The item in Friday's Guardian demonstrates why institutions from Transparency International to the International Monetary Fund and the White House have hailed the former general who has vowed to root our high-level corruption and whose anti-corruption task force has already nailed the country's top police official, the cabinet-level Minister of Education and the President of the Nigerian Senate.
Given the vast sums of money that have disappeared into private hands at the hands of former Nigerian rulers like Sani Abacha, whose Swiss bank accounts were recently emptied to return $550 million to the Nigerian government, there is little question
that the endemic poverty that condemns most of Nigeria's population a life of grinding poverty, illiteracy and disease can be substantially alleviated by a new order of corruption-free government.
While no one believes any government can be completely free of corruption, Obasanjo's tough-minded approach and hard-nosed support for his Economic Financial Crimes Commission investigators has stunned Nigerian politicans who are accustomed to a wide range of political favors and bribes as an ordinary facet of doing business.
The Nigerian House of Representatives has been particularly inflamed by the EFCC's investigations, which are likely to hit home in coming weeks, according to warnings published ibn the Nigerian press from EFCC officials.
Here is the remarkable story from the Guardian:
Obasanjo queries minister, cancels sale of govt houses
by Martin Oloja and Muyiwa Adeyemi
LAGOS -- In a letter dripping with anger, President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday directed the Minister of Housing and Urban Development Mrs. Mobolaji Osomo, to cancel the sale of 207 Federal Government's landed property in Lagos, in a manner he considered "surreptitious."
The houses were allegedly sold to several well-heeled Nigerians and their companies without due process. At least eight of such houses were sold to some members of Mrs. Stella Obasanjo's family, according to a document sent to the president by anonymous persons.
The document listed the houses sold before bidding as situated in Ikoyi, Lagos. The names of the beneficiaries include Vice President Atiku Abubukar, Senate President Adolphus Wabara, Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Director General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Dora Akunyili, some governors and serving ministers.
Obasanjo, in his letter, upbraided Osomo for short-circuiting the due process in the sale. Osomo, in an interview with The Guardian, however, said that the allocation had been made before the government's decision to sell the houses through competitive bidding.
The president's letter reads: "I must express my great displeasure, in very clear terms, about the way you seem to be handling the sale of Federal Government property in Lagos.
"I have a document sent to me anonymously (copy attached) where two hundred and seven people had been allocated or offered land/property for sale surreptitiously; some with full payment, some with deposit and some without payment at all."
He continued: "I also feel personally embarrassed that almost all members of my wife's family are on that list. As it is, the entire list will be cancelled without fail, the money collected should be refunded and all the property will be advertised for sale except those allocated to Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari and Chief Emeka Anyaoku which had been approved long before this exercise on special conditions of encouraging their relocation to Nigeria on the basis of current value plus 10 per cent."
Obasanjo directed the minister to "report faithful compliance with this instruction."
The President was said to have told a relation of his last weekend at his Ota farm to steer clear of buying any of the government property.
A source told The Guardian that eight certificates of the property were last week handed over to Mrs Obasanjo. They included the property allegedly allocated to Mr. Henry Abebe at 23 Milverton Road to the tune of N158,400,000.
Dr. Yemisi Abebe got 12, Ikoya Avenue, Ikoyi at N80,400,000 while her husband, who is a personal assistant to the first lady, Dr. John Abebe, was given the property at 1B, Iru Close at N64,800,000.
Mrs. Franca Abebe was allotted the property at 7B Maroko, close at N57,600,000. Those who had made part-payment were the Senate President Wabara who was allotted the property at 23, Queens Drive, Ikoyi, at N208,800,000. He had paid N50 million.
Osun State governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has reportedly made full payment for the property on 16, Alexander Avenue, Ikoyi, at N112,800,000.
Mr. Felix Odimegwu of the Nigerian Breweries Plc was reportedly allotted two property, 20, Lugard Avenue at N98,400,000 and 22A, Lugard Avenue at N79,200,000. He had paid in full for the two.
