By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—FORMER Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, yesterday, opened his defence to the allegation that he falsely declared his assets in 2007.

Orubebe, who is facing a one-count amended charge Federal Government preferred against him, brought a witness that testified for him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja.

*Orubebe

The witness, Mr. Akinwumi Ajibola, a legal practitioner and a real estate agent, told the court that Orubebe sold Plot 2057 Asokoro District, Abuja, which the Federal Government insisted was not declared by the defendant, to his company.

He said the plot was allocated to the defendant by the government in 2007 as part of his ministerial entitlements.

According to the witness, the ex-Minister decided to sell the land after he defaulted in the payment of his Abuja house for two years.

Meanwhile, the Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal has fixed June 30 for judgment.

When Orubebe mounted the witness box, he said as a minister, he could not afford his house rent for two years.

He told the tribunal that whereas his monthly salary and every other allowances he collected in 2007 amounted to only N1.3 million, his salary was further reduced to N990,000 in 2008.

He said: “In September 26, 2007, I never had a property named Plot 2057 Asokoro District, Abuja. So I could not have declared it upon my assumption of office as a minister.

“On June 29, 2011, when I was temporarily dis-engaged from the Federal Executive Council, when it was dissolved before I was re-appointed, I never also had Plot 2057 Asokoro District. So I could not have declared it as mine because it was no longer my property.”