Arrest Keyamo Now And Not Private Developers – HURIWA Tells EFCC

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Tuesday tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), under the leadership of Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, to focus and direct its attention on public functionaries.

It said that one of such public officers that should attract the attention of the EFCC is the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Kayamo, who admitted making purchases of multi-billion Naira worth of exotic and expensive housing assets offshores including a mansion in the United States of America while still serving as a cabinet level public officer.

HURIWA noted that the focus on Keyamo by the EFCC would yield better results than the planned clamp down on private estate developers which is being perceived as witch hunt.

It specifically said that instead of going after genuine private estate developers because of some anti-Igbo and anti-Southern Nigerian agenda, the EFCC should be arresting many rogue ministers some of whom have frittered public funds.

HURIWA wondered why the EFCC has left public officials with allegations of heists of public fund but sought to destroy the private housing sector in this post COVID-19 era when businesses are folding up.

The Rights group also said that the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management should also attract the strong attention of the EFCC if the anti-corruption body is patriotically committed to eradicating corruption and abuse of office.

HURIWA in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko admonished the EFCC to avoid distractions and shadow chasing gambit of waging economic stagnating warfare against genuine private estate developers who are largely from Southern Nigeria.

HURIWA further said; “EFCC should stop acting as government lap dog and for once be decisive, courageous, independent and apolitical by arresting or at least inviting the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Kayamo, who boasted that he purchase several assets even as a serving minister.

“Keyamo’s cock and bull story of how he amassed unpardonable and humongous amount of offshore assets from proceeds of his law firm before assuming public office as a Minister is a red herring because it is a notorious fact that Keyamo was just a garrulous and noisy lawyer who ironically became media savvy after he worked under the successful Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) legal offices but is not truly a very proficient lawyer to have attracted such humongous amount to an extent that they (huge were lying idle in his accounts so much so that he had to buy mansions from such proceeds even as a public office holder.

“The conspiratorial silence of Abdulrasheed Bawa is unpardonable and abominable,” it said.

HURIWA also noted that a self-acclaimed whistle blower alleged that Keyamo owns a house worth over one billion Naira situated in Ikoyi, Lagos.

It said; “According to the whistle blower, who is also an investigative journalist, the Secret house is located at No. 8, Mekunwen Street, off Queens Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos. Keyamo bought the land in 2019 for almost one billion naira and demolished it to build the structure. He even challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go and verify the claim”.

HURIWA noted that Keyamo was yet to respond to the allegation of the one billion Naira Ikoyi house in Lagos thus challenged the EFCC to look at the allegation and shed more light on the transaction that indicated that Keyamo bought the houses after news of the controversial forty billion Naira for 774,000 jobs project hit the internet.

The Rights group also said that the House of Representatives’ Committee on Youths, Labour, Finance and Appropriations, in November 2021, carried out a probe into the non-implementation of the scheme.

HURIWA said the EFCC need to carry out forensic investigations into the special works initiative handled by Kayamo against the background of multiple accusations that he bought those choice assets same time that the Presidential assignment took place.