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Last Updated: Monday, November 15th, 2004 HOME | Previous Page
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Dariye expected back today at Obasanjo�s request
� Aides in last minute marathon meeting
� Middle Belt stakeholders back him, Ulamas oppose
By Tony Eluemunor
and Audu Onoja, Jos
Suspended Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye is expected to arrive from London today, changing his earlier plan
to return on Wednesday, the day before the emergency rule in his domain is expected to be lifted.
President Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly phoned him at the weekend to alter the schedule to enable him participate
in the final talks that would precede the return of democracy in the state.
He is billed to arrive the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos at 9 a.m.
In the Tin City on Sunday afternoon, his aides were holed up in marathon meetings to discuss two major things.
First, whether to ask him to ignore Obasanjo�s call to return two days earlier than planned. This is because many
of them still take the threat of arrest hanging over him seriously.
By last Friday, word had spread across the state that the Presidency had concluded arrangement to arrest Dariye
on his arrival at the airport.
Some of his advisers asked him to stick to his original itinerary, others agreed that he should honour the President�s
call. This group bases its conclusion on the fact that it would be an illegal act and a breach of the Constitution
to arrest a seating governor.
It argues that Dariye�s suspension and the state of emergency that elicited it are both controversial as Obasanjo
was indicted by legal minds that his actions are grave constitutional breaches.
Indeed, the state Assembly went to court to challenge the declaration and all Obasanjo�s entreaties that the case
be withdrawn have so far fallen on deaf ears.
So his arrest of a governor would raise more constitutional dust than the declaration of the state of emergency.
It has already been agreed that though Dariye is suspended, he still enjoys all the privileges of a Governor �
including the protection of Section 308 of the Constitution which shields him from arrest and trial � until he
is constitutionally removed from office.
Last week, the President held talks with several interest groups in the state. Meeting with the members of its
Assembly, he offered to lift the emergency in phases, first allowing the legislature to return, so that it can
start impeachment proceedings against Dariye. But the legislators refused, saying the imposition of the state of
emergency was done in one fell swoop.
Obasanjo had tried to impress it on them that there is another reason why the governor should not be allowed to
return: his being questioned by the London police for bringing a huge sum of money into Britain.
Aso Rock says the amount was about 800,000 pounds but Dariye�s aides insist it was 10,000 pounds. The Presidency
says Dariye is being investigated on money laundering charges, Dariye�s aides say he was set up by Abuja, that
nothing has been proved against him, the matter has yet to go to court and so no one has been proved guilty.
After watching the Abuja video show on Dariye and the London police, the legislators said they told Obasanjo that
the money laundering charges are a different matter altogether. They told him that the state of emergency was declared,
and Dariye was suspended for a totally different issue; that there was strife instead of peace on the Plateau.
Now that peace has returned, they argued, there is no reason not to lift the emergency.
The option Obasanjo proposed that the deputy governor should take over Dariye�s job, supported by a Moslem deputy
governor; but it was rejected. Obasanjo turned to the Assembly speaker with the same offer. He too rejected it
in favour of Dariye.
The President was said to have received the worst reaction from the council chairmen when he hosted them. Their
tongues were said to have been less guarded than those of the other groups who were older.
Yet, not every arm in Plateau is stretched out to welcome the harried Dariye. The Council of Ulamas, is, unlike
the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) state chapter, opposed to his return. The Taroks, including the Langtang
military generals, are also said to be opposed to the idea.
At the weekend, uncertainty still surrounded the expected ending of the emergency on November 18. This stemmed
largely from the rumour in the air that Dariye could be arrested on his return.
Assurances were said to have been given by the Presidency to those who returned from the All Nigeria Peoples Party
(ANPP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Dariye would be arrested.
This has spread across the state, increasing the tension that has gripped it.
It was alleged that it was in furtherance of this that the "great video show" took place last week in
Abuja. Various groups, including Plateau Traditional Rulers, Assembly members, council chairmen, the state�s chapter
of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Plateau Youth Council and the Ja�matu Nasir Islam (JNI) were treated
to free film shows of Dariye�s encounter with the London police.
Newspaper executives were convoked in Abuja and shown the clips in an attempt to get the media to support the planned
non-reinstatement of Dariye.
He was accused of money laundering before all the groups. It was even argued by a certain group that as Dariye
was caught with 80,000 pounds, Nigeria�s foreign debt would not be forgiven if he is not punished.
Yet, his lawyers are circulating a paper in Jos stating that he had only 10,000 pounds on him when he was questioned
in London. The argue that the figure must have been inflated to demonise Dariye as a thief and that the London
police would never have looked his way if Abuja had not expressly asked them to do so, in order to embarrass him.
The lawyers said he was travelling on a diplomatic passport and that there is no law against bringing any amount
of money into Britain. Moreover, they accuse the Nigerian High Commission in London of opposing instead of aiding
Dariye during his travails.
Some other lawyers are said to have banded together as a high-powered legal defence for Dariye if Aso Rock carries
out its threat to arrest him. They would predicate their defence on Section 308 of the Constitution which grants
all governors immunity from arrest and trial while in office.
They insisted only a President who has disdain for the Constitution would arrest a seating or suspended governor
� and that Dariye was only suspended, not impeached and removed, �so he still enjoys immunity and Obasanjo would
be spitting on the Constitution by arresting him�.
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Copyright? 2004. All Rights Reserved.
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