Count Me Out of N19b Arms Deal Mess – Governor Bindow
Governor Umar Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State, has strongly denied reports that he collected N19bn on behalf of the Chairman Senate Committee on Defence from the immediate past National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan when he was Deputy Senate Chairman for Defense Committee.
Bindow who was reacting to media publications that he was involved in the arms deal and he may be asked by EFCC to return the N19bn he diverted as the Senate Vice Chairman on Defence, said his hands are clean and should be count out of the mess. The Governor in a Press Statement issued on Sunday by his commissioner for information Ahmed Sajoh said that Governor Bindow’s hands are clean in the ongoing arms deal mess.
He explained that those who are peddling lies about the funds received from the former NSA, by Governor Bindow would be put to shame when the dust settles and all will be revealed.
He however denied alleged plot to impeach Governor Bindow by a fictitious set of Members of the State House of Assembly.
Sajoh said that mischief makers are bent on ensuring that the state remains stunted in growth and perpetually backward as reason they are peddling rumours that Adamawa lawmakers are divided over Bindow impeachment.
“The alleged plot to impeach the Governor of Adamawa State, Senator Muhammad Umar Jibrilla by a fictitious set of Members of the State House of Assembly is indeed a huge joke initiated and promoted by some mischief makers who are bent on ensuring that the state remains stunted in growth and perpetually backward.
The statement noted: “Otherwise how could one explain the fact that professional mischief makers have made Adamawa State a permanent home of political turmoil even at the expense of development of the state. Right from May 2014 to the end of that year, these mischief makers connived to make the state ungovernable to a point where three regimes were established in three months. Most of those in the forefront of entrenching such a regime of confusion in the state never did so out of patriotism or a desire to develop the state. Their avowed interest is just to cause confusion and reap generous dividends from such confusion. Most of those who signed a letter calling for the removal of Bala Ngillari ended up serving his government as political appointees or receiving monetary favours from the regime.” He said