It was learnt that the allocation to Kwara State governor Bukola Saraki was re-allocated to a military chief when the payment from the governor was either delayed or not forthcoming.
Members of the judiciary who had reportedly fully paid for their allocations include: Hon. Justice A.O Ejiwunmi who was allotted 1, Gerrard Road at N97,200,000 and according to the document, he has paid in full.
Hon. Justice Roseline Ukeje was allegedly allotted 1, Temple Road, Ikoyi at N697,200,000 but she had not made any payment according to the document.
Osomo last night said: "The President's directive also affects all the applications for bulk purchase by different agencies and arms of government such as the Army, the Navy, Air Force, Customs, NEPA, JOMALIC, Supreme Court, etc."
She explained that "the President wants all the stakeholders to pay for them."
The minister explained that "the transactions covering the 207 units people were talking and complaining about were the units offered to some applicants before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) decision on the federal property in Lagos."
She reiterated that "there were no secret sales by the ministry or the committee. The issue now is that Mr. President wants all Nigerians to bid for the houses."
Mrs. Osomo explained that the issue of selling the vice president's residence did not arise as it was a national monument, such as the (State House) Dodan Barracks in Lagos.
On the First Lady's sibblings who featured in the annulled list, she said: "No one can detect the identity of First Lady's men and women as she no longer bears her name. And in any case, those people are Nigerians who are entitled to bid. Since no one is saying we have sold them to anybody at reduced prices or given them free of charge, we are okay."
The Guardian learnt yesterday that Lagos State has written to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development that some of the Ikoyi houses, including 43 transferred to the state but still being occupied by Federal Government staff should be returned to them.
The minister said yesterday that the ministry had acknowledged the receipt of the letter and it is receiving attention.
Minister of Justice, Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi, was allotted 41, Glover Road at N96 million and his Works counterpart, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, got 9, Alexander Avenue at N94.8 million. Both of them have not made any payment, according to the document.
Those who have made full payment but had their allocation cancelled by Obasanjo include Rear Admiral Michael Onoh who paid N56.4 million for the property at 1A, Oroke Drive, Ikoyi, Rear Admiral Abolarin E.A. paid N10.4 million for the property at 9, Bank Road, Ikoyi, Alhaji Abubakar Malam had paid N84.6 million for the property at 7, Bell Avenue while one Chief Ogunleye had made payment for the property at 5, Lugard Avenue at the sum of N67.2 million.
Others include Grace Z. Egbagbe who paid N54 million for 6A, Milverton Road, Brig.-Gen. J.D. Akinyemi had paid N76.8 million for 40A, Bourdillion Road, Major General M.C. Osahon had also paid N93.6 million for 8, Ikoyi Crescent while one General A.A. Abubakar had fully paid N130 million for the deal properties at 19A/21B, Macdonald Road, Ikoyi.
Some corporate organisations that had fully paid for their allocations include well Property Development Company, which paid N79.2 million for 33 Queens Drive, Chyfrank Nigeria Limited paid N94.8 million for 22 Thompson road, Ikoyi, Adenoil Electrical Engineering Company paid N60 million for 34 Cooper Road, while Messrs Just Properties Limited paid N84,456 million for 25 Ilabere Close. Also Messrs Atrine Properties Limited paid N72 million for 23 Ilabere Close and Forte Properties and Investment Limited paid N132 million to 18 Osborne Polysonic Nigeria Limited paid N79.2 million for 27, Cameron Road, Craft Union Estate Development Company paid N70.8 million for 46, Alexander Avenue and Glorem Investment Limited paid N57.6 million for 23 Cameroon Road.
Guardian Newspapers Limited (All Rights Reserved).
1 comment:
OR....Obasanjo could have known about the "sale" and be covering his and his wife's reputation by exposing in advance of his own embarassment. The long-standing history of corruption in Nigeria is the greatest threat to ERHE's interests.
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