Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, has ordered the commencement of the probe of the immediate past Governor of the state, Senator Jonah Jang’s administration, over alleged looting of funds from May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015, amounting to billions of naira.
Loading ...The Governor, who made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday, disclosed that the probe of the former governor will be carried out by a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which will be inaugurated on Wednesday.
The Six-Man Commission of Inquiry has Justice Stephen Adah of the Federal Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, as Chairman, while Alhaji Sani Mavo, the Permanent Secretary, Plateau State Ministry of Finance, will serve as Secretary.
Others are Prof. Mrs Bibiana Bawa of Uni Jos, Barrister Aliyu Sangei, Prof. Ekoja B. Ekoja, and Engineer Samuel Onu Agamah, who are to serve as members.
The Governor said the Commission will be mandated to investigate all the financial transactions of Jang during his eight years in office.
The probe is to be diligently done with a view to establishing how much accrued to the state during the said epoch, and how much was expended.
“The Commission of Inquiry is to ascertain all financial transactions, done or entered into by the Government of Plateau State of Nigeria or through any of its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), or official acting in its name, from the 29th day of May 2007, to 29th May 2015.
“It will also ascertain the total amount paid by the Government of Plateau State as salaries and allowances of serving and retired State Civil Servants, Local Government Employees and Political Appointees from 29th May 2007 to 29th May 2015.
“The Commission is also mandated to ascertain and establish all financial allocations, funds, grants or monetary interventions and revenues which accrued to or done in the name of the Government of Plateau State of Nigeria, Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), or Officials or Agents from the Federal Government of Nigeria or any International Institutions or Donor Agencies from 29th May 2007 to 29th May 2015.
“It is also mandated to ascertain and establish all loans granted to or obtained by the Government of Plateau State of Nigeria through any of its Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and the purpose for which such loans were obtained and whether the loans were used for such purpose,” the statement said.
It will be recalled that Jang bequeathed to Lalong an unprecedented debt of N222.3 billion, a litany of abandoned or uncompleted projects worth billions of naira, as well as nearly one year of unpaid civil servants and pensioners’ salaries and pension arrears.
