Saturday, November 23

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Jerry Useni’s Testimony

-Last week Tuesday, retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni’s case resumed hearing before Abuja’s Code

of Conduct Tribunal, where he faces a trial that has lasted 13 years over allegations of failing to declare his assets, among other allegations of corrupt enrichment while he was a public official.

 


Below is the Useni’s unedited deposition submitted to a presidential panel investigating the matter concerning his stewardship as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, as exclusively reported by Mr. Oladimeji Abitogun, published in the ‘Sunday Comet’ newspaper (now ‘The Nation’) of Sunday, July 23, 2000.

 

Assets and Landed Properties

Introduction:

  1. Please permit me to start by thanking members of this team for your kind invitation and subsequent submission to me of the attached list of assets and landed properties all of which are purported to be mine for my comments.
  2. Serials 1 – 25 of the list give details of assets while serials 26 – 38 give details o f landed properties.
  3. Before I comment on the listed assets and landed properties, I wish to humbly crave your indulgence to note the followings.
  4. That immediately after my retirement from the Nigerian Army, some people who have not been happy of my voluntary retirement after 42 years of service to the army and this nation and my loyalty to general Sani Abacha tried to run me down through negative publications in some newspapers and magazines. That some 4 billion naira in beer cartons were discovered in my house in Langtang. That I own and operate a secret bank, and also purchased properties/mansions worth 2.8 billion naira in Jos. All these have been found to be false.
  5. Here in the FCT the impression being given is that I own most of the shops in the Wuse Market. That I paid for contracts not executed and that it was also during my tenure in office that the master plan of Abuja was tampered with. All these are calculated by those concerned to damage my reputation.
    1. I would like to observe as follows:
    2. That 12 of the 25 assets alleged to be mine are not mine. These are serials nos. 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24.
    3. That 3 of these were established long before I became minister of the FCT, yet are also included in the list of 25 assets. These are serial 1, 2, and 3.
    4. It might be necessary to state that I had oil allocation for 31/2 years running on which I was offered commission per barrel just like most of my colleagues in the PRC.
    5. On land matters, I wish to state that a limited liability company usually has more than 2 directors and any director of the company is at liberty to use the company’s name to acquire Land/Property and thus I might not be in a position to know all the landed properties acquired companies. More so that recommendation come to my office daily sometimes in hundreds.
      1. Having made the above notes and observations, I now wish to comment on the assets and landed properties as follows


ASSETS

S/NO. 1 TIM-TALI MOTELS LTD.

COMMENTS:

[1.] GENERAL: Tim-Tali Motels Ltd. As now correctly put is located in Langtang Town, Langtang North Local Government Area.

[2.] WHEN ACQUIRED AND ESTABLISHED: It was started with the acquisition of an uncompleted 3 bedroom bungalow from a friend in 1986. Later a plot behind it measuring 50’ by 50’ was acquired and 2 blocks of single rooms each were constructed on it. Two adjacent bungalows (one front, one rear) were later acquired at a total cost of N400,000 AND ADDED TO IT. The Motel has grown over the years from 3 room to a 356-room motel. It is managed by my wife.

[3]. HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST – Shared by the purchase of an uncompleted 3-bedroom bungalow at the cost of 27 million naira.  The motel is self sustaining and has been using its proceeds to finance its capital expansion.

S/No.2 TIM-TALI TRAVELS AND TOURS

COMMENTS:

[1]. GENERAL: Tim-Tali Travels and Tours as now correctly put operates mainly in Lagos and Abuja.

WHEN ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED: It was established in January 1992 as a travel agency and as part of my retirement plan when the military was to hand over in 1993, before the annulment [of the elections].

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST: Through the help of Tafawa Balewa Square Management Authority, a one-room office was rented and partitioned into an office and a mini-hall. With N200,000 capital we started off by buying and selling tickets on behalf of Airlines on commission basis. The travel agency became IOTA Approved agency in March 1996. It was only then it started getting Airlines tickets on credit from airlines and the rate of commission also increased. It established a branch in Abuja in late 1997.

S/No.3 and 4: TIM-TALI TRANSPORT NIG LTD

  1. COMMENTS:

GENERAL – As a transportation office and once chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation and Minister of Transport and Aviation, I thought it was proper and most appropriate for me to plan to go into transport business, especially when the military was to hand over in 1993. So I applied the Fderal Mass Transit Agency for a some buses which they obliged. Before then I had to set up the transport company to be qualified for allocation of the FUMTA buses.

