‘Missing’ N70bn SURE-P fund: Jang to sue lawmaker

From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

Governor Jonah David Jang of Plateau state has said he will sue a member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Baba Hassan, accusing the lawmaker of making cruel defamatory statements against him and his government.

The governor’s threat is a fallout of a drama the ensued at the Plateau dtate House of Assembly a couple of weeks ago over the alleged missing of N70 billion Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment  Programme (SURE-P).

The governor and his son, Yakubu Jang, who is the Special Adviser to his father on Special Duties have been accused of embezzling the funds.

It would be recalled, the Plateau State House of Assembly recently went into rowdy session over the missing fund, following a petition sent to it by a group called “Plateau Patriotic Forum (PPF).

Governor Jang’s planned suit was  revealed in a piece of four-page advertorial addressed to the lawmaker by the “Renaissannce Chamber”, acting as the governor’s client.

According to the piece, an interview granted to The Guardian by Hon. Hassan was cruel and capable of tarnishing the reputation of Hang and his government. It therefore asked for N1 billion compensation to be paid to the governor by the lawmaker.

Part of the letter reads: “In your interview with journalists in Jos, which was published on page 83 of The Guardian Newspaper edition of Thursday June 5, 2014, you uttered defamatory words which were printed, published and disseminated concerning the person of our client who is the Chief Executive of the Plateau State Government”.

“In the light of the foregoing false and malicious publication concerning our client, you have “48 hours” to offer unqualified apology by retracting the publication in four national dailies”, it said, stressing that the governor will resort to legal action should the lawmaker fail to meet the demands.