From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Hon. Francis Orogu, has described the protest by some youths against the sale of the state’s liaison office in Lagos by the past Sen Umaru Al-Makura-led administration as a deliberate witch-hunt by the current administration in the state.
The Voice reports that a group under the aegis of Nasarawa State Development Association, Lagos State Chapter had on Sept. 24, organised a protest in Lagos against the sale of the state liaison office by the previous administration of Senator Al-Makura.
Orogu, while reacting to the protest, accused the current administration of sponsoring the protest, saying that the governor was engaging in a witch-hunt against his predecessor because they were have fallen apart politically.
Orogu, who explained that the sale of the property was not a hidden thing said almost all political players in the state were aware of it when it was sold by the previous administration.
He said, “What is happening in Lagos is a political move to frustrate Senator Umaru Al-Makura because the former governor forwarded the request to the 5th Nasarawa State House of Assembly about the state governments intention to auction government properties that were dilapidated including that of Lagos Liaison office.
“The assembly sat, deliberated and hurriedly passed it and these properties were sold and people were aware of but nobody made a comment or condemned it not even the traditional rulers or political leaders said anything about it.
” I took it upon my self and spoke out , brought out documents but nobody supported me. I packaged all the documents,went to the court against the state government, presented the process and procedures on how properties should be sold and while in the High Court in Lafia, the Chief judge ruled against me.I had to take the case to the court of Appeal in Makurdi.
“I wonder why the group did not protest four years ago when the going between Sule and Al-Makura was good. Now, the protest about the sale of the Liaison office in Lagos is a tactical means by Governor Sule to go after Al-Makura because he is not supporting him at the governorship election petitions tribunal.
“The governor should stop playing such games because a politician stopped supporting him for one reason or the other. I am not here to defend Al-Makura, what I am doing is mainly to debunk claims by the group and their sponsors that the intention of the protest is not genuine but politically motivated.”
He, therefore called on the governor Sule desist from using innocent citizens of the state who do not have knowledge of his political disagreement with his predecessor to create tension in the state for the benefit of the people of the state
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has set up a 9 man Ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged sale of government properties in Lagos and other states by the then administration of Senator Al-Makura.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Ibrahim Abdullahi, announced this on Tuesday after Hon. Mohammed Omadefu, the Majority Leader of the House brought the issue under the matters of public interest during the House proceedings in Lafia.
He, therefore charged the committee to conduct an exhaustive inquiry to elucidate the sale of public properties across the country by the previous administration .
