USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: POINT-COUNTERPOINT: $27m missing / $23.6 million not missing in Nigerian Embassy in US

My People:

I hope that you have had long enough time to read the tracts below carefully - including the Table that I presented -  to understand that there are several important figures in this US Embassy property saga:

1.  From the table, $23,586,497.84 referred to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the EXACT sum of the Woodliand Drive ($3,054,230.00 ), 16th Street ($6,287,892.84) and M Street ($14,244,375.00) properties sold ON PUBLIC RECORD by the Embassy.

2.  Also from the table, there is a N3.2 million sale arising from the equal-sale-price one-property-split-into-two of  the Connecticut Avenue property, ostensibly sold OFF-RECORD..  (One property now had two addresses: the original 6705 Connecticut Avenue and and an un-numbered Bradley Lane, Chevy Chase 20813.) When added to the $23,586,497.84 , you get the $26,786,497.84 - or roughly N27 million that is being bandied around. The Embassy's latest disavowal of this N27 million may mean that the sale of this property did not finally go through - or that the $3.2 million is completely un-accounted for sub-rosa..  It is this same property that Emeka Ugwuonye (in his name, as different from ECU Associates) had Power of Attorney over (see below)

3.  The $1.55 million converted by Emeka Ugwuonye (empowered by the Power of Attorney document) was taxes PAID by the Embassy over the years to the IRS on the Connecticut Avenue/Bradley Lane property (and possibly other properties) that should not have been paid because the Embassy was tax-exempt.  This money was therefore refunded to the Embassy, with the legal assistance of Emeka Ugwuonye under contract of a certain percentage.  He was paid specifically for that assistance - but then converted the remainder for reasons (and with documents) that he has so far failed to declare to all the courts that have been querying him on it ever since.

And there, my People, you have the entire story.  It is in its "mouth" that we still are these past four years (enu e la si wa yi lati odun merin se'hin..)

Bolaji Aluko

Armchair Sherlock Holmes

Emeka Ugwuonye (as different from ECU Associates) as the "lawful attorney-in-fact" with power of attorney

ECU Associates as the Attorney and Legal Counsel, with Managing Partner Emeka Ugwuonye signing as Authorized Representative

On Mon, Jul 1, 2013 at 6:38 PM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:

QUOTE

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has debunked media reports that a certain $27 million realised from the sale of three Federal Government properties in Washington has been embezzled. It also clarified that the money from the sale of the properties between 2004 and 2007 was $23,586,497.84 and not $27 million as reported.

UNQUOTE

______________________________________________________

THIS DAY

Missing $27m: Foreign Ministry Debunks Allegations

29 Jun 2013

By Damilola Oyedele         

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has debunked media reports that a certain $27 million realised from the sale of three Federal Government properties in Washington has been embezzled.

It also clarified that the money from the sale of the properties between 2004 and 2007 was $23,586,497.84 and not $27 million as reported.

The reports were from a public hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday. Nigeria's former Ambassador to the US, Prof. George Obiozor, the current Ambassador, Prof. Ade Adefuye and Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Prof Joy Ogwu appeared at the meeting.

The Ministry, in a statement it issued  Friday said the money made from the sale, which was authorised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo were duly accounted for. It added that the press was not privy to the submissions of Obiozor, Adefuye and Ogwu, and should not prejudice the findings of the committee.

"We therefore urge that patience be exercised as we await the final report of the Senate Committee's investigation into this issue," the statement read.

Reports in national dailies alleged that officials of the Nigerian embassy in the USA sold the said properties from where the proceeds f the said sum were realised but could no longer be accounted for.

Former Ambassadors and Nigeria's permanent representative at the UN were said to have been summoned to say all they knew about the transaction as well as the whereabouts of the proceeds of the sales.

A non-governmental organisation, Transform Nigeria Movement had petitioned the Senate to conduct inquiries into the sales, alleging that the money had developed wing.

________________________________________________________________

PUNCH

$27m missing in Nigerian Embassy in US

JUNE 28, 2013 BY OLUWOLE JOSIAH, ABUJA 

The Senate on Thursday began an inquest into the alleged mismanagement of over $27m proceeds from the sale of Federal Government properties by officials of the Nigerian Embassy in the United States of America.

This follows a petition to the President of the Senate, David Mark, by a non-governmental organisation, Transform Nigeria Movement, praying the Senate to conduct an investigation and make its findings known to the public.

The petition, which was signed by Mr. Daniel Elombah, stated that between 2004 and 2007, the Nigerian Embassy sold four prime properties of the Federal Government located in Washington DC and Maryland.

The petitioner alleged that the embassy also commenced the sale of other properties in San Francisco, California within the period.

