The Minister
of State for Labour and Employment in Nigeria, Festus Keyamo, has addressed the
controversy surrounding a property he acquired in the United States of America.
The Minister had been trending on social media platforms in Nigeria, with some
accusing him of acquiring the property with stolen funds.
In response
to the allegations, Keyamo took to his verified Twitter handle to clarify that
he did not acquire the house with stolen funds. He confirmed that the property
belonged to him, and he had acquired it with money he made from his legal
practice.
Keyamo
explained that he had written to relevant government agencies on March 6, 2019,
informing them of the closure of his foreign account(s) and the repatriation of
the funds to the country. He stated that the foreign funds were lying in his
accounts until he was appointed Minister in 2019. In 2021, he wrote to the
relevant agencies, informing them of the movement of those funds out of the
country to purchase the property as a better investment decision.
The Minister
said that he had been trying to bait his critics, whom he referred to as sore
losers at the last elections, with a video of his vacation in “one of my
properties abroad” amid a light workout. He laughed at how they had fallen for
the bait and seemed to view everyone from their depraved universe, assuming
everyone would wallow in the same moral squalor as them.
Keyamo
stated that the building was the cheapest of his several properties, and it was
laughable that some people thought he could not afford such a property after
his 30 years of active, high-profile practice of law. He added that his
flourishing and manned law chambers and his real estate investments were still
far more financially profitable than serving Nigeria.
The Minister
explained that he had been underrated because he chose to live a simple and
modest life and was not given to the ostentatious display of wealth. He also
made it clear that he did not need government funds or patronage to get by, and
his labor of love for his country was not financially driven.
In summary,
the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has provided
clarification on the controversy surrounding a property he acquired in the
United States of America. He confirmed that the property belonged to him and
was acquired with money he made from his legal practice. Keyamo explained the
process he followed in repatriating the funds and acquiring the property and
laughed off the allegations of acquiring the property with stolen funds. He
stated that he had been underrated and chose to live a simple and modest life,
not given to the ostentatious display of wealth.
