Bowing to public opinion, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has released the details of his assets totalling N295, 304, 420. Details of the assets declared on May 30 this year before Justice Muktar N. Dodo of the Abuja High Court show that the Vice President has no foreign accounts or assets. The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President (Media and Communications), Mr. Ima Niboro, told journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that, "this merely shows that in the affairs of man, there comes a time when even the law must take a second place, and the public mood must define our actions." To the Vice President, this is such a time, hence the choice to send you a copy of his declaration of assets for publication. There is nothing to hide, as you can very well see," he added. The total worth of Jonathan's private residences is N67, 990,000 according to the declaration, which is already with the Code of Conduct Bureau. The residences include a four- bedroom duplex in Kpansia, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, valued at N15 million; a four-flat storey building extension of the family house in Yenagoa valued at N10 million; and a four-flat storey building. The rest are his seven bedroom village personal home at Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, which was bombed days before his inauguration as Vice President, valued at N18 million and a five-bedroom personal residence in Gwarinpa, Abuja valued at N24, 990,000. Under the vehicles and household items, the Vice President declared assets of N41.8 million. They include a BMW car in Abuja valued at N15 million, generators, electronics, air conditioners, furniture, kitchen utensils and others in Kpansia, Yenagoa and Gwarimpa, Abuja valued at N26 million. The BMW car was declared as a gift while the other items were declared to have been procured from savings. Jonathan also declared vacant and undeveloped plots of his to the tune of N60.538 million. They include five undeveloped plots of land in Bayelsa State, two undeveloped plots of land in Cadastral Zone BO2 and AO6 in Abuja. He disclosed also a yearly income of N62, 072, 200. These comprise investments in stocks in 16 Nigerian blue chip companies managed by City-Code Trust & Investment Company Limited. His investments also cover four 16-seater passenger boats which he hires to companies and other agencies. The Vice President's total cash in Nigerian banks (Bank PHB, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, UBA and others) is put at N58, 984, 123. He stated that the total income includes personal savings and income from his investments including performing stocks and hiring of the boats. Niboro said the assets declared do not include those of the Vice President's wife. This, he explained, is because "the wife of the Vice President is a public officer, being on the staff of the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education, Yenagoa. She could, on her own, still being in service, declare her assets through the laid down procedures." He added that the Vice President's children do not own assets. President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua had on June 28 released his assets declaration forms, putting his total worth at N856.64 million.
Culled from Nigerian Guardian
Culled from Nigerian Guardian
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