Elombah stated in the petition, "Out of those sales, Nigeria realised the sum of approximately $27m. All funds realised from these sales, except those set aside as fees, were remitted to the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC.

"As of June 2007, when the law firm that advised the embassy on the sale of the properties met with embassy officials at the embassy premises in Washington, all these funds and transactions were duly confirmed."

The petitioner also alleged that it was confirmed that the embassy placed the funds in a special account with the M & T Bank in Washington DC and remained in that position after Ambassador George Obiozor had returned to Nigeria after completing his service in Washington.

TNM further alleged, "Surprisingly, the Embassy of Nigeria left the money in Washington partly because it yielded substantial monthly interests, which the embassy officials would never have to account for.

"Those funds remained in those accounts throughout the tenure of Ambassador Oluwole Rotimi; then arrived Ambassador Adebowale Adefuye in Washington. When Adefuye got to Washington, those funds were still lodged in the M & T Bank account intact.

"Between the time Adefuye became the ambassador until March of 2012, the millions in the accounts mysteriously disappeared. This became clear when M&T Bank was forced to close the accounts of the Nigerian Embassy and to terminate all banking relations with the embassy at the beginning of 2012."

The petition had a cover note by the Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate, Anthony Manzo, urging the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to treat it.

Upon the receipt of the petition, the committee summoned Obiozor; Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Joy Ogwu; and Adefuye.

The Chairman of the committee, Senator Matthew Nwagwu, while addressing the ambassadors on the purpose of the investigation, said it was to unravel the mystery surrounding the management of the funds.

He said, "We have invited you because of an allegation of embezzlement in our mission in Washington, particularly the sale of property in the US. It was alleged that the proceeds of the sales have been squandered by certain officials.

"Our job here is to give you a chance to address the committee and tell us what you know about the property sale, management and administration of the accounts, while you were in office. The committee has got a petition and we are not taking it on its face value; we want to give the ambassadors opportunities to explain their own roles.

"We are not a court of law, we are not going on a trial, we are doing this for posterity and to keep the records straight, and I am sure most of you will be happy that we have invited you to have the opportunity to clarify the matter."

The committee decided that it would conduct the investigative hearing behind closed doors, taking the ambassadors separately and promised to brief the press on its findings after the hearing.

__________________________________________________________________

 

TABLE 1: Information on Five Nigerian Embassy Properties Sold/Bought Between August 2005 and  August 2007     Table Compiled by Bolaji Aluko [June 1, 2009]   S/N   Property Address   Some Features   [LA-land area; EA-enclosed area; YB-Year structure built] Use   Date (B)ought/ (S)old   Title/Deed Info   [DR-Deed Reference (Montg Cty; /Book/Page) SSL – Square/Suffix/Lot (Wash DC) IN – Institution Number (Wash DC)] Value (Public Records)   Value (Embassy Records)   1 3100 Woodland Drive, Washington, DC 20008-3545   LA: 24,082 sq. ft EA: 6,066 sq. ft YB: 1924 [From Taxpayer] Deputy Nigerian Ambassador's Residence Sold: 23 August, 2005 SSL:21240070 IN:86796 $3.25 mill $3,054,230                 2 1333 16th Street, NW Washington DC 20036-2205 LA: 7,326 sq. ft EA: 7,326 sq. ft YB: ??? [From Taxpayer] Nigerian Chancery Sold: 6 June, 2006 SSL:01950829 IN: 71355 $7 mill $6,287,892.84                 3 2201 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037-1416 LA: ? sq. ft EA: ? sq. ft YB: ?? Nigerian Embassy S: November 2006 ??? n.a. $14,244,375                 4 10 Stapleford Hall Court, Potomac, MD 20854-4451 LA: 87,120  sq. ft (2 ac) EA: 7,568 sq. ft YB: 1986 [From SDAT] Nigerian Ambassador's Residence Bought: April 25, 2007 DR:/34202/221   $2.7 mill n.a.                 5 6705 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-4939 LA: 21,780 sq. ft EA: 7,995 sq. ft YB: 1977 [from SDAt] Nigerian Ambassador's Residence Sold: February 13, 2007 (land, land+house)   Or   Sold: August 1, 2007 (land+house) DR:/34661/328 $3.2 mill               $1.6 mill n.a.

 

 

Sources:  http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/rp_rewrite/index.aspx?county=01 

                 [For  Maryland properties]

 

                 https://www.taxpayerservicecenter.com/RP_Search.jsp?search_type=Sales  

                [For DC properties]

 

                http://www.mdlandrec.net/msa/stagser/s1700/s1741/cfm/dsp_search_jis.cfm?CFID=10517380&CFTOKEN=19782379

               [Maryland Land Records Searches]

 

 

 

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