I don't know if any are following the drama over Atiku's house in the US.

Summary
He has a mansion the US where his 4th wife- Jennifer used to live ( it seems she has relocated to Nigeria now). Jennifer runs GEGE foundation (website has been  pulled down).
The question is how can he afford a house of that size? It is not impossible, but he needs to explain how.

Just recently, the FBI searched the house on the suspicion that the VP maybe involved in a deal (being brokered by a US congressman) involving a US  telecoms firm.

See The House of Atiku for more...

NIGERIA WHICH WAY FORWARD?

If the story making the round is/are true, where on earth did he/she manage to get that amount of money. How about the ABTI American University in Yola.

All these make me sick. When political officers put the interest of their pockets before national interest, i wonder what future the present political setup has.

And now the Transcorp mafia want OBJ to go for 3rd term, is it only OBJ (in a country of 120 million) that (really) has what it takes to move this country forward? God save us o.

A rather interesting scenario this...

All this plays into Uncle Sege's hands and makes Atiku a lamer duck than he already is...

Just curious? Why question the rich guy? He wasn't in the government when he supposedly made all the money?

kazey:

Just curious? Why question the rich guy? He wasn't in the government when he supposedly made all the money?

He could have made his money after he retired from customs in 1989 or thereabout. He can not just keep quiet to all these...he needs to show clear evidence that he is clean.

For christ' sake he is our VP, so he has diplomatic immunity...so, for his house to be searched...I'm baffled...he must be involved in something big...

On a recent TV appearance, President Obasanjo criticized one ofVP Atiku's statements in the media saying that there was "misrepresentation, misinformation, m___". This seems in line with what you're "foreseeing".

According to this report by Washinton Post. The controversial official residence of the Nation's number 2 citizen in the USA was ransacked by officials of the FBI.

According to the report it was carried out as part of the investigation into a graft deal that involved Mr. VeePee and William Jefferson a former American Democrat Senator.

[center]Will there be another Jacob Zuma here in Nigeria? [/center]

The world is watching!

Whether u are asking question or not, When has he gotten the Mansion? Was it this year or Years back? But i know there is something behind it. Remember that when another political dispensation is drawing nearer, series of incidents do happen. Although he is very rich but notwithstanding i must confess there is a hidden secret or yet to be disclosed.

Every single one of them in Abuja, has skeletons in their closets. So what the hec? Is Atiku now the scapegoat? thats the question ? if yes. Who is next?

Well well, its not only in Abuja the FCT but its like a virus that affects the whole country. Its everywhere. Everyone wants to take from the system, none thinks about what do i add to the system and make it a better place than i found it

atiku got the house in 1988 for $175k. still a lot of money. Its now worth over $2mill

Have Nigerians even taught about the possibility that it was mortgaged, and wasnt bought in cash?

kazey, I share your view to an extent, this man may have missed his mortgage repayments in the past, but i doubt that. who knows. i do not know who to trust when it comes to media house news reporting. They always have an agenda. What is an FBI doing in the house of a Nigeria official. I beg let the man finish his term in peace. Whatever he may have done, let him finish his term.

The main issue here is not really the house, is the fact that a serving # 2 citizen of a sovereign nation that normally enjoys diplomatic immunity has his house (his wife's) searched by the FBI. That speaks volume.

The house, and how he got, while relevent to this topic, is not really the issue. Although if one probes deeper, one is bound to uncover more mystery.

Kazey: you think he's a scape goat and bought the house on mortgage...?

Obong: you said the house was 175K in 1988? Think again.

Atiku said he bought the house in 1994. As at 1999, the state of maryland estimated the value at $612,000

Check this out: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/tax/ViewDetail.asp?RID=827259

Avocat: This info is not from the lousy Nigerian media, they do not have the liver to do investigative journalism.

Guys think again, Atiku is definitely not the only one with soiled hands, but if he is indeed dirty from the looks of things he should be dealt with.

Ask the right questions...he was a custom official abi...salaried. so between his retirement the time he became the VP he definitely hit a massive jackpot to be able to afford that mansion in US (and others elsewhere) and then fund a private university ( http://www.abti-american.edu.ng/ ).

It is not impossible...he just needs to be asked some tough questions...and he must provide answers and proof, lots of proof!

