Ekweremadu challenges govt’s plan to seize his 22 undeclared houses

Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has filed a motion before the Federal High Court in Abuja opposing the Federal Government’s ex parte application seeking the forfeiture of his 22 “undeclared” houses in Nigeria, and different countries abroad

Ekweremadu in his motion is asking the court to dismiss the application on the basis that the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property had no locus standi to file a suit for the forfeiture of his houses.

According to the lawmaker, the fact that the presidential panel was established by a military decree in 1983, is enough for the court to declare the panel unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

He added that the decree establishing the panel had since been replaced by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) pursuant to the provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau/Tribunal Act and the 1999 Constitution.

“A dead panel” has no locus standi to, on behalf of the Federal Government, probe and apply for an interim court order for the forfeiture of his 22 assets, Ekweremadu told the court, adding that the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and not the Federal High Court, has jurisdiction to entertain matters that has to do with assets declaration by a public officer.

The presidential panel led by Okoi-Obono-Obla had on March 21, 2018 filed the ex parte motion and asked the court for interim forfeiture of the 22 houses pending the conclusion of the investigation of Ekweremadu’s alleged failure to declare the properties as part of his assets.

In the ex parte motion, the panel’s lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), said that “preliminary investigation by the applicant revealed that a prima facie case of a breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers has been made out against the respondent (Ekweremadu).”

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Ekweremadu was said to have acquired the houses between 2007 and 2015 but failed to declare them as his assets in June 2007 and June 2015.

The houses are said to be nine in Abuja, two in London, the United Kingdom, eight in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate and three in Florida, the United States.

Justice Murtala Nyako of the Abuja Division has been assigned to preside on the matter but no date has been slated for hearing.

 

 

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