How Orubebe’s Secret Property In Abuja Was Discovered -Witness

Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr.Godsday Orubebe,on Thursday appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja to answer for the one count charge of false asset declaration brought agains
t him by the Federal government.

Orubebe,who served as Minister of Special duties under late President Musa Yar’adua and later served as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs under President Jonathan, was accused of failing to declare a property he owns at Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja.

The first prosecution witness, Samuel Madojemu, an official of the Code of Conduct Bureau, testified against Orubebe. He said,

“The defendant declared his assets to the bureau by virtue of his position as a public officer and as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I was instructed to invite him to the bureau for the purpose of obtaining his statement on the allegations and intelligence report that was being handled by the bureau concerning him.

“I invited him. He promised to respond by sending his legal team. He also promised that he might decide to come in person but he did not come.

“My lord, the bureau issued him with Form CCB 1 which is the bureau’s asset declaration form and he made his declaration between 2007 and 2011 – the period under investigation.

“The Code of Conduct Bureau issued the defendant the Form CCB 1 five times. For those five times, he made his asset declaration to the bureau.

“My lord, after we received the form, we examined the form as part of our procedures of investigation to ascertain if there was over-declaration or under-declaration.

“We conducted intelligence assessment on the declaration made by the defendant. We discovered that there were some other plots or properties that were traced to the defendant, Godsday Orubebe.

“We conducted record examination by writing a letter to the Federal Capital Territory’s Department of Land Administration.

“My lord, in their response, which was in writing, it was indicated that Plot 2057, Asokoro District, for which the Certificate of Occupancy was issued on April 10, 2011, belonged to the defendant.

“We thereafter compared the information arising from the response from the FCT Land Administration Department with the information on asset declaration forms submitted to the bureau between 2007 and 2011 and discovered that Plot 2057, Asokoro District, belonging to the defendant was not declared, even as of May 29, 2011 when he left office.

“Apart from the letter from the FCT Land Administration registry, we also received the Certified True Copy of the Certificate of Occupancy in respect of Plot number 2057 issued to the defendant.

“We also received the CTC of the Right of Occupancy for that same Plot No. 2057 issued to the defendant.

“Also received from the FCT Land Administration registry was a letter of authority given to one Rodney, an engineer, by the defendant, authorising him to collect the Certificate of Occupancy and the Right of Occupancy from the FCT Land registry. It was supported by the (passport) page of the defendant.”

The trial was adjourned till April 14 for cross-examination of the witness.