Ex Taraba Gov., Rev. Nyame Paid N450 million for a N16 million Contract

Posted by admin National Politics, State News, Taraba, Top Stories Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

A Permanent Secretary in the Taraba State Ministry of Finance, Asabe
Maiangwa, on Monday told an Abuja High Court that she complained to the then
Taraba state Governor, Rev Jolly Nyame, about the way the state government
disbursed various sums of money to contractors for jobs not done.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, Maiangwa, who was being led in
cross examination by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said she met the
governor personally and complained that she was not happy the way the
Honorable Commissioner of Finance, Tutari handled payments especially for the
procurement of stationeries.

“I met the governor personally and told him my mind about the way the
Commissioner handled payment with regards to stationeries and also money
paid to local contractors. He asked after the Commissioner and I told him he
traveled, the governor then told me he was going to talk to him when he returns”,
Maiangwa said.

Maiangwa further said that the posting out of Alhaji Naigari Umar, an official of
Taraba State government House, to another office was a fall out of his refusal to
sign a cheque of N200 million for the Secretary to the State government whom
he considered was not the accounting officer of the state.

She said it was shortly after the N450 million incident that she was posted out of
the office. The case continues today.

Count one of the charges against Nyame reads, “That you, JOLLY TEVORU
NYAME between January and February, 2005 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial
Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, while being the
Governor of Taraba State of Nigeria and in such capacity entrusted with dominion
over certain property to wit: the sum of N250, 000, 000, .00 (Two Hundred and
Fifty Million Naira) meant for the purchase of stationeries by the Taraba State
Government committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum and
you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal
Code Act Cap 532 Laws of Federation of Nigeria 1990”.

Count 2 “That you Jolly Tevoru Nyame between January and February, 2005 at
Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory, while being the Governor of Taraba State of Nigeria and in such
capacity entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: funds meant for
the purchase of stationeries by the Taraba State Government committed criminal
breach of trust in respect of the said funds by collecting the sum of N180, 000,
000.00 (One Hundred and Eighty Million Naira) from the entire sum for your
personal use and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section
315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of Federation of Nigeria 1990”.

Count 6 reads, “That you Jolly Tevoru Nyame on or about 14th February, 2005 at
Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory while being the Governor of Taraba State of Nigeria and in such capacity
entrust with dominion over certain properties to wit: the sum of N165,000. 000.00
(one hundred and sixty five Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in
respect of the said sum and you thereby committed an offence punishable under
Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 laws of Federation of Nigeria 1990.”
-African Examinerwp_posts