Its the Nigerian customs !!. Everybody is doing fine there . Poor Atiku, he should have stayed on his own jeje, and maintain his empire of ill gotten gains. Well as Imnakoya said, he deserves to be dealt with, if he is guilty. I second that. But Why is he the scapegoat, this time? What did he do to Uncle Sege?

besides isnt it mortgage, i am seeing?

02278403 99201755 9731 SORREL AVE SUNTRUST MORTGAGE PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE

Or was i mistaken?

I think we should look at the substance of this matter and not be distracted by all this smoke and mirrors.
The issue is not that the VP owns a house in maryland, which of them doesnt have one? We will be deceiving ourselves if we think that these our so called leaders and public officers have not helped themselves to the till (ourselves included if we get the chance), it is the norm in this here parts. who wants to live in Ikoyi and thereafter pack to his village or okokomaiko, after A/C official car to enter molue, who wants to suffer the indignity of waiting for an irregular pension? the person will go crazy! It is not until the system works that this primitive acquisition of wealth will cease because everything is bought with cash we cannot depend on the State, it has failed us! Right now it is only the grace of God that can help a man flee from the temptation of embezzlement.

To the main issue, of course Atiku is going to get the boot either he goes quietly or he will be kicked out. The precedent has been laid by Thabo Mbeki and we all know baba will not be outdone by anybody when it comes to African politics (afterall he is OBJ of Africa! the caped messiah!). You will have noticed that in recent times the VP has finally broken his studious silence, i believe he has seen the handwriting of baba on the wall and he knows that baba is going to destroy him politically. All his acolytes have decamped the man is all alone now and he is fighting for his political life. I do not think it was mere coincidence that after he said baba swore to him that he will quit that his residence was searched. What precipitated that statement after so many years of keeping quiet? They are both playing cat and mouse games with this country. Atiku is on his own, when he should have taken the fight to the man years back when baba started attacking his power base he was doing mumu, now its too late.

If baba pities him, he may be given the option of negotiating his exit. Just watch and see, like i said we have the precedent already!

More the issue is what does baba want? is he seeking a 3rd term? does the man want to die in office?
we are 2yrs to the end of his tenure, yet there is no clear successor; why do these people feel they can play God with our destiny? The man and his technocrats speak a language that does not portray a clear intention to leave by 2007. These are the issues that i believe are putting this country in peril.

My prayer is if that is really the man's intention, may God step into our situation and resolve the problem peacefully as he did Abacha! (no i am not advocating the mans death but if thats wat we need then so be it)

Thumbs up to your post klex. Good points raised. I really am confused most of the time, when it comes to accusations in Nigerian Politics. I still have never gotten the answer to some questions I always ask if given the opportunity, especially when it comes to Nigerian current political situation.

The question is :-
Is Obasanjo not guilty of corruption?
Is he a good President?
Are we supporting him, because he is doing a good job or because he is dealing with those that offend him?

When i mentioned the value of atiku's house, it wasn't criticism. I was merely stating its worth as I found it online. Secondly, i dont know if diplomatic immunity applies to Atiku since he isnt a diplomat, and secondly even if it does, having his house raided doesnt mean he will be prosecuted. It likely means they are seeking evidence to prossecute the US congressman Jefferson. Thirdly, even if he has diplomatic immunity, indications point to the house being in his wife's name, so she may not enjoy the same immunity.

So far it doesn't seem like anything illicit has happened on the Nigerian end. And for some reason, no one is talking about the Ghana VP connection

Exactly nobody is. That is Nigerians for you.

According to reports by Washington Post, the house was Abubakar's official residence in the US, and the diplomatic immunity was removed  before they went in to search the house.

I don't think Mr. President was responsible for the search since he can't  influence the US justice system.

The graft allegation levied against Abubakar is a pure litmus test to OBJ anti corruption campaign. If he fail to be decisive on this issue, it may sound the death kneel for his wooing campaign for foreign investors/investments.

Abubakar who was a top-shot in the privatization process has already spoilt the nations image and hope of bringing in foreign investors since they now know that bidding for any of the companies is based on who and whom you know.

If he is left to go scorch-free, I wonder what this will connote to the nations image abroad.

In the end, he will be reconciled with OBJ. Im also sure, nothing will come out of allegations of telecoms deal and house search.

