Senior lawyers, judges, academics, anti-corruption officials, business leaders and journalists have been urged to engage with proposed reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s response to unexplained wealth.
The call was contained in a thank-you letter by Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN, Principal Partner of W. K. Shittu & Co., following the public presentation of his three-volume work, Unexplained Wealth in Nigeria, held on recently at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Shittu said the books, which began as two lectures delivered to judges in 2023, were driven by a fundamental question about the standard the state should apply when asking citizens to account for their wealth and the standard by which citizens should be allowed to respond.
According to him, the question remained with him for nearly three years before developing into the three-volume work.
He described the book presentation as a moment when what had been a largely solitary intellectual exercise became a broader conversation involving stakeholders across Nigeria’s justice, anti-corruption and business sectors.
“Writing is lonely work. A book launch is the one day it stops being lonely, the day an author finds out whether anyone else believes the question matters,” Shittu said.
He expressed appreciation to the guests who attended the event, noting that many had adjusted their professional schedules or travelled from outside Lagos to participate.
Shittu also acknowledged judges and lawyers, members of the academic community, anti-corruption agencies, the business community and the media for coming together for the presentation.
He said their participation reflected the kind of cross-sector engagement that the books seek to promote.
“You sat together in one room and listened to one another, which is exactly what these books hope for,” he said.
Reform proposals open to public debate
A major focus of the three-volume publication is the reform proposals and draft Bills contained in Volume I.
Shittu said the proposals should no longer be regarded as his personal intellectual property alone but should become part of a wider national conversation on unexplained wealth and accountability.
“The reform proposals and draft Bills in Volume I now belong to all of us, not to me,” he said.
He urged readers and stakeholders to scrutinise the proposals, use them in legal and policy discussions, and challenge areas they consider defective.
“I hope you will read the volumes, argue with them, quote them in court, and correct them where they are wrong,” he said.
The senior lawyer further offered to remain available to stakeholders interested in engaging with the proposals, saying his office and telephone remained open to contributions and criticism.
The publication comes amid continuing public debate in Nigeria over asset declaration, illicit enrichment, financial accountability and the mechanisms available to the state for tracing and explaining suspicious wealth.
Shittu thanks guests, family, staff
Shittu also recognised members of his family and staff of W. K. Shittu & Co. for their role in organising the event and supporting the production of the books.
He extended particular appreciation to those who presided over the programme, reviewed the books, delivered remarks and goodwill messages, offered prayers and otherwise contributed to the event.
He also apologised to guests who may not have received the level of hospitality or materials expected during the presentation.
“If anything on the day fell short of the welcome you deserved, a greeting missed, a seat further back than it should have been, a set not yet in your hands, please forgive us, and allow us to put it right,” he said.
Shittu said the book launch should not be regarded as the conclusion of the project, stressing that its substantive engagement begins after publication.
“A book does not end at its launch, that is where its real life begins,” he said.
