Keyamo hits back at critics saying his bought his US property before becoming a minister

NIGERIA'S minister of state for labour and productivity Festus Keyamo has hit back at critics calling him names for acquiring a house in the US saying he has not breached any government regulations and the property was not bought with public funds.

Last week on April 20, Mr Keyamo shared a 14-seconds-long video clip showing him in a white hoodie and sneakers in front of an apartment he had bought in the US. He jogged along the walkway that partitioned the well-manicured lawns in front of the house into green squares and the video ended with him continuing to jog in short steps.

In the video, Mr Keyamo, who served as a spokesperson for president-elect Bola Tinubu’s election campaign, said he was trying to keep fit while enjoying his vacation. However, the video attracted criticism, with many questioning the source of the funding for the acquisition of the property.

Many of the critics deplored it as the usual practice of Nigerian public officers being quick to rush abroad where security and a clean environment is more guaranteed. However, Mr Keyamo said he posted the video as bait to his critics, whom he described as folks of low moral standards.

He tweeted: “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.

“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."

Mr Keyamo said he had made enough money to purchase the properties long before his appointment as a minister. He recalled how he first made the first declaration of his foreign accounts after his appointment into the board of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

He narrated how he intimated the relevant government agencies of his intention to repatriate the funds from the foreign accounts and his later decision to buy properties with the funds. He gave indication that all the assets were duly declared to Code of Conduct Bureau, the statutory body empowered to receive public officers’ assets declaration forms.