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"FOR the avoidance of doubt, I wish to restate my resolve to submit myself to any inquiry anywhere in Nigeria, United States of America, United Kingdom or Europe as far as my assets declaration is concerned; and I challenge other leaders and political office holders to follow suit".

With these words, Governor Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State challenged Abia Elders Forum, a group which tasked him on his assets declaration which is currently a subject of litigation by the Code of Conduct Bureau.

The governor, in a press statement, last night, said the Abia Elders Forum is made up of political jobbers, charlatans and expired office holders, explaining that it made inaccurate "claims in its morbid effort to smear my integrity and divert attention from the truth".

The statement, in part, reads: "I make bold to say that all the allegations raised by the group at the press conference are absolutely false and designed, by the sponsors of the group, to destroy my political career and reputation. It is no longer news that my person and office as governor have come under severe and repeated attacks since I declared publicly interest in the presidency of our great country for 2007.

"I must confess that I am deeply worried by the way some persons play politics. All through my career as a politician I have played the game with candour, humaneness, decency, and without bitterness. The action of the so-called Abia Elders Forum amounted to nothing but barefaced falsehood, character assassination and ego-tripping –– all aimed at castigating my person, and justify the pittance they got from their sponsors.

"For the benefit of doubt, I wish to state unequivocally that I duly declared my assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau in accordance with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have addressed this issue copiously at several forums, and wonder why any right-thinking person should continue to allude to it.

"Let me state the umpteenth time, that in the Assets declaration form I filed with the Code of Conduct Bureau at the end of my first term as governor I declared the three (3) houses I owned abroad, in addition to other assets acquired by me before assuming office as governor. It is important to clarify that some time in July 2003 I had a cause to sell my house at Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and purchased another one at 14900 River Road, Potomac, Maryland, USA. This transaction was duly declared with the Code of Conduct Bureau in an addendum I submitted to it on October 1, 2003 after the process for its documentation in America was duly completed.

"For those familiar with how things work in America it is a compulsory civic duty to pay tax. It was, therefore, preposterous, and the height of ignorance on the part of the pseudonymous group to accuse me of paying tax on my properties abroad, even when they knew I am legal USA resident.

"Those picking hole with my assets declaration do so out of selfishness, crass individualism, arrogance and callousness. I have never hidden anything about my person or business from the public. In fact, I was the only governor who publicly declared a total asset package of over N2billion in 1999 before assumption of office.

"Why should anybody now make a fuss about my house in Potomac, Maryland, USA, when the cost of the property is slightly equal to the $1million (One million US dollars) I donated to President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Presidential campaign in 1999 at an exchange rate of N84 to the dollar?"

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Originally posted by Ochiwar:
there is no serving or past nigerian governor that is not guilty of buying mansion.
As to Orji Uzor Kalu, he has been buying property both before and after he became a governor.
Note my use of the word "property", the house being valued at 0ne million dollars as compared to Atikus "mansion" valued at 50million$.
orji kalu is still safe. although OBJ will like to get at him by all means, but at the end of the Orji Kalu is atakata agbwòò ( swallow and vomit).

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atakata Agbwo na say you chew am but it no gree you swallow so you continue chew am till you vomit. Na idemili language be that.

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I actually work in this area and I know names that have passed through with dubious accounts that have not been made public. - osetutu

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The only prayer that corrupt politicians like Kalu have is that Obasanjo himself is equally guilty of corruption. --Seun

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Unfortunately, Orji Kalu is so unskillful in the manner he has raised allegations against Obasanjo that Kalu may have allerted the Otta farmer to begin covering his tracks better than he has been able to do before now.

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September , 2005



A SPECIAL PRESS STATEMENT





MY LIFE IN DANGER



I wish to bring to the attention of the general public of an orchestrated and devious plot by some unnamed, but highly-placed persons at the Presidency, to assassinate me. It is worrisome to observe that I have been receiving anonymous letters and telephone calls purporting to be from the presidency threatening to kill me in connection with the private letter I wrote to President Olusegun Obasanjo and which was publicized by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).



It is important to state that I do not treat these threats to my life with levity, especially when viewed from the quarters they are coming, and considering the precarious state of insecurity in our nation.



My indignation is worsened by the fact that some prominent Nigerians had been assassinated in the past without any traces of the perpetrators of the heinous crimes. Suffice it to say, that since the death of Bola Ige, Marshal Harry and, of late, A..K. Dikkibo, no panel of inquiry has been set up to unravel the identity of the murderers.



In addition, I have it on good authority that there are plans to change the policemen who have worked with me since assumption of office in 1999. What do they want to achieve by this if not to expose me to danger to enable them to achieve their satanic plot? But I assure them that we shall resist it stoutly.



Another part of the plot is to poison me whenever I visit Abuja or Lagos. The masterminds of this wicked plot have perfected their act and are waiting for a ripe opportunity to execute it. However, we are watching them closely.



I wonder why I should be eliminated for an innocuous letter I wrote to the President drawing attention to the profligacy and looting of public funds that have characterized his government since inception. When did it become a capital offence to exercise one’s constitutional freedom of expression? It is a norm in any democratic system for the citizens to air their views freely, but sadly this deviates sharply from the fascist regime, which our nation has gradually turned into, that thrives on state capitalism, militarism, and coercion.



