Nasarawa assembly drags Al-Makura to EFCC

Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has sent a petition against Governor Tanko Al-Makura to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The Chairman of the assembly’s Committee on Information and Security, Mr. Baba Ibaku, told one of our correspondents on Sunday, that Al-Makura would face the EFCC after his impeachment.

“We have petitioned the EFCC and after   our impeachment process, the governor will know how to defend himself,” he said.

Ibaku was reacting to an allegation by the All Progressives Congress’ Chairman in the state, Mr. Philip Shekwo, that the assembly members   pocketed   N7.78bn   constituency allowance given to them by the state government in three years.”

He said, “The APC chairman does not have the moral right to ask us what we received either monthly or quarterly. It is only the people that voted us into office that have the mandate to do so.

“He (Shekwo) is not a member of our party and we are not members of his party. They (APC) are the people to tell us how much Al-Makura has collected in the last three years from the federation account and how much he has spent on projects.”

The lawmaker, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said   the governor would explain to the EFCC how he spent the state’s allocations.

But he neither said when the petition was written nor gave detailed information on its content.

On the alleged misuse of   constituency allowances given to the lawmakers, he said they   were ready to defend themselves if invited by the EFCC.

When our correspondent contacted the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity , Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, he said that the lawmakers’ petition   had not been brought to his attention.

“Even if they have written a petition to the commission, I am not yet aware of it,” he added.

Also, Al-Makura’s   Director of Press, Iliyasu Yakubu, said   he was not mandated to speak on the petition by the assembly members.

Meanwhile, the   national leadership of the PDP has advised Al-Makura to face his problems, instead of engaging in what it called APC’s “out-worn antics of blaming the Presidency and the PDP for their self-inflicted woes.”

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh,   in a statement on Sunday, said the governor should look inward and find answers to his challenges as the chief executive of his state.

It said the idea of promoting trite excuses of external influence , sponsoring   protests as well as threatening and unleashing thugs on the state legislators   would not solve his problem.

Restating that it has no hands in the state’s political development,   the PDP said the impeachment move against Al-Makura remained a local issue in the state.

He added that the provisions of the   1999 Constitution were very clear on such processes.

The PDP said, “Nigerians may recall that at the wake of the impeachment move in Narasawa State that we came out clearly to restate our non-involvement in the saga and went ahead to charge our lawmakers across the country to ensure that their actions were strictly guided by the provisions of the law.

“We have also challenged the governor and the APC to provide evidence of the alleged involvement of the Presidency or the PDP in the crisis.

“However, we are shocked that instead of focusing on finding answers to his problems which must be connected with the bad governance that has characterised APC-led administrations in the country, the Nasarawa State governor declared war on the lawmakers, while unleashing APC thugs on them and stopping them from carrying out their constitutional duties.”

The party said it was astonished with the “series of unfounded allegations, insults, blackmails and threats sponsored against the Presidency and the PDP.” which are aimed at subverting constitutional provisions.