Court Clears Ex-Nasarawa SSG Of Financial Misappropriation Allegations

The High Court Of Justice Sitting In Akwanga has exonerated the Former Secretary to the Government Of Nasarawa State, Aliyu Ahmed Tijjani of claims of financial misappropriation by the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.

The former SSG had been accused of misappropriation of funds by the members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.

Justice Mustapha Abdul-Muminu Ramat in his ruling on Friday declared all the proceedings of the House that led to the indictment of Mr Tijjani null and void for not giving him a fair hearing.

The Plaintiff had taken the state governor, Governor Abdullahi Sule, the state House of Assembly, the Speaker Balarabe Abdullahi, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner Of Justice Abdul-Kareem Kana to court challenging the action of the House for indicting him without giving him a fair hearing.

The House of Assembly indicted Aliyu Ahmed Tijjani of alleged financial Misappropriation of 1 billion naira when he was the state Commissioner of Education which led to the relief of his appointment as the Secretary to the State Government by Governor Abdullahi Sule on June 8th.

Reacting to the judgement, counsel to the plaintiff, Shikamma Kassam Sheltu, appreciated the judgement that the most important thing was that the court has voided the erstwhile SSG’s removal as well as voiding his payment of over N200 million into the coffers of the Nasarawa State goverment.

However counsel to the defendants, Isaac Edoh, said the relieve of the former SSG by the state High Court was based on section 208 (1, 2 & 5) of the 1999 constitution that the appointment and removal is based on the pleasure of the governor, which was what the judge did.