Against Nigerian Law, CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro Allows Her Eleven Years Old Twin Daughters To Be Company Boss

Secrets Reporters

Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor for Operations, Emem Nnana Usoro, is facing serious scrutiny over alleged undeclared ties to Buildchester Ltd, a construction and real estate firm, where her eleven-year-old minor children have reportedly been made directors and substantial shareholders in clear violation of Nigerian company law.

Buildchester Ltd, registered on November 21, 2000, has long been associated with businessman Jerry Edirin Wesley. Court filings from the marriage dissolution between Jerry Edirin Wesley and Grace Efedede Wesley have highlighted Usoro’s alleged involvement in related personal and business affairs, including estate administration disputes in Delta State around 2022, where she was reportedly described as having children with Wesley.

Investigations by SecretsReporters reveal that the underage twins, Elina Ejiro Wesley and Eleanor Ese Wesley, both born in 2020 and currently six years old, are listed as directors and shareholders in the company. This arrangement directly contravenes the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020.

Section 77(1) of CAMA 2020 explicitly states: “A person shall not be appointed a director of a company unless he has attained the age of 18 years.” Legal experts describe the inclusion of minors as directors as illegal and null and void, emphasizing that only persons of full legal capacity can hold such positions.

Further compounding the issue, the minors’ involvement as directors and shareholders in Buildchester Ltd was not declared in Emem Usoro’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) form or her Bank Employees (Declaration of Assets) form, raising serious questions about transparency and compliance with asset declaration requirements for public officials.

The CBN Deputy Governor, who rose through the ranks at United Bank for Africa before her appointment in 2023, has not responded to multiple inquiries regarding her connection to the company, the status of her children as directors, or why such interests were not disclosed in her official asset filings.

This development adds to ongoing concerns about Usoro’s overseas properties, including a West Hollywood condominium and another Los Angeles residence registered in her name, and whether all her business interests and assets were properly declared upon assuming office.

The revelation has sparked criticism of selective accountability among high-ranking public officials, especially as the matter intersects with reported personal controversies and the detention of a SecretsReporters journalist investigating the case.

As a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Emem Usoro is expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency. The presence of underage children as company bosses in a firm linked to her raises fundamental questions about adherence to both company law and public service ethics.