WHEN ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED: The company was established in early 1993.

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST: The company started by acquiring a 5 X 30 steater buses from FUMTA on hire purchase. Each bus at that time cost N972,000.00 = N4,860,000.00. You were only required to pay a 20% deposit and N10,000 per bus for insurance and the bus is released to you for operation. The balance is paid instalmentally through designated banks every two weeks. Those operating in the North pay to Rim Merchant Bank in Kaduna. Since 1993 the company has added only 12 buses of different sizes to its fleet, mostly those seized from defaulters.

The company operates mainly from Jos and environs, now because the Abuja Bus Station and Office is still under construction at the cost of 23 million by the company.

S/No.5 TIMSUL MINING COMPANY

COMMENTS:

GENERAL: Timsul Mining Company as now correctly put is a joint venture with Alhaji Sule Audu Dickson as a partner.

WHEN ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED: This is a young company established in 1997 to take advantage of the government emphasis on mining as a future alternative to oil

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST: It was established after some feasibility studies carried out by an expert and team from University of Jos at a total cost of N150,000. It is occupying 2 rented offices at Abuja shopping mall. It has not gone into mining operations yet. In fact it was only last month, January 1999, that the company started physical clearance of the marble site at Kuje. This site was acquired with the approval of the federal ministry of solid minerals in 1998.

STIMUS MILING COMPANY

  1. COMMENTS: I don’t know anything about this company.

S/No.7 TIM PINS AND ELECTROPLATINS

  1. COMMENTS:

GENERAL – Tim Pins and Electroplating as now correctly put does not manufacture nails.

WHEN ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED – The machines (3 in number) were bought form somebody in Hos and installed in 1996.

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST – The machines were bought at the cost of N10 million and paid for in two installments

S/No.8 TIM PAPER WASTE AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY

  1. COMMENTS: I do not know of any Tim-Paper Waste Manufact
    uring Company located at Mal. Sani Barkono Street, Hos.

S/No.9. TIM-ALUMINIUM

  1. COMMENTS:

I do not know anything about this company.

S/No.10. TIM-TALI FARMS

  1. COMMENTS

GENERAL: Tim-Tali farms has an area of about 22 hectare at Gwagwalada

WHEN ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED: Tim-Tali is an old outfit established in 1984 in Plateau State, with a farm in Langtang South. The company acquired the farmland at Gwagwalada in 1990, during the administration of Major General Gado Nasko.

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST: The company went through the process of land acquisition and was given. In 1996, Messrs Dantata and Sawoe working around Gwagwalada helped by constructing 6 fish ponds on the farm. In 1998, Agro Consultancy from ABU carried some consultancy services for the company at cost of N600,000 to make it viable.

S/No.11. TIM-DOZ MARKET

  1. a. COMMENTS: I do not own Tim-Doz market and contributed no kobo towards its construction.

LIQUID DETERGENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. I do not know about the existence of this company in Jos.

S/No. 13. RISS FILLING STATION

  1. COMMENTS

GENERAL Riss Filling Station is owned by Riss Oil Company in which I have interest on a fifty-fifty percent basis.

WHEN AQCUIRED/ESTABLISHED: The filling station was constructed and commenced operations in 1997.

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISGED AND COST: The construction of the filling station was done at the cost of 32 million naira, 50% was financed by other directors. My financial contribution comes from oil allocation commission.

TEXACO FILLING STATION

  1. COMMENTS:

GENERAL: Texaco Filling Station is jointly owned by TEXACO and KENA OIL COMPANY in which I have interests.

  1. WHEN ACQUIRED AND ESTABLISHED: The filling station was constructed and commissioned for use in July, 1998.

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST: The construction of the filling station was carried out by the same contracting company that constructed Riss Filling Stattion at the total cost of about N23.9M. Texaco contributed over 1/3 of the total cost in terms of providing technical advice, canopy electricity and mechanical pumps, underground pumps, underground tanks and setting up the star mart, etc. The above cost excluded cost of TEXACO contribution and this was financed through proceeds from sales of oil allocation.

