Keyamo refutes allegations of acquiring foreign property with public funds

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has refuted claims he used public funds to purchase a property in the United States of America.

Keyamo posted a 14-second video of himself jogging in front of a US building he purportedly bought with a $300,000 price tag on social media with the caption, “Thank you, Mr President, ⁦Muhammadu Buhari, and President-elect, Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, for a well-deserved vacation. Keeping fit in my neighbourhood”.

The video, on the other hand, sparked a massive backlash, with many questioning the minister about the source of the funding for acquiring the property.

In response to the criticism, Keyamo stated that he obtained the US property legally and that the house is the least of his possessions.

He noted that he posted the video with the intention of baiting a horde of sore losers from the 2023 general elections, whom he described as “folks of low moral standards.”

“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, the 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,” Keyamo stated.

Keyamo added that he acquired the US home for over $300,000 shortly after he was appointed minister in 2019 and that he made the claim before becoming a public official.

“In 2021, I again wrote to the relevant agencies (by letters dated January 22, 2021), informing them of the movement of those funds out of the country to purchase a property as a better investment decision, instead of the funds lying idly in the account whilst I am in public office.

“The letters were duly acknowledged. I followed up again with WhatsApp chats the same day with the heads of those agencies, informing them of the delivery of those letters and the contents of the letters, and they acknowledged receipt.

“I have the acknowledged copies of those letters, and those chats and replies are still on my phone, showing the dates of those chats,” he noted.

Keyamo also stated that his private legal practice and real estate investments were more financially profitable than his ministerial appointment.

“Ours is a labour of love to my country. My asset declaration is there for all to see. (Again, this is verifiable.) , Some of us don’t need government funds or patronage to get by. Whatever we do and whoever we support is out of our deep convictions. And yes, we have worked our socks off in the last 30 years!”