The arrest, sentenced to two months imprisonment of the former Governor of Jigawa state, Alhaji Sule Lamido and his two sons Mustapha and Aminu by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was received with mixed feelings in the state. BAYO ALABIRA, in Dutse, writes on the mood in Jigawa and lessons for the incumbent governor.
Alhaji Sule Lamido’s problem with the EFCC has started in November 2013 when one of his son Aminu who was arrested with about $40,000 at the Aminu Kano International Airport which he failed declared and flown to Abuja where he was detained and interrogated by the EFCC.
Sequence to this, sometimes early 2014, the operatives of the anti graft and corrupt practices arrested Aminu and Mustapha Lamido and took them to Abuja. That time they were detained for days.
Then SuleLamido as a Governor covered with immunity, went to Abuja and bailed them out.
However, that incident was interpreted in different ways by political analysts. It was said that the two sons were arrested just to angered Sule Lamido who was spear heading the movement of five governors out the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in protest against the then national chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur.
In view of this, the arrest of his sons at that time has really knocked him off balance. Because those closed to the former jigawa state governor said, he does not want anything to torch the lives of his two sons under whatever form or guise.
That time, Lamido openly blamed the Presidency under the PDP for master minding the arrest in order to psychologically and emotionally punish him for going against his own party, the PDP. It would be recalled that four Governors of Sokoto, Kano, Adamawa and Kwara states finally left the PDP and joint the All Progressive Congress (APC), while Lamido and Babangida Aliyu stayed back, said they would continue to fight from within.
It could also be recalled that immediately lamido returned from his foreign trip after handing over power to APC government through his Secretary to the state government SSG, he met an invitation waiting for him by the EFCC which he honoured by taking himself to Abuja on June 15, 2015.
Above all, these arrests and re-arrests of Lamido’s two sons were as a result of money laundry or contract scams according to the EFCC. This is because it was said that Lamido has involved his two sons in executing various contracts in the state involving some millions of naira.
So it is in view of this, they were remanded in Kurmawa Prison for over two months recently by the High Court sitting in Kano. According to the reason given by the EFCC that in 2014 a construction firm, Dantata and Sawoe, has paid N1.3 Billion as 10 percent kickback for contracts it won, into the accounts operated by Lamido and his two sons.
The EFCC further stated that between 2007, when Sule Lamido assumed office, and 2014, Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company was awarded contracts worth N13.5 billion. And all payments for these contracts were made by the state government to Dantata and Sawoe through five banks, namely, the Zenith, Access, Diamond, Sterling and UBA respectively.
This within the same period, according to a probe of the transactions made by the EFCC revealed that Dantata and Sawoe paid out over N1.3 billion into the accounts of companies in which the governor and his sons had interest among other count charges.
Sequel to this development, the Judge Evylene Anyadike of the High Court sitting in Kano remanded Sule Lamido and his two sons Aminu and Mustapha in Kurmawa Prison from July 9 to September 28, 2015. According to the counsel to EFCC Chile Omokoro who said they have to be remanded in order to give them ample opportunity to carrying out more investigation.
Be it as it may, remanding Sule Lamido and sons in Prison from now to September 28, 2015 has thrown Jigawa state into confusion. Especial to his teeming supporters mostly members of the PDP are in sober mood, while most people can be seen in groups discussing the misfortune that happen to the former Governor.
To some of his supporters, the action was interpreted to be political. It was seen as measures deliberately taken and motivated by Lamido’s political opponents either within the PDP or from the governing party, the APC, to demoralize and frustrate him out of politics.
The chairman of the PDP North- west zone in the state, Honourable Aminu Jahun, said through the state local Radio that what happen to their political leader, did not come to them as a surprise considering the position he occupied and the important role he has been playing in providing good leadership both in the state and national.
Also the state chairman of the PDP, Honourable Salisu Mamuda, said though, he could not comment on the present situation his boss, Sule Lamido find himself in, because the matter is before the court. Saying whatever may be the outcome of the case, they are still waiting, the truth will prevail at the end of it all.
“To us, in Jigawa state, especially the supporters of our former governor, Dr Sule Lamido, we know that what is happening to him presently is as a result his personality, his ability to bring our people together in the state. And it is now that we will like him more than ever before. So this cannot deter our people from supporting him”, he lamented.
Mamuda stressed that the most important aspect of it all is that even the EFCC did not accuse Lamido based on the fact that he deep his hands into the state treasury and fetched out money. But the issue was between Dantata and Sawoe and his companies which normal.
Also the lead counsel to Sule Lamido, Effiong Effiong SAN expressed regret over the refusal of bail to his clients. Lamenting that the case is still an allegation which has not been proved by any competent court yet, therefore the human rights of his clients was violated.
To this end, this will serve as a lesson to both Governors and the politicians who are currently occupy exalted positions or holding public offices. They should know that one day they will leave and account for whatever decisions they might have taken in respect to their oaths.
This however, will serve as a guiding principle especially to the first timers. They have to know that power does not remain with the elected or appointees forever. One day he or she has to give way for somebody to take over where his or her affairs in office would remain a reference point forever.
