan, among others, however, said it was also in the interest of the governor to also tell the public how he made his money, and lead by example for others to follow.

Lawson, while making the call, quickly recalled that news was everywhere that the Zamfara State new helmsman was worth $5bn and N1bn in nine banks, when he was sworn in, saying that this “emboldens the conviction in us that the news that he, Governor Dauda Lawal declared assets worth N9trn is true which he only denied when the uproar and public scrutiny was huge and resounding.

“Our challenge now is that it is incumbent on Mr. Lawal to lead by example. What we are now asking is for Mr. Lawal to tell the world how he made his money and details of his asset declaration, before the Code of Conduct Bureau,” he said.

“We don’t want to hear the usual refrain after his exit when he’s being called to account that he didn’t enter a government a pauper. The era of humongous wealth without enterprise is gone forever. We want to know how he made his trillions so that other governors who are super rich will also follow suit,” he added.

Speaking further, OGG convener said the coalition took the step because Nigeria was now in a precarious situation more than ever, noting sadly that the debt issues and economic crises that the country had found herself “in now require that we do our best.”

Lawson, however, appreciated the media, urging them to do more “in view of the economic crisis that our leaders had plunged us in due to their indiscretion,” just as he equally urged the Western world to help in tackling money laundering and other associated vices as, according to him, most of these monies ended up being used to finance terrorism.

Besides, he also tasked the Code of Conduct Bureau and relevant agencies of government to look into these claims and make its findings public for Nigerians to truly know the characters in the country’s governance space.

“The debt issues and economic crises we are in now require that we do our best. We want to appreciate our media friends in this campaign for doing a yeoman’s job.

“We want you to do more, because we owe it as a collective duty to the incoming generation that in view of the economic crisis that our leaders had plunged us in due to their indiscretion, it will not be business as usual anymore.

“We have had bogus asset declarations by some of our governors, ostensibly to cover for the Graft that will follow their activities as the state helmsman,” Lawson stated.

(Nigerian Tribune)

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