As exclusively reported by Leadership Weekend in its last week's edition, the United States of America Embassy in Nigeria yesterday confirmed that the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN), had been banned from entering the US. His visa had also been revoked.

According to the Public Affairs Office of the US Embassy, Aondoakaa's visa had been revoked pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 7759 and section 212 of the Immigration Act, which precludes authority to deny entry to USA to person for corruption.

When asked to tell the nature of corruption the former AGF was found liable for in their country, he simply said, "That's all the message handed over to them from their country."

While reacting to the development, the former minister of justice said that "at the time we all made an inquiry over the internet story, there was no such information at the US Embassy.

"If the event turns out that way, there is nothing I can do; that is one of the plight of holding public office, after all a whole Mandela was once banned from entering the US, it's no big deal at all."

He added, "Maybe some people are envious of my having a United Nations job after leaving office and want to scuttle it at all costs because I was in the public office for two and a half years.

"I am surprised how US Government that voted for me as a member of the governing board of the United Nations Institute for Unification of Private Laws in December 2009 could turn out last Wednesday to ban me from entering their country.

"Mind you, there are several Nigerians both high and low who are alleged to have committed one thing or the other. How come I am being singled out in the US?" Aodoakaa said the matter will be normalised when the truth is made known to the US.

"Steps are being taken to resolve the issue," he said.

It would be recalled that the Leadership Weekend of June 26, 2010 carried the story that just weeks after a Federal High Court sitting in Calabar banned him from further holding public office in the country, Nigeria's former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, and some members of his immediate family were banned from entering the United States of America.

Corroborating that the order banning him was signed by the United States President, Barack Obama, the US Embassy, in a statement yesterday, said the revocation was predicated on the Presidential Proclamation 7759, an order duly signed by Obama himself.

However, the US Embassy could not confirm if the visa revocation was also extended to other members of his immediate family. It was also gathered that the United States government had decided never to welcome Nigeria's political functionaries who abused their offices or engaged in questionable or illegal conduct.

The United States government had deplored some of the activities that took place during Aondoakaa's tenure as justice minister. Generally, the United States warned at the United Nations Headquarters in New York a fortnight ago that several corrupt officials in Africa would be made to face travel bans and visa revocation as a way of combating corruption.

It would be recalled that during the last days of the late President Yar'Adua's administration, several members of his kitchen cabinet were listed for visa ban by the United States government. In an interview granted Leadership last weekend, Mr. Aondoakaa dismissed as false the story that he was banned by the US government.

He further said that the story was planted in the media outfits by those who perceived him as an enemy or threat, and that it was coming just after he openly threw his support behind those who said President Goodluck Jonathan was not precluded from contesting the 2011 presidential election by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.