THE controversy in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, as to whether or not former governor of the state, Rev. Jolly Nyame, would appear before a probe panel set up by the government he installed at the end of his tenure three years ago, was rested yesterday.
Nyame physically answered questions from the Justice Philemon Adertung-led commission at the Presidential Lodge in the state capital.
There was palpable tension at the venue of the inquiry, as proceedings were conducted amid tight security.
Newsmen were barred from witnessing the proceedings by security operatives, who claimed they were following a directive from the Chairman of the commission, Justice Adertung.
A source, however, told the Nigerian Compass that the former governor was confronted with questions on allegations of approvals he made as the chief executive of the state, which led to the mismanagement of the funds of the former Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.
In his response, Nyame was said to have informed the commission that all the approvals he made during his time were through memos raised from the ministry by the ministry’s officials, and presented to the then State Executive Council meeting which he chaired, adding that it was a collective decision by the council.
He also went further that, all the approvals were in writing and that there were state executive council minutes that backed the memos. But he denied giving any verbal approval as alleged by other witnesses, who were either chairmen of joint account of local governments and the state or secretaries of the committee.
The former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, who was also the Chairman of the Joint Accounts Committee of local governments and state, Alhaji Mustapha Hammangabdo, once told the commission a couple of weeks ago that the N500 million he signed and collected cash from a commercial bank in Jalingo was based on a directive from Nyame.
In their separate testimonies, two former Permanent Secretaries who once served at the ministry during the period under probe – Samuel Madaki and Hajiya Aishatu Mohammed – also said illegal deductions and mismanagement of hundreds of millions of naira during their tenure at the ministry was based on directives from Nyame.
Also during the proceedings, counsel to the former governor, Mr. Kamal Fagbemi, filed an oral application requesting the commission to re-invite the witnesses who alleged they received oral directives from his client for cross-examination.
The objection raised by Ibrahim Effiong, counsel to one of the former commissioners, was overruled by Adertung, and Tuesday August 3 was fixed for their re-appearance for cross-examination by Nyame’s lawyers.
Addressing journalists who were waiting for him outside the premises of the Presidential Lodge, Nyame said he felt normal being “persecuted” by the person I made three years ago”.
By Steve Osu, Jalingo
