Yar’ adua, Jonathan’s anti-corruption drive facilitated Nyame, Dariye convictions — Reno Omokri
Reno Omokri, former media aide to immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, has said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari should not take credit for the convictions of ex-governors Jolly Nyame (Taraba) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau). Omokri, in a statement on Thursday, said that the convictions of Dariye and Nyame were anti-corruption feats of the […]
Reno Omokri, former media aide to immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, has said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari should not take credit for the convictions of ex-governors Jolly Nyame (Taraba) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau).
Omokri, in a statement on Thursday, said that the convictions of Dariye and Nyame were anti-corruption feats of the PDP administrations of Umaru Musa Yar’adua and Jonathan, adding that the Buhari government is trying to reap where it did not sow.
READ ALSO: Ex-governor Nyame gets 14-year jail term
Nyame was sentenced to 14 years in jail for diverting N1.64 billion as governor of Taraba while Dariye was handed a 16-year sentence for diverting N1.126bn from Plateau state’s ecological funds.
“The fact is that Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, the two former Peoples Democratic Party members recently imprisoned for fraud, were charged and prosecuted by the PDP administrations of Umaru Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan’ and not by the All Progressive Congress led government of Muhammadu Buhari.
“Joshua Dariye for instance was charged to court on July 13, 2007 by the EFCC under the leadership of Malam Nuhu Ribadu who was then serving under a PDP led administration headed by President Umaru Musa Yar’adua.
“He was arraigned on 23 counts, his plea was taken but his defense lawyer challenged the court’s jurisdiction. The Court of Appeal threw out that application and the case went to trial on Oct.27, 2010.
READ ALSO: Joshua Dariye to spend 14 years in prison
“By May 29, 2015 when former President Goodluck Jonathan handed over power to President Muhammadu Buhari, the case had already reached the point where a verdict was to be given but the current EFCC headed by Ibrahim Magu began dragging its foot, most likely because by then Dariye had decamped to the APC.
“In the case of Reverend Jolly Nyame, he was arraigned in 2007 on 41 counts. His plea was taken and his trial begun after all applications filed by the accused to stall the trial were dismissed by the Supreme Court. Trial fully commenced and was on-going at FCT High Court by 2008”.
Omokri claimed that while Jonathan “was noted for firing erring PDP ministers and handing them over for investigation by the EFCC,” the Buhari administration has failed to take action against those recently accused of corruption.
READ ALSO: Is there a saint in Nigeria, Dariye queries EFCC
“The Buhari administration is so desperate for achievements and because it has none, it continues attempting to steal the achievements of others like the convictions of Dariye and Nyame, which was initiated by the PDP which charged them to court in 2007 and the Abuja-Kaduna rail which was designed, built and completed by PDP administrations.”