by punch
The House of Representatives on Thursday ordered an investigation into a “multi-billion naria” mansion said to belong to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe.
The property, located at Mabushi in the Federal Capital Territory, was said to have been built for the minister by a construction firm, SETRACO.
The House endorsed a motion sponsored by Mr. Odeneye Kehinde on the matter and resolved to probe the ownership of the property.
The committees on Anti-Corruption, Drugs/Narcotics/Financial Crimes and Justice were directed to conduct the investigation within 21 days and produce a report.
Kehinde noted that the property had been one of the issues dominating discussions lately in the country.
He said, “There is no evidence that the minister declared the house in his asset declaration with the Code of Conduct Bureau.”
He expressed surprise that neither the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission nor the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission had considered the issue important for investigation.
Part of the motion he presented before the House read, “It is saddening for me to have to come up with a motion of this nature to address a matter which ought to have been taken up by our anti-corruption agencies.
“This motion is brought against the backdrop of mounting disclosures of corrupt practices levelled against a sitting minister by some anti-corruption outfits in the country.
“A summary of the allegation runs thus:
The minister has paid for so many phantom projects.
“The minister is presently resident in a house at Mabushi District Abu]a built and handed over to him by SETRACO, a construction company that doubles as his crony.”
He added, “The minister’s failure to declare the said house in his asset declaration form with Code of Conduct Bureau, is a case of perjury if established.
“The minister’s financial escapades and liaisons are in Dubai and other corruption shelters overseas.
“These weighty allegations were at first peremptorily rubbished and dismissed by the minister as handiwork of his detractors and some mischief-makers who were out for extortion.
“Since then, he has unfortunately laboured hard using the media to fault these revelations.”
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