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Resign now, reps tell
Olujinmi
• Condemn arrest
of 19 Plateau officials
• Dariye, Mantu parley, pledge unity
By Uchenna Awom
National
Assembly
Correspondent
(Abuja) and
Audu Onoja, correspondent (Jos)
Members
of the Plateau Sate Caucus in the House of Representatives on Sunday in Abuja
asked federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Akin Olujinmi to resign
immediately for “lying” over the rolling allegations against
Governor Joshua Dariye.
This
has rekindled the rancour between “the Abuja men” and the state.
However, one of the federal officials, Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu,
broke ranks at the weekend to embrace the governor at a peace meeting in Jos.
He
and Dariye pledged to work together for the good of their electors. Both are
from the state.
But
pressing home its point, the caucus, through its Chairman, John Adamu Loughor,
also condemned the arrest at the weekend of the state water corporation general
manager and 18 others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In
the same vein, he urged the British Government to apologise to Nigeria over the
“illegal arrest” of Dariye by the British police without clearance
from the Nigeria high commission in London and in light of the denial by its
high commissioner in Nigeria that Britain is behind Dariye’s travails in
London or involved in his investigation.
Loughor
recalled that Olujinmi had on the eve of the lifting of the emergency rule on
November 18, written the state Assembly detailing the governor’s alleged
crimes, which he insisted had informed the investigation by the British
Government.
“But
the statement of the British envoy shows that Olujimi lied. I say that the
Minister of Justice is a pathological liar because the envoy said the British
Government is not involved in the investigation of Dariye”, Loughor
stressed.
He
added: “Olujimi is a moral burden to Nigeria as he has used his position
and office to lie and implicate the British Government. It shows that the
arrest of Dariye in London, with that statement, was illegal and
unconstitutional”.
On
the arrest of the state government officials by the EFCC, Loughor described it
as “provocative, illegal and unconstitutional”, and that the
attitude of EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu “is not part of the peace process
promised and, in fact, initiated by President Olusegun Obasanjo”.
The
people of Plateau State, he explained, will no longer sit idle and watch this
time around and may have to fight - even if it means war on the Plateau,
to keep the peace - if the Federal Government has resolved not to leave
them alone.
“Dariye’s
immunity remains intact as a Governor. Despite that, however, Ribadu went
ahead to press a criminal case against him. If he is actually serious with his
job, he should have known that Dariye is covered by immunity, unless he is
acting a script written by somebody somewhere.
“Ribadu
should not compromise himself. I believe there is a crisis in the judiciary.
The court in Kaduna should have been aware that another court in Abuja had
ruled that Dariye cannot be tried on any criminal charges. Dariye should be
left alone”, he stated.
However,
the governor and Mantu made up on Sunday at the end of a peace deal brokered by
the state council of traditional rulers.
The
meeting, which started around 4 p.m. at the residence of the Long Mai of
Shendam, Miskom Sheldas II, was also attended by the state’s members of
National Assembly.
No
statement was issued at the end of it and both Dariye and Mantu declined to
talk to the press, but a source said the agenda was peace restoration among the
gladiators.
When
approached for comment, Dariye and his hitherto estranged friend Mantu only
waived their hands.
“No
comment”, the governor said, as they drove off in Mantu’s official
607 Peugeot car to an unknown destination.
Full
of smiles, he added: “Gentlemen of the press, I will see you
later”.
But
Deputy Governor Michael Botmang explained that “everything is working
fine, you can see both Dariye and Mantu are now working hand in hand,
don’t you see everybody is smiling?”
A
member of the House of Representatives from the state, J. Wuyep, confirmed that
the parties had resolved to go back to their respective loyalties and preach
peace.
To
him, both Dariye and Mantu have genuine reasons to embrace peace “and
dialogue is the best way to do it”.
The two men are from Plateau Central Senatorial District and
had worked together since 1999 until May 18, 2004 when the declaration of
emergency rule divided them and their supporters.
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