The Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has accused his predecessor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, of looting N5.9 billion pension fund of the state workforce.
While reacting to a statement made by former the former governor at the zone B Peoples Democratic Party rally in Paiko that all the decampees from the party to the All Progressives Congress are looters, Bello said the ex-governor should be ready to answer some questions from anti-corruption agencies.
It should be recalled that former Governor Aliyu is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on an eight-count charge of abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of N2 billion at a Federal High Court sitting in Minna.
Bello, while speaking to journalists, through his Deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Mohamed Ketso, said a Committee set up by the state government to look into the 7.5 per cent contributory pension fund made the discovery recently.
He said: “The Committee had verified and it was discovered that some of the money was syphoned.
“Unfortunately for the former governor, these people served under his administration.
“So, if the decampees like he said are looters, then he is the chief looter.
“With this revelation, we will resurrect both old and new cases we have against former Governor Aliyu and those who have mismanaged finances in the state in the past.
“Aliyu should be ready to answer some questions from security agencies and anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and ICPC.
“I am happy now that the former Governor has made it clear and known to all that PDP are looters.
“We want to inform the security agencies, EFCC and court of competent jurisdiction about this utterance.
“Some of the cases we have against looters, particularly the Chief Looter (Aliyu), will soon be resurrected because there are some existing cases that the former Governor is facing.
“But we have new ones that we will dust out.
“The former Governor should be ready to answer some questions.”
Bello further said that among the decampees, anyone found guilty of stealing public funds in the past administration will face the wrath of the law, stressing that the APC will not shield anyone.
He said: “Whoever is found guilty, whether decamped or not, the law will take its due course.
“Anybody coming to the party for it to shield them is making a mistake.
“APC will not shield anyone.
“We are a decent party and the governor is Mister Accountability and Probity.
“APC is seen as a party that is admired and we believe that the decampees are good people who came to support us and they cannot be proven to be looters until the court determines that.
“We never said the decampees are looters.
“It is the former Governor whom they served under that said they are looters.”
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