S/No. 15. PRPOSED GAS DEPO (BY TEXACO)

  1. COMMENT

The proposed gas depot was to be set up with the assistance of Texaco but this plan has been KIV (keep in view) for now. It is on the same plot as Texaco.

S/No. 16. AL NUR OIL PETROL STATION

  1. COMMENTS

I have been seeing this oil petrol station. Honestly, I do not know the owner.

S/No. 17. ABUJA SHOPPING COMPLEX

  1. COMMENTS

I have been seeing the shopping complex along the road leading to Apo Legislative Quarters, but honestly I don’t know the owener.

S/No. 18. ABUJA SHOPPING MALL

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. GENERAL – This is Limited Liability Company

WHEN ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED – The Abuja Shopping Mall which comprises 3 blocks was constructed in stages in and completed in 1997.

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST – The cost of the construction of this shopping mall was N50m. Cost of the 1st block was used in financing part of the cost of the 2nd block, which cost N12 million. Similarly, the rent from the 2nd block was used in financing part of the cost of the last block which was N15 million. Other contributions to these last two blocks were therefore minimal and from other directors.

S/No. 19. HOUSING ESTATE

  1. COMMENTS

GENERAL – I reside in the estate at Maitama.

WHEN ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED – Started construction o f the Identical Housing Unites and completed in 1997. The one I am staying started later and was completed mid-last year and occupied in September of the same year, after my retirement from the Army.

HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST – The housing estate was construction at the cost of N43 million and financed through oil allocation commission. However, sewage, landscaping, road works and street lighting were carried out by Julius Berger free of charge.

S/No. 20. DAUGHTER OF ABRAHAM

  1. COMMENT

Daughters of Abraham Foundation as now correctly put is a NON GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION established by spiritually-minded Christian women, headed by my wife for the upliftment of the dignity of women.

The foundation was established through launching free and free donations from government and non-government organizations, churches, corporate bidies like companies and individuals. FCT administration only assisted in constructing the access road to the plit as part of its statutory responsibility to provide access roads to plots. The Foundation therefore is a non government organizations and does not belong to me, neither is it a personal property of my wife. It has its legally established board of trustees responsible for its policy formulation.

S/ No. 21. RAILWAY GUEST INN

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. The property rented to Nigeria Railway Corportation and being used as Railway Guest Inn does not belong to me, but my wife, Mrs. Julie Useni.

S./No. 22. AL COOK LIMITED
S./No. 23. CITY CENTRAL (NIG) LTD
S./No. 24. B. JUNAL NIG LIMITED

COMMENTS

I do not own the above mentioned companies shown at serial numbers 22, 23 and 24. However, I recognized them as companies among many other companies that benefited from FCT contracts.

S/No. 25. HOUSING ESTATE

  1. COMMENTS

GENERAL – The Housing Estate behind NEPA Headquarters belong to a company in which I have interests.

WHEN ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED – Construction started in 1998 by direct labor and it is nearing completion.

[1]. HOW ACQUIRED/ESTABLISHED AND COST – The construction which was by directed labor cost about 36 million naira. The project has been financed partly from oil allocation commission.

S/No. 26. LANDED PROPERTIES

A LARGE PLOT OF LAND OPPOSITE RISS FILLING STATION A.Y.A. ASOKORO FORMERLY SITE FOR ENGINEERING (NIG) LIMITED

  1. COMMENTS

The large plot of land regarded as formerly site for TRANS-ENGINEERING (NIG)LIMITED is not a revoked plot. The company was staying there temporarily and has no C of O for it. The area was later divided into plots and allocated to interested applicants.

S/No. 27.  A BIG PLOT OF LAND BEHIND ROCKVIEW HOTEL MEANT FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

  1. COMMENT

When I resumed duties as the minister of the FCT on 2nd December 1993, I found during my inspection tour that the city was almost bare with so many undeveloped plits for upward of 12 years.

Having briefed the late Head of State of my findings and intentions, I gave 3 months notice to owners of the undeveloped lands in developed areas like Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse and Garki whose plits have remained undeveloped for 6 years and above to commence development or have such plots revoked. This was in January 1994. We started the revocation exercise round July/August 1994. This action prompted many plot owners to develop their plots. The tempo of physical development in the city was such that the late head of state wanted the number of years reduced to two years. But I advised against it since the C of O provides for 2 years within which plots should be developed, we later agreed on 4 years.

