Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe
The civil record of former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe was dented today as the Code of Conduct Tribunal convicted him for failure to declare his property at Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja, in any of the assets declaration forms he completed as a minister.
The Danladi Umar-led tribunal in its judgment ordered that the property which Orubebe failed to declare be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Reading the judgment, Umar said, “The tribunal has been satisfied with the prosecution that up till now, it is the name of the accused person that is with the Federal Capital Territory Land Registry as the owner of the property and not DW1/DIVENTION PROPERTIES LIMITED.The civil record of former minister of Niger Delta Affair, Mr. Godsday Orubebe was dainted today as the Code of Conduct Tribunal convicted him for failure to declare his property at Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja, in any of the assets declaration forms he completed as a minister.
The Danladi Umar-led tribunal in its judgment ordered that the property which Orubebe failed to declare be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Reading the judgment, Umar said, “The tribunal has been satisfied with the prosecution that up till now, it is the name of the accused person that is with the Federal Capital Territory Land Registry as the owner of the property and not DW1/DIVENTION PROPERTIES LIMITED.
“The tribunal hereby adjudges the accused person (Orubebe) guilty as charged and on that premise hands down the following punishment in accordance with Section 23 of the Code of Conduct Bureau/Tribunal Act as incorporated under the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution as amended:
“The property known as Plot 2057 which belongs to the defendant is hereby seized and forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The tribunal does not have the power to sentence a person it convicts to prison, however.
It is a watershed judgement as it is the first time since the return to democracy in 1999 that the tribunal has convicted a top politician.
The tribunal was not impressed by the ex-minister’s defence that he acquired the property after he became minister and sold it to another company before he left office.
Unless Orubebe gets the conviction quashed on appeal, some of the legal consequences are that he may not be able to hold some public offices and fiduciary positions again in the future.
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