By Abiola Olawale
Former Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Boni Haruna, has faulted