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Minister of State for Labor and Productivity Festus Keyamo explained on Saturday how he acquired a house in the United e, f ñvollowing angry reactions to his recent onlinetuuee3 video clip showing him in the house.
Mr. Keyamo shared a 14 second video video clip on April 20 showing him in a white sweatshirt and sneakers in front of an apartment. She ran down the sidewalk that divided the manicured lawn in front of the house into squares of green.
The video ended with the minister turning his head back as he put on his hood, approached the camera and continued jogging with short steps.
The minister, who also served as a spokesman for President-elect Bola Tinubu’s campaign organization during the 2023 presidential election, captioned the video to show that he was trying to keep fit while enjoying his vacation.
The video drew criticism, with many questioning the source of funding for the property’s acquisition. Many of the critics deplored it as a regular practice of Nigerian civil servants rushing abroad where safety and clean environment are more guaranteed.
Mr Keyamo, in another tweet on Saturday, he said he posted the video as bait to his critics, whom he described as “people of low moral standards.”
“Two days ago, I decided to provoke the horde of sore losers in the last elections with a video of me vacationing at ONE OF MY PROPERTIES abroad while doing some light training. Unsurprisingly, they fell for the bait terribly,” he wrote.
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He said he acquired several assets, including the one shown in the video, with the proceeds of his law practice and wise real estate investments over 30 years.
“So, I had a good laugh when I saw the issues trending regarding just one of my properties in the US. It is even very ridiculous to think that after a high-profile and active practice of law that culminated in my privilege as member of the Inner Bar (as well as being an International Arbitrator) and thoughtful real estate investments spanning over 30 years, I cannot afford such a relatively modest property,” the minister wrote.
“I made money to buy houses before being a minister”
Keyamo said that he had earned enough money to buy the properties long before his appointment as minister.
He recalled how he first made the first declaration of his foreign accounts after his appointment to the board of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
He recounted how he hinted to the relevant government agencies about his intention to repatriate the funds from the offshore accounts and his subsequent decision to purchase property with the funds. He indicated that all assets were duly declared before the Code of Conduct Office (CCB), a statutory body empowered to receive asset declaration forms from public officials.
“By letters dated March 6, 2019 (long before I was appointed Minister and immediately appointed to the NDIC Board), and in accordance with our Constitution, I wrote to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of my( s) foreign account(s) and the repatriation of my funds to the country, being some savings that I had made as a private lawyer and real estate investor for decades.
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“The numbers of those accounts, both abroad and in Nigeria, were clearly stated in those letters. Those foreign funds were in my accounts until my appointment as Minister at the end of 2019 and were part of my asset declaration.
“In 2021, I wrote to the relevant agencies again (through letters dated January 22, 2021), informing them of the movement of those funds out of the country to buy a property as a better investment decision, rather than the funds remaining idle in the account while in public office,” said the minister.
He added that the letters were duly charged and that that same day he followed up with the heads of said agencies through WhatsApp chats, informing them about the delivery of the letters and their content.
“…the acknowledged copies of those letters and those chats and replies are still on my phone, showing the dates of those chats,” he said.
‘I’m being underestimated’
Keyamo also said that the nasty reactions to his video clip showed that he was being underestimated. He said this was possible thanks to the low profile he kept.
“It is understandable that some people seem to underestimate us because we live a simple and modest life and are not given to ostentatious displays of wealth and the vanities of life as some people do. Hahaha,” he said.
He said critics whom he described as “haters” should prepare for more videos as the apartment he showed “is the CHEAPEST of my various properties.”
“Those who have been VERY CLOSE to me over the years know exactly what I’m talking about. My prosperous and well-attended Chambers of Lawyers (while I’m away on national mission) and my real estate investments continue to be financially much more profitable than serving my country. Ours is a labor of love to my country. My Asset Statement is there for all to see. (Again, this is verifiable)”, affirmed the minister.
Keyamo also said that his law firm was more financially profitable than his ministerial appointment.
“My prosperous and well-attended Chambers of Lawyers (while I’m away on national assignment) and my real estate investments continue to be much more financially profitable than serving my country.
“Ours is a labor of love for my country. My Asset Statement is there for all to see. (Again, this is verifiable),” Keyamo wrote.
He added: “Some of us don’t need government funding or sponsorship to get by. Whatever we do and whoever we support is out of our deep convictions. And yes, we have knocked our socks off in the last 30 years!”
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Let here it in the comment below if you do have an opinion on this; How I acquired my properties abroad – Keyamo
