Nigerian Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has publicly addressed accusations surrounding a property he owns in the United States, vehemently denying allegations that the house was purchased with illicit funds.
Earlier this week, Keyamo became the subject of social media speculation after he was seen in front of a U.S. property worth over $300,000. Critics questioned the source of the funds used to acquire the asset, insinuating corrupt practices.
In a statement released via Twitter on Saturday, April 22, 2023, Keyamo confirmed ownership of the property and explained that it was purchased through earnings from his legal practice, rather than through misappropriated funds.
“I decided to bait the horde of those I call sore losers at the last elections with a video of my vacation in one of my properties abroad,” Keyamo wrote. “Expectedly, they fell so terribly for the bait, assuming everyone will wallow in the same moral squalor as them.”
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…
— Festus Keyamo, SAN (@fkeyamo) April 22, 2023
The Minister went on to detail the financial trajectory that led to the property purchase. According to Keyamo, on March 6, 2019, he notified relevant government agencies of his intention to close his foreign accounts and repatriate funds back to Nigeria. The savings, Keyamo explained, were accrued over decades from his private legal practice and property investments.
These funds, according to the Minister, remained dormant in his accounts until his ministerial appointment in 2019. In 2021, he informed the agencies of his plans to move the funds out of Nigeria to purchase a property abroad.
“The funds were lying idly in the account whilst I am in public office,” he explained. “Moving them to purchase a property was a better investment decision.”
Addressing the controversy surrounding the property, Keyamo expressed amusement, describing the speculation as “laughable.”
“Some seem to underestimate me because I choose to live a simple and modest life,” Keyamo stated, adding that the U.S. property was “about the cheapest of my several properties.”
Keyamo ended his statement with a declaration of patriotism and self-sustainability, stating, “Some of us don’t need government funds or patronage to get by. Ours is a labour of love to my country.”
Despite the Minister’s clarification, social media continues to buzz with debates and discussions about the controversial property.
