The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Sir Ademola Oluseyi Onafowokan says African leaders must desist from flamboyant lifestyles in order to preserve resources in their home countries.

The Nigerian Commissioner says people occupying key public offices such as ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), among others must demonstrate integrity by publishing their declared assets. 

According to Sir Oluseyi Onafawokan, other African leaders must endeavour to follow the example set by Nigerian President Buhari. 

He was speaking on JoyNews' PM: Express on MultiTV Tuesday, a day after Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, came to Ghana on a one-day working visit.

“Private individuals, private businessmen can live as flamboyant as they want, so far as they pay their taxes, but when you work for government, you have to be able to account for whatever you are worth,” he stressed.

He said if all African leaders start following President Buhari’s example; “I think we will have a lot of resources kept at home rather being shipped abroad where people die and the money is lost in some foreign countries."

The High Commissioner said it was a tragedy that many African youth were dying in the Mediterranean in perilous attempts to go to Europe.

“This capital flight is so massive in Africa. Why can’t we use that money at home to develop our people, to develop our [business] environment? Why are people dying in the Mediterranean, trying to get to Europe when we have resources in some countries in Africa even more than those European countries,”? he asked.

Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy, Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso is blaming the high incidence of corruption in the country on monetisation of politics.

He said there was no accountability in government and corruption has virtually become acceptable.

“Corruption is not a crime in Ghana, one way or the other, once your party is in power,” he said.

Dr. Antwi Danso supported the view that President Buhari’s public declaration of his assets is a demonstration of exemplary leadership and must be emulated.