—Court dismisses lawmakers’ application
—19 lawmakers, Speaker face recall threat
By Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz, Yola,
and Ezrel Tabiowo, Abuja
A former Chief of Staff to Adamawa state Governor Murtala Nyako has been fingered in the alleged financial sleaze of the governor’s administration.
Twenty out of the 25 members of the state House of Assembly had initiated a controversial impeachement procecess against the governor, citing alleged financial malfeasance.
The former aide, Senator Bello Tukur, was severely criticised by the Nyako camp barely 48 hours after the governor was indicted at an elders’ forum in Yola at the weekend.
Blueprint had reported on Monday about a gang-up by federal ministers and PDP stalwarts to enforce the impeachment proceedings being orchestrated by the House of Assembly. Bello is believed to be one of the arrowheads of the plot.
Documents in possession of Blueprint showed how Tukur asked for extraneous budget during his tenure as Chief of Staff.
He was alleged to have made financial demands under the guise of carrying out some essential services.
In one of such letters to Nyako, dated October 6, 2010, the then Chief of Staff wrote: “Your Excellency may be aware that the state government will be hosting some important dignitaries from outside the state attending the National Polo Tournament.
“During the course of their visit, the following expenses will be incurred: (a) Honourarium and souvenir for the visiting officials (N3,500,000); (b) Logistics (N2,500,000); Accommodation/feeding (N2,500,000); (c) 100 No. high quality Shadda at N30,000 (N3,000,000) and (d) Miscellaneous (N3,500,000).
“In view of the above, therefore, Your Excellency is kindly requested to approve and direct Ministry of Finance to release the sum of N15 million only for hosting some important dignitaries who will be in the state on official engagements next week, please.”
In another letter, dated November 13, 2010, Tukur said: “Your Excellency may be aware that for quite sometime now, this office has been experiencing some difficulties in carrying out essential services and daily operations of government business due to lack of monthly release of running cost.
“In the circumstance, the office requires the sum of N30,550,000 only to offset some of the expenses incurred by this office, please.”
A source in Nyako’s camp said: “The state government spent about N120 million on Tukur’s election. Why did he now go to the elders’ forum to cast aspersions on Nyako?
“Let him come out clean on his records as the Chief of Staff to Nyako. This Senator should tell the public how much he was receiving monthly as imprest as the Chief of Staff to Nyako.
“The people of Adamawa should ask why Government House vehicles were fueled at a private filling station in Jimeta under Tukur as the Chief of Staff. What became of the Government House fuel dump when Tukur was in charge?”
Another source in the camp said: “Some elders at the forum on Sunday were just trying to save their reputation by hiding under a finger. One of them was benefitting from direct electricity supply from Government House. He has not paid a kobo for electricity in the last seven years. Did he care to ask who was paying for the diesel used for the generator to supply him electricity?
“Yet, the same elder joined forces with Tukur and others to accuse Nyako of mismanagement of state resources.”
A third source added: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should look at the activities and accounts of all those who have served in Nyako’s cabinet since 2007 to date.
“Attention should be paid to all his Chiefs of Staff if they want to do a thorough job and rescue the state from graft agents.”
Efforts by Blueprint to get Tukur’s comments on these allegations proved abortive between Wednesday and yesterday as several calls made to his phone went unanswered while text messages sent to him were similarly not answered.
When our correspondent went to the lawmaker’s office at the National Assembly yesterday, his legislative aides told him the senator was unavailable and they had no knowledge of his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, the impeachment process suffered another setback yesterday as a Yola High Court presided by the acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, dismissed an application filed by the lawmakers over its jurisdiction to entertain a case filed by Nyako who had earlier obtained an interlocutory injunction to quash the impeachment proceedings.
While ruling on the lawmakers’ application on whether the court had jurisdiction to entertain the suit brought by the governor in respect of the impeachment process, Justice Mammadi averred that the court had jurisdiction to entertain the suit and therefore dismissed the lawmakers’ application and adjourned to July 9, 2014.
It could be recalled that the High Court had earlier slammed an interlocutory injunction restraining the lawmakers from taking any decision pending the determination of the suit filed by the governor.
Reacting to yesterday’s ruling, Nyako’s counsel, Barrister Ayo Akumu, expressed happiness with the ruling, saying, “I am comfortable; my joy is that the court did not say it has no jurisdiction to entertain the case. The matter is still pending before the court. I am okay with it.
“The action taken by the House of Assembly as at yesterday, I had made it clear that is a violation of the court order.”
Also reacting, the governor’s adviser on legal matters, Hajiya Hadiza Aminu, applauded the ruling.
She said: “We are happy for today’s ruling which says that the court has jurisdiction to hear the case. That’s why it has been adjourned to July 9, 2014 for continuation.
“We appeal to our teeming supporters to remain calm, resolute and be law-abiding as the court is on the top of the matter.”
There was confusion last night on whether the state acting Chief Judge had received any correspondence by the lawmakers to constitute the seven-man panel it asked him to do on Wednesday.
The Chief Registrar of the High Court, Alhaji Abubakar Babayola, denied any communication.
He said: “As I am talking to you now, we are yet to receive their correspondence, and if there is any we will communicate to you.”
But when contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the state assembly, Mr Solomon Kumangar, said: “The clerk has since communicated the matter and it was received at the chamber of the acting Chief Judge before closing hours,” he said.
In a related development, there are strong indications that 19 of the lawmakers, alongside the Speaker, may face recall from their constituencies following dissatisfaction with their drive to move for the impeachment of Nyako and his deputy, Mr. Bala James Ngillari.
Dropping the hint to newsmen in Yola yesterday, a former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), North-east, Dr Umar Duhu, said the electorate in the state had resolved to fight back as, according to him, “they are no longer fighting Nyako but rather fighting the whole people of Adamawa state.”
While warning the legislators to look into the implications of their actions, he stressed that irrespective of party affiliations the electorate were being mobilised to take action.
“They should look into the implications of what they are doing,” he said. “The common man is now taking the bulk of the heat. This is because they don’t have direct link with their constituencies.
“Their move is not timely. Politically it is a bad idea, one that should not have been embarked upon.”
Duhu further alleged that there could be strong forces behind the move.
“If you look into the whole scenario, the major beneficiary is the same speaker. So, we people from his constituency have begun to doubt the sincerity, particularly that of the speaker, who has been fighting his kinsman, the deputy governor.
“We don’t know why he is too ambitious. Unfortunately, he is from my constituency. We are preparing for the next line of action against any member that has a hand in this shameless act.’’
Also corroborating, a youth leader in Mubi, Garba Musa, said: “The manner our members could even snubs our respected emir.
“They have not consulted us. Nobody is happy, so their action is selfish.”