I know the God I serve. I have implicit faith and trust in His ability to shield me from the snare of the fowler. My confidence can never be shaken by the cowardly and dastardly plots of evil men who masquerade as the messiahs of the people while in their hearts they harbour evil.



I shall continue to speak out against the wickedness that rule our lives until Nigeria is liberated from the clutches of the cabal that has held it prostrate.



Let me nonetheless warn that should any untoward thing happen to me the Presidency should be held absolutely responsible. Let me also warn that this nation will be thrown into an unstoppable conflagration should they succeed, at all, in achieving their callous and ungodly act.

Those engaged in the plotting should know that politics should be based on constructive criticism, justice, equity and fair play and not on rabid and uncouth individualism, egocentricity, intolerance, and intimidation as is the case in Nigeria today.



I sincerely weep for our fatherland.









ORJI UZOR KALU

GOVERNOR

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The Case of Money
Laundering & British Police
Ade Ogunyemi (London)
Aogunyemi2@aol.com


I am not in support of what the Bayelsa State Governor did. He should be tried and if found guilty, should be punished according to the law. Having said that, there was so much information published about one Olu Obasanjo's house in New York. We dont seem to hear anything about it again. These are not even the main reason why I am writing.

I live in London. It just occured to me that Abramovic (is that the right spelling of the name?), I mean the owner of Chelsea Football Club arrived in London from Russia with over 4 billion pounds. He was not arrested and I am yet to hear that he's been investigated London Police. He quickly bought Chelsea FC and that is his own 'immunity'. If you dont call that money laundering, I wonder what it is. I gathered another Russian has made enquiry of 60 million pounds bid to take over Everton Football Club and at least we all not how poor some part of Russia is - definitely poorer than Bayelsa State. Am I talking rubbish? Thanks.

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At a time a London court has remanded embattled Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in police cell over allegation of money laundering, Lagos lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Gani Fawehinmi says the governor risks a maximum imprisonment of 15 years if convicted.

In a statement made available to Daily Sun Thursday evening, Gani drew attention to the Criminal Justice Act, 1993 promulgated in UK to make money laundering a very serious crime.

"By this law, any governor, like Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who brings in money into the United Kingdom, which is a product of corrupt practices at home in Nigeria can be arrested, tried and convicted in the United Kingdom," Fawehinmi said.

On Wednesday, Alamieyeseigha was arraigned at the Bow Street Magistrate’s Court in London. He was slammed with three-count charge on money laundering totalling £1.8 million (N408.6 million). The governor pleaded not guilty, but was refused bail. He will remain in police custody until October 6 when the case is expected to come up for further hearing.

Gani said beside the Criminal Justice Act of 1993, there are other legislations on money laundering promulgated by the Parliament in England. These legislations, he said, "make it an offence for any bank or bank manager or bank official who fails to report to the British Police any lodgement in the bank account which is more than $10,000."

He said "in some cases, the failure to inform the police of lodgement above $10,000 carries a maximum imprisonment of 15 years." The lawyer said that Alamieyeseigha’s situation was a precarious one, because, according to him, "the British are not joking with their anti-corruption war" unlike, "here at home that anti-corruption crusade of the Federal Government is half-hearted."

Perhaps to put to rest arguments that President Olusegun Obasanjo could influence the release of Alamieyeseigha through his friendship with British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Fawehinmi stressed the degree of independence the British police exercise in the discharge of their duty. "In England, the police and other law enforcement agents are not subject to the control of the prime minister."

The lawyer dismissed the argument in some quarters that British police ought not to have arrested and detained the governor, saying: "The law creates offences which relate to the laundering of money which is the proceeds of criminal conduct other than drugs trafficking and terrorism. One of the implications of this Act is that you can be prosecuted in the United Kingdom for laundering the proceeds of criminal conduct even though the conduct all took place overseas."

On the question of immunity, Gani said Alamieyeseigha has no immunity in Britain.
"As far as international law is concerned, Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has no immunity from arrest in any country outside Nigeria."
He said "under the United Kingdom Act stated above, Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has no immunity and he can be arrested, criminally investigated, criminally tried and criminally convicted if he has criminally committed any offence."

Fawehinmi explained that under international law, only the head of a sovereign state enjoys immunity, stressing that by state, he meant "nation state and not a geographical or political division within a nation state, like Bayelsa State."

He also spoke on UK Immunity Act of 1978, saying the Act "is worthy of consideration in the Diepreye Alamieyeseigha debacle. Under the Act, no governor of Nigeria has immunity in the United Kingdom." The lawyer explained that Section 14 of the Act "which is the heart of the legislation, applies to any foreign or Commonwealth State other than the United Kingdom."

Quoting relevant sub-sections of Section 14 (1) of the Act, Fawehinmi said, it applies to only sovereign or other head of that state in his public capacity, (b) the government of that state and (c) any department of that government, but not to any entity (hereafter referred to as a "separate entity") which is distinct from the executive organs of the government of the state and capable of suing or being sued."
According to the legal luminary, "the customary international law recognises nation state and not a geographical or political division within a nation state as deserving immunity for the head of that nation state.

"None of the 36 governors