Keyamo Opens Up On Acquiring Properties Abroad With Public Funds

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has opened up on acquiring several properties abroad, saying he did not buy them with public funds.

Naija News reports that this comes a few days after Keyamo was dragged on social media when he appeared before a building worth over $300,000 in the United States of America.

While responding to critics, in a post shared on Twitter, the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, confirmed that the property belongs to him and he acquired it with money made from legal practice.

According to him, he decided to bait the horde of those he described as sore losers at the last elections with a video of his vacation in one of his properties abroad as he did a light workout and they fell terribly for it.

Giving an account of how he bought the property, Keyamo said he had, on March 6, 2019, written to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of his foreign account(s) and the repatriation of the funds to the country being some savings he had made as a private legal practitioner and a property investor over decades.

He said some people seemed to underrate him because he had chosen to live a simple life and avoid public display of wealth.

Keyamo added that people like him do not need government funds to get by.

He wrote: “Two days ago, I decided to bait the horde of sore losers at the last elections with a video of my vacation in one of my properties abroad as I did a light workout. Expectedly, they fell so terribly for the bait.

“Being folks of low moral standards, they seem to view everyone from their own depraved universe. Given same position of public trust and authority, I bet they would easily compromise. So, they assume everyone will wallow in the same moral squalor like them.

“For some of us who have built a huge reputation of honour, integrity and accountability and championed the fight against corruption — long before public office- probity and openness remain our guiding principles.

“By letters dated March 6, 2019 (long before I was appointed a Minister and immediately I was appointed a Board member of the NDIC), and in line with our Constitution, I wrote to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of my foreign account(s) and the repatriation of my funds to the country, being some savings I had made as a private legal practitioner and a property investor over decades.  

“So, I had a good laugh when I saw the trending issues regarding just one of my properties in the US. It is even very laughable to think that after active, high-profile practice of law culminating in my privilege as a member of the Inner Bar (together with being an International Arbitrator) and thoughtful investments in real estate spanning over 30 years, I cannot afford such a relatively modest property.

“Understandably, some people seem to underrate us because we live a simple, modest life and we are not given to ostentatious display of wealth and the vanities of life like some people do. 

“Some of us don’t need Government funds or patronage to get by. Whatever we do and whoever we support is out of our deep convictions. And yes, we have worked our socks off in the last 30 years”