Elder statesman and Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, on Thursday, gave a vivid account of how he acquired and built his property on Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The leader of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation also said both former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande and former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu should be ready to authorise the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and members of the public to probe how they acquired their properties and wealth.
Adebanjo formally reacted to the claim by Akande in his autobiography, ‘My Participations’, that he (Adebanjo) mounted pressure on Tinubu to build the Lekki house for him, stating that it was false.
He recalled that on the occasion of the presentation of his (Adebanjo’s) autobiography, titled: ‘Saying it as it is,’ about three years ago, “Tinubu had said but for my incorruptibility and strength of character, he (Tinubu) would not have been governor of Lagos State in 1999.”
Stating how he raised money to build the Lekki Phase 1 residence, the Afenifere leader said he sold three developed properties, obtained a loan from a second generation bank and sold an undeveloped landed property.
“I, therefore, stated categorically that my house at Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of three developed properties, loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given me by my late leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory.
“The contractor who built my Lekki house is Engr Hakeem Sulaiman, Senior Partner of Messrs HA associates. The Electrical and Mechanical Contractor is Engr. Tokunbo Oshokoya, Senior Partner of Messrs Oshea Projects. The architect is Mr Deji Johnson. The Quantity Surveyor is the late Otunba T.B Adebayo.
“The Lekki property, the house in my village, Isanya Ogbo and the three-bedroom flat in a townhouse, at Omorinre Street in Lekki, are the properties I have in the whole world. I hereby authorise the EFCC to verify the above facts,” he stated.
He specifically debunked the claim by Akande and asked the former Osun State governor to give account of how he acquired his properties in Ila Oragun, his home town in Osun State, as well as in Ibadan and other places. (Tribune)