Is that what you think or see. We shall see. There is a case of what Yoruba called "Ara ran bomb lowo" here.

OBJ could have affeected the US raid if he was the one that called them in to search his own VP. and if diplomatic immunity applies, he may be the only one capable of removing it

Heh! Atiku has not been alleged of anything till now.
His house in US was raided by the FBI but he is yet to be linked or indicted.
Even Nigeria Ambassador to Us said he has not been briefed rather than informing him when the house was to be searched (showing him search warrant)and the list of some documents carted away by the FBI.
Period.

and if diplomatic immunity applies, he may be the only one capable of removing it

OBJ has no power to remove diplomatic immunity outside this country.

Hmm i think he has, under the Nigerian diplomatic immunity. That is for all those that are protected due to the status of being a Nigerian Diplomat. As the president of the Nigerian government he has the power to revoke any immunity under his jurisprudence.

But according to the report they did not contact OBJ, only the Justice and Department of State.. (I stand to be corrected though)

Guys,
Quick point of correction to my earlier post; i have been made to understand that the raid was carried out some weeks ago and the news was only just released. My question: is it fortuitous that this highly damaging news piece was released only after Atiku made his now infamous statement? something nasty is in the offing for Atiku, the final seal will occur when baba appear in his house late at night demanding for pounded yam and bush meat!

To other issues:

joftech you give Atiku too much credit for spoiling the country's inamge, when baba and his family members steal finish where do u think they stash their loot, or you do not think they are helping themselves? of course oyinbo man knows the man is just pontificating about this anti-corruption thing. U see i thank God for Fela and how he blew the lid on OBJ and MKO in those days. Frankly speaking, the man is simply wicked and you cant take that from him. What i see now is that baba wants to take corruption back to the '70s when it was strictly an elitist preserve, where only his cronies are allowed to help themselves he will never accede to the chop i chop syndrome perpetuated by IBB. Its not a mistake that its always the mans real and imagined enemies that get prosecuted for corruption.

Kazey just to address your earlier point the veepee's diplomatic immunity cannot be removed by executive fiat and yes, his wife and direct family enjoy the same protection, therefore it is irrelevant that the house is in her name. Immunity goes with the territory of his job, except he loses that job it cannot be taken away from him. Does the FBI want us to believe that they do not know that our veepee stays in that residence? What happened here is a case of typical yankee arrogance aided by Naija connivance. The Hawks in the OBJ administration have once again taken flight...poor Atiku . Well for him it was fun while it lasted.

This god father/political son fight thing is proving to be a recurring decimal in Nigerian politics. We all know that OBJ was installed in 1999 and 2003 with Atikus assistance but now he is flexing muscles and has even bitten off the finger that fed him all that while.

To me OBJ's day of reckoning will start on the day that his sheenanigans imperils the elitist corrupt way of life in Nigeria, and it begins to appear that business may no longer go on as usual for them, they will find a final solution for him a la abacha, and when i say elitist i mean the faceless mafia who hav been consistently influencing our politics and stealing this country blind for decades.

What i see now is that baba wants to take corruption back to the '70s when it was strictly an elitist preserve…,

Good. For me it’s better for it (corruption) to be that way than the flagrant display of theft at all level of governance in the country right now.

In the US, corruption is for the elite and they conceal it in such a way that even if it’s been done right in front of you, you will never know what’s going on. That’s good because it does not make the citizens to raise an eyebrow; what you don’t know won’t give you a sleepless night.

What type of business did a retired customs officer in less than 20 years do to be able to have an American-standard private university, nursery & primary school, secondary school and a 100 PCs Internet café. All these are not even for the poor but for the super-rich. Let them call all his mates that retired at the same time and let’s compare their net-worth now.

If OBJ is also corrupt let’s wait and see, I don’t know who will challenge him (except God and death). The stupid senators that are supposed to challenge their excesses are puppets and clowns. Since OBJ is our “Olori Ebi” (Head of State) he should be able to discipline any wayward child (Nigerian).

Till we see the aftermath of this saga, OBJ’s moral standard remains in the balance.

Nothing will remove Atiku. OBJ need to watch it, Atiku is a Banana peel which no body can step on without falling.

You must be one of his cronies. What is bad is bad.

What is bad is bad. What is Atikus offense?  He is innocent.