Adamawa probe panel reports bunch of lies – Nyako

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi with agency report

Former Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, has alleged that reports from the Judicial Panel of Enquiry set up to probe his administration are being falsified and exaggerated by “government propagandists”.

Nyako dismissed the reports, in a statement by his spokesman, Ahmad Sajoh, yesterday.

Nyako, who was impeached by the state House of Assembly on July 15, is yet to appear before the panel, which started sitting about a fortnight ago.

However, he denied reports of the proceedings of the panel relating to money he was alleged to have paid to the account of his aide-de-camp (ADC).

He also denied reports on contributions to the running costs of the state-owned media houses and the ones relating to consultancy for Local Government Housing Scheme.

The statement read in part: “We have observed with great concern the  attempt by government propagandists to exaggerate and even falsify reports from the Judicial Panel of Enquiry and to create the wrong impression that whatever policy enunciated by the Nyako regime, at whatever date, had existed throughout the seven years he ruled the state.

“This is quite uncharitable and calls to question the credibility of those behind the false reports. For the avoidance of doubt, we would like to provide clarifications on three important issues that came up under discussion and the biased reporting of some of the local media houses and even some reporters of national papers on the matters concerned”.

He denied paying money into the account of the ADC in the name of assistance to the police.

He said, “The truth about the matter is that when both the state government and the Nigeria Police Command in the state felt that there was a need to ensure that the Police are always mobile, a special account was opened and dedicated to the maintenance and fueling of police vehicles to which the 21 local government areas were to contribute N6.5m monthly.

“The ADC ensured that the money is paid into the account on monthly basis. In view of the efficacy of the process in ensuring that the system helped greatly in combating crime in the State, the ADC deserves commendation not indictment for that. To raise the figure beyond the N6.5m and multiply same by 84 months or seven years is simply mischievous.

“To call it illegal is to negate our often touted slogan of security being everyone’s business. What is illegal in local government leadership willingly sitting together and agreeing to support the process of securing their territories?” he further stated.