Following an investigative report by the Sahara Reporters that the late Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi didn’t declare a N600M worth of mansion owned in the United States of America, his former media, Dr. Festus Adedayo had revealed it was part of assets declared in 2011 when he assumed officw.
According to Adedayo, he made public the assets declaration form which he deposed to shortly before his inauguration as governor on May 29, 2011.
Although, Sahara Reporters reported that he acquired the house in 2016 during his second term in office.
Making the content of the form public on behalf of his boss, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said the step was in line with Ajimobi’s promise to commence a government that lays store by transparency and accountability in the administration of the state.
Adedayo said the governor deposed to the Assets Declaration Form for Public Officers at the Registry of the State High Court, Ibadan, before Justice Ladiran Akintola, on May 27, 2011, two days before assuming office.
The assets declared, according to him, include cash in local banks, buildings, vehicles, business enterprises and household items.
According to the form filled by the governor, the total amount of cash he has in banks in the country is N292, 432, 107.00 while he has none in any foreign account.
The governor also declared that he had a mansion in Ibadan worth N250m, a building in the same city worth N150m, another one with the value of N300m in Lagos, as well as a detached house worth N300m in Abuja.
He added that he had a flat purchased through mortgage financing worth £450,000 in the United Kingdom, another worth £1.95m, purchased through mortgage in the UK and another house worth $1.5m in the United States of America.
Ajimobi also declared that he owned 131 acres of farm land in a village at the Ido Local Government area of Ibadan worth N150m, two Lagos-based companies, Viz Grandex Nigeria Limited, worth N200m and Network Petroleum Nigeria Limited, worth N260m.
The governor put the worth of all his vehicles at N94.25m and household furniture, which include generating sets and electronics at N25m.
The governor also declared that his wife, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, possesses a house in Ibadan that is worth N15m and another in Lagos that is worth N250m.
Adedayo said the new government of Oyo State laid great store by probity and accountability, and was of the belief that the patrimony of the people must be guarded jealously as the governor would give account of all that was entrusted in his care, not only to the people of the state who voted for him in the April elections, but to God “the ultimate judge” who would request for an account whenever the governor finishes his assignment on earth.
Ajimobi is the first governor of the state to publicly declare his assets
