The Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi says that the House would appeal the judgment nullifying the indictment of the former Secretary to the Government of the state (SSG), Aliyu Ahmed Tijani over alleged N248.5m unaccounted funds for school projects in the state.
Balarabe-Abdullahi made this known on Saturday while addressing Newsmen in Lafia, over the state High Court judgment that nullifying the indictment of the former SSS by the House.
It would be recalled that State High Court sitting in Akwanga Friday, August 7, 2020, voided the sacking of the immediate past Secretary to the Nasarawa State Government, Tijani.
The Assembly had directed Governor Abdullahi Sule to relieve the former SSG of his appointment over alleged N284.5m unaccounted school projects fund when he served as Commissioner of Education in the state.
READ ALSO: PDP kicks off massive protest in Abuja, to March to Supreme Court
Consequently, Governor Sule relieved the immediate past SSG of his appointment and subsequently appointed Aliyu Mohammed Ubandoma as the new SSG.
But the state High Court sitting in Akwanga, headquarters of Akwanga Local Government Area of the state, presided over by Justice Mustapha Ramat, voided the recommendation by the State House Assembly for the sack of the erstwhile SSG.
This was even as the court also voided the recommendation by the state assembly that the former SSG refund over N200 million reported having allegedly unaccounted for as school projects funds when he held sway as commissioner for education in the state.
The speaker said that the House has confidence in the Court of Appeal and would get the right judgment accordingly while calling on the people of the state to remain calm and be law-abiding over the issue.
The Assembly had on June 2 set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the release of N1 billion for the renovation/fencing of public secondary schools in the state in 2018, had indicted the former SSG.
Following the indictment, the assembly asked Ahmed-Tijani to refund over N248.5 million as unaccounted funds to the state government.
According to the Speaker, “To some of us, we are not surprised over the court judgment, we don’t expect anything less than the High Court Judgement delivered yesterday.
“This is because we asked series of questions that the former SSG works and resides in Lafia and we have many courts in Lafia and what informed his decision to take the matter to the High Court, Akwanga.
“So we could not get a definite answer but with the outcome of the judgment yesterday, our question is best answered.
“For us as members of the House, we have monitored the events in Akwanga right from the beginning to yesterday and how can the judge said that we did not give the former SSG fair hearing on the matter.
“Some of you the journalists are present when we invited the former SSG to the plenary over the issue, he promised that he will take all responsibility for his actions.
“And from that, I have also set up a committee to investigate the matter in which they have invited him and he has also promised again that he will take responsibility for any infraction.
“But we were surprised by the judgment that we have not given the former SSG fair hearing on the matter.
“I have directed our counsels to study the judgment, and we will appeal the judgment, and I assured you we would get good judgment at the higher level, this is just a court of the first instance so that we will go to the higher ladder,” he said.
“It beats one’s imagination that the former SSG even has prior notice of what the outcome of the will look like as he went with his supporters to celebrate the judgment before the court’s decision,” the Speaker added.
When asked if he was aware that the corruption allegation against the former SSG is before the EFCC, he said “I cannot speak for the EFCC.
“The EFCC is saddled with the responsibility of investigating corruption charges. We have already uncovered corruption allegation against the former SSG, so EFCC is an independent government agency doing its job at its level which I will not comment on that,” he said.