This is what has been in operation up to the time I left office and was well knoiwn to the public.

[1]
. Therefore, if the owners of this plot had failed to effect development within the stipulated period, certainly the plot had to be revoked allocated to other interested and keen developers.

S/No. 28. SITE OF OFFICIAL QUARTERS FOR THE HONORABLE MINISTER, FCT – MINISTER HILL

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. Not Clear.

S/No. 29 PART OF SPORTS COMPLEX  ZONE 6, MAITAMA (CONVERTED TO PRIVATE USE)

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. Part of this sports complex which is unutilized recommended for allocation to interested applicants based on the fact that:

a. It was too large for its original purpose.

b. The area is too swampy and better part of it is truncated by gullies and streams.

c. May lie waste because new better areas outside the city have since been allocated for National Sports Stadium, Sports Academy and Games Village. In fact North Korean experts had already carried out design feasibilities for these areas.

S/N. 31. PLOT FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL WUSE (REVOKED AND ALLOCATED)

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. I am not aware of revocation and allocation of any secondary school plot at Wuse.

S/No. 32. PART OF GOLF COURSE: EXCISED AND MADE INTO PLOT (SOME VACANT, SOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION).

  1. COMMENT

[1]. As minister of the FCT, I approve recommendations for allocation of plots brought before me. I cannot remember giving any instructions whether written or verbal to excise any part of the golf course and divide them into plots and allocate. However I believe it is the same area as the sports site.

S/No. 33. PART OF WUSE MARKET RESERVED FOR PARKING CONVERTED INTO PRIVATE USE NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. When we decided to redesign the Wuse Market to provide for shops (close and open) it was the department of public works that led the design in terms of site layout, shops drawings and construction supervision. Some access roads and parking spaces were condemned and new ones provided.

[2]. I had wanted the market extended to the riverside but was later told it would encroach into somebody’s plot, so the extension was stopped. This has been the position. However, in the course of my findings I learned that the said plot belongs to Colonel Dungs, the former military administrator of Delta State.

S/No. 34. PLOT FOR POLYTECHNIC AREA 3 GARKI (REVOKED AND ALLOCATED)

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. As at now FCT has no Polytechnic.

[2]. Because of great demand for plots within developed areas of the city, the department of land planning and survey recommended that this site which is in the heart of the city should be divided in to plots and allocated to interested applicants and another ideal site allocated for the polytechnic. I approved the proposal but do not know any of the beneficiaries.

S/No. 35. OBSERVATION PLATFORM 2 ZONE A6 MAITAMA PLOT 163, MINISTER’S HILL

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. This plot does not belong to me but understand it belongs to the late Head of State.

[2]. SOMPLE PLOTS ADJACENT JABI DAM

a. COMMENTS

[1]. I know of only one plot No. 524 Kado District allocated for restaurant and entertainment belonging to Tim-Tali investment.

S/No. 38. SEVERAL SHOPS AT WUSE MAIN MARKET

  1. COMMENTS

[1]. From Day One that I left office there have been allegations that U own most of the shops at the Wuse Market. That my wife also own about 30 shops there. But all these allegations which I believe had earlier been investigated prived to be wrong. I did not allocate shops to myself.

PLOT 1685, 6.49 HECTARES AT MAITAMA (REVOKED FROM SESSENCE INT. SCHOOL) (SHOPPING VENTURES)

  1. COMMENTS

This is one of the plots that remained undeveloped for 6 years and above and was revoked. I understand the plot was allocated to shopping ventures. I do not own the plot neither the company.

S/No. 39. PLOT NO. 4825 – MEANT AS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER (SHOPPING VENTURES LIMITED)

  1. COMMENT

When companies and individuals approached me for plots, I referred them to director of land, planning and survey.

Sometimes some plots Nos. are mentioned as vacant and available, still I often referred them to the director of land planning and survey. If the information is correct they get it. But when the information is wrong, they are told so. The plot therefore does not belong to me, neither does the company.

CONLUSION

In conclusion, I wish to thank members of this team again for giving me the opportunity to comment on the list of assets and landed properties purporsed to be all mine. I sincerely hope that my comments will meet your expectations.

Submitted for your kind consideration please.

Thank You.

 

JT Useni, FSS, Psc, Mni

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