The Ekiti Youth Vanguard, a group of young professionals and artisans in Ekiti State, has tasked Governor Ayo Fayose to declare his assets.
The group said its call became imperative to demonstrate openness, transparency and accountability, which the governor has promised in his second coming to office.
The group stated this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Charles Fakunle, in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday.
The EYV said that Fayose, who dubbed himself as a man of the people and had promised transparent, accountability and good governance, should emulate former Governor Kayode Fayemi by making a timely and public declaration of his assets within his first month in office.
Fayemi, it would be recalled made a public declaration of assets deposed to at the Registry of the State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, barely a month after assuming power.
Fayemi is the first chief executive of the state to have made public his worth in cash and assets.
The statement said: “It is high time we started holding our leaders accountable in this country that is ridden with corruption. So if our governor can come out boldly to say ‘these are my assets and when I leave office, I will declare again and you will see that I have lived a straightforward life,’ that would be very encouraging.”
Fakunle said the governor has been making it a public issue that his predecessor had acquired so much.
The statement added: “We now challenge him to also make a public declaration of how little or much he was able to acquire outside of politics. Such move by Fayose will not only reveal the true position of his assets, but also defray rumors that he has acquired properties in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Ado Ekiti through some shady means.
“Declaration of assets at assumption of office and at leaving office is an essential tool for addressing corruption in public office.
“The mere fact that this constitutional exercise is not thoroughly done and that the Code of Conduct Bureau saddled with the responsibility to ensure strict compliance with the law is not doing its work does not mean that the requirement should be discountenanced.
“No constitutional provision should be discarded at convenience of a chief executive.”