Yakubu Busari
A Retired Director with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Olayetanyashi Mudashiru Abiola who was director of development finance department has testified on alleged N6.3bn suit against the Former Governor Jonah David Jang, and the Former Cashier of the Government Mr. Yusuf Pam CBN exposed how funds were diverted in five (5 ) working days without the appropriate PFI beneficiaries getting it.
The two days trial which resumed on Wednesday and Thursday before Hon Justice Christine Dabup of High Court, No 5 which the Former Governor, Sen Jonah David Jang was dragged to answers questions bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, MSME, alleged N6.3 billion while he was the governor of Plateau state between 2007-2015 respectively.
Justice Christine Dabup of the High Court sitting in Jos, Division the Ex-Governor Jonah David Jang
and a former cashier in the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Yusuf Pam, was charged on a 12-count brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which bordered on alleged corruption and misappropriation of the state fund amounting to over N6.3bn while he was governor between 2007 and 2015.
Jang is standing trial over an alleged fund which was said to have been misappropriated when he was in office.
The Ex -CBN Director, Mr. Abiola told the court that as a financial institution saddle with the functions of reducing poverty, unemployment, they launched the program to accommodate market women, traders, farmers through cooperative society and micro Small medium and enterprises, MSME, across the 36 states and some of the guidelines to obtain the loan by the state government is first to write to them a letter indicating interest to participate and thereafter follows up with the approval from the various state Houses of Assembly.
He said that the Plateau state government under the leadership of Da Jonah David Jang indicated their government interest by writing to CBN with all the correspondences letter to back their information from P1 to, P20 and were all tender and admitted in exhibits by Justice Christine Dabup for proceedings.
Abiola said when CBN uncovered sometimes in 2014 that one of their guideline of section 4(2) did not follow, they quickly wrote a letter to the Plateau state government asking them to repatriate back the 2 billion earlier sent to them into Project (1) account but the discovered nonadherence so a team of CBN was sent to the Plateau state to investigate why money set aside to be disbursed to Nigerian to kick-start their businesses was siphoned and diverted into private and public use so who would pay 9% deduction main to be given to CBN as bank interest.
The CBN now wrote a letter to the EFCC accused Jang of misappropriation of funds to the tune of N6.3 billion when he served as governor of Plateau state from the year 2007 to 2015.
The retired banker further gave an insight to the main objectives of launching the funds and to stimulate the economy of the Plateau state citizens hit the wrong direction because the governor presented one Sylvester Davou as the Director of Plateau State Small Medium and Enterprises, PLASMEDA, an agency that never existed but operated just on paper being the imagination of Jang.
The case before retired judge, Justice Daniel Longji, who has retired from service in December 2019, and the case handed over to Justice Christine Dabup now running to one year trial.
The plaintiff counsel, Rotimi Jacobs of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to recall all the witnesses for fresh re-trial and re-examination in the N6.3bn charge it brought against a former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang.
Justice Dabup after taken to more witnesses adjourned the trial to 16th,17th, and 18th January,2021for resumption of the trial
“You would recall, Jang was in 2018 arraigned in a Jos High Court by EFCC over allegations of fraud to the tune of 6.3 billion Naira of Plateau State fund when he was the Governor of the state.
On May 16, 2018, he was remanded in Jos prison after his application for bail was declined by the court”.
While on cross-examination by Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and two of his sons, the witness Abiola told the court that funds were not written in the name of the former governor but he wrote them a letter indicating interest to participate.
Today 4th Oct. 2020, the case between FGN/EFCC -V- Sen Jonah Jang & Yusuf Pam continued at the Plateau State High Court No.5 sitting in Jos.
The 1st Defendants’ legal team is led by Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, Hon Edward Pwajok SAN LB, Benson Igbanoi Esq, Olivia Dazyem Esq amongst ors. The 2nd Defendants team is led by Chief Sunday Odey Esq, Sunday Oyawole Esq & Oguntuyi Esq amongst ors. Chief Rotimi Jacobs SAN & ors are for the Prosecution team.
In the Court today are Da Francis Bot, Rt Hon George Daika, Rt Hon Stephanus Mwansat, Pst Abraham Yiljab, Alh Idi Waziri, Da Rev Saje, Da Yusuf Pam amongst other people present in Court.
