By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
As the city of Minna, the Niger State capital prepares for it’s major high profile court case involving the former state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his erstwhile Chief of Staff to be docked at the state High Court II over financial impropriety as raised by Nigeria’s anti graft agency, the state government has said that it has no covert plot to embarrass the embattled former Governor.
The government distanced itself from purported plans to sponsor some hirelings to boo and scream at the ex governor when he appeares before the Court tomorrow, Tuesday, 25th.
Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu is being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,(EFCC) for financial misappropriation during his administration.
There has been apprehension in Minna, the state capital that some people were hired to boo the former Governor as he appears before the Court while another counter group is rumoured to have been hired to sing praises to him and demonstrate against the prosecution of the former Governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Findings by our correspondent revealed a sharp division amongst the political class in the state capital especially over the planned arraignment of the former Governor at the Court over financial impropriety.
While there are many who believe that the former Governor had really turned the face of the state for the better and had not committed such serious crime to deserve the kind of treatment meted on him by the EFCC, others were of the opinion that so much money was siphoned by persons close to the former Governor under his stewardship and he should thus be so prosecuted.
The former Governor has been under detention at the facility of the anti graft agency in Abuja for about three weeks.
Our correspondent had at last weekend scooped that some politicians had planned to hire some hirelings amongst whom are commercial motorcyclists to boo the former Governor at the premises of the High Court when he is brought to face charges against him and his former Chief of Staff, Government House, Umar Mohammed Nasko.
It is probably against this that the state government on Monday issued a statement deconstructing it’s alleged involvement in the plot to disgrace the embattled former Governor.
Niger State Government in a statement from the state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, distanced itself from any plan to embarrass the former Governor when he is brought before the court.
The statement said the present administration holds all past leaders of the state in high regard and would therefore not condescend to such low level to be involved in anything that would bring any of them to disrepute.
The statement however stressed that as a responsible government, the administration strongly believes in the rule of law and it’s stance on anti corruption crusade remains uncompromisable.
It said “the Niger state government has no hand in the travails of the former Governor who is currently facing corruption charges before the EFCC”. It thus exonerated the APC led government in the state of having any role in the former Governor’s travails.
The state Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana when contacted on the rumoured planned actions by supporters and opponents of the two camps, refused to say anything on the matter.
Elkanah however told journalists that “the EFCC which is prosecuting the former Governor has all it takes to protect lives and property during and after any of it’s activities including being in a court for any trial”.
