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Obasanjo asks Assembly to
decide Dariye�s fate
� Summons Plateau council
bosses, traditional rulers
By
Onoja Audu
Correspondent,
Jos
President
Oulsegun Obasanjo, in a new move to resolve the Plateau political
conflict, has conceded the power to investigate and decide the fate of
suspended Governor Joshua Dariye to the state Assembly as preparations are
in full force to restore democratic structures there.
Besides,
sources in Jos confirmed that Obasanjo has summoned a meeting with all the
state�s 17 council chairmen for Wednesday and that its traditional rulers
are billed to meet with him on Thursday.
Assembly
Speaker Simon Lalong told newsmen in Jos on Tuesday that the outcome of
the state�s lawmakers meeting with the President in Abuja was a promise
from him that he would make a proclamation on the emergency rule within
the next two to three days.
He
said for the first time, Obasanjo spoke to the state Assembly members like
a father and that they also gave him their listening ears for the first
time.
�Mr.
President, in the course of the meeting with him, blamed the lawmakers and
democratic structures for not living up to the expectation to save the
unfortunate things that happened in Plateau State�, he said.
Lalong
explained that the President argued that while he was trying to save lives
and property in Plateau State, the legislators were busy taking him to
court.
He
added, however, that the discussion was done as though in a family
gathering.
�I
want to tell you that for the very first time in my visits to Mr.
President, Monday�s visit was really a family affair. He handled us like a
father and President and we also treated him like our father, because all
the time for almost one hour, it was all jokes�, Lalong
recalled.
He
said they are happy with the manner Obasanjo came to the realisation that
the fate of Dariye and Plateau State is with the state Assembly. �The ball
is in your court, Plateau State House of Assembly. Whatever will happen,
you still have the Constitutional powers to decide the fate of Plateau
State�, Lalong said Obasanjo told his guests.
On
the money laundering charges against Dariye, Lalong explained that the
director of State Security Services (SSS) and the federal attorney general
showed them video clips on the alleged crimes.
He
said there is nothing the state Assembly could do about the situation
until democratic structures are restored, saying it is capable of handling
the matter even if it means that the lawmakers will travel to the United
Kingdom to get the true picture of things from the London police.
Although
the president had told the lawmakers that they would decide Dariye�s fate,
it was gathered that the government is gathering materials that would
effectively check Dariye�s return to office. It is currently working on
allegations bordering on irregular monetary transactions and allegation of
false declaration of his assets.
These
allegations when thoroughly established would form the basis for his
eventual removal by the state Assembly, it was learnt.
Government
is insisting that Dariye engaged in certain irregular financial deals
while in office, a development that is currently under investigation both
in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Dariye,
according to government sources, declared in 1999 that he does not own any
foreign account but was discovered to have owned an account with Barclays
Bank in London, which he continued to operate while in office. He is said
to now operate a Current, BarclayCard and Tracker Saving accounts in the
bank.
It
also hinted that while in office, the embattled governor operated another
account with Natwest, which he used in transacting some businesses in the
UK.
Funds
found in the accounts during investigation were said to have been
transferred from Nigeria through three local banks, and the money was not
from any known business transactions carried out by him during the period.
�The nexus between corruption and money laundering by Dariye is supported
by evidence�, the source insisted.
Dariye
is currently facing interrogation by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over
alleged false declaration on oath that he did not own a foreign
account.
Apparently
trying to dispel speculations of witch-hunting, Nigerian government
authorities have insisted that the investigation did not originate from
Nigeria. It was started by the British police acting on leads triggered by
the arrest of four Nigerians in January this year in the UK suspected of
engaging in money laundering.
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