Elder Godsday Orubebe, the former ministerof Niger Delta Affairs, has claimed Nigeria is paying him back for his service with unjust criminal charges against him.Orubebe made this known during his trial on Thursday, June 2, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), over alleged failureto declare his assets in 2011.According to the ex-minister, he regrets serving Nigeria in ministerial capacity, This Day reports.Orubebe, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Selekowei Larry (SAN), told the tribunal that the charges against him were uncalled for because the property for which he was arraigned does not belong to him.
Godsday Orubebe, ex-minister of Niger Delta Affairs, has claimed Nigeria is paying him back for his service with criminal charges against himHe claimed that despite serving Nigeria diligently and energetically for six years andfour months, the payback for his service was the criminal charges brought against him unjustly.He said:“Let me make this point now here before this tribunal that the only regret I have for serving this country is this trial. It is very unfortunate, it is regrettable and it is shameful. I am sad and my heart is heavy because I am put on trial on mere empty land in the bush here in Abuja officially given to me by the same government I served.“Nigerians may not know this and I wish to say it out that during the peak of the militancy in the Niger Delta, I slept with the militants in the Creek for two weeks, negotiated with them on how to adopt peaceful approach for their demands, and inthe end, my efforts brought peace to this country and our oil companies have their peace and Nigeria was better for it in the area of security and economy because of my efforts, only to be compensated with this trial that has destabilized me.“I still love this country but, I have a pain in my neck. I have respect for government andits policies. If the Code of Conduct Bureau had invited me for clarifications on my asset forms, I would have honoured them because it is a simple thing to do and because my conscience is clear.”Speaking on the property for which he was arraigned, Orubebe claimed that he did not declare Plot 2057 in Asokoro District of Abuja because as at the time he was leaving government in 2011, he had sold offthe land to pay debt of his house rent of twoyears.Orubebe told the CCT that government allocated the land in dispute to him but that he sold it to his landlord, Akinwumi Ajibola for N10 million to offset the two-year house rent debt owed him.
According to him, it would have been criminal for him to claim ownership of the property he had sold off and the Certificate of Occupancy handed over to the buyer before he left office. Hence, the ex-minister urged the tribunal to dismiss the charge against him because he had not breached any law as far as the property in dispute was concerned. Another witness of the former minister, who, incidentally was the former landlord, Ajibola confirmed that Orubebe was his tenant at Drive 2, House 3, Ministers Quarters, Mabushi, Abuja, and that the tenant was indebted to him to the tune of N10 million for the two-year house rent. Ajibola claimed to be a real estate developer and chief executive of Didention Properties Limited. He informed the tribunal that Orubebe parted with the empty land allocated to him in lieu of the debt and that the Certificate of Occupancy handed over to him at the end of the transaction.
Danladi Umar, the tribunal chairman however adjourned judgment in the matter till June 30.The federal government had last year October filed a court count charge put bordering on failure to declare in his assets form at the end of his service, the land with Plot No. 2057 allocated to him by government, and collection of bribe of about N70 million against the former minister. Orubebe was appointed minister of Niger Delta on April 6, 2010 when acting president at that time Goodluck Jonathan announced his new cabinet.
No comments:
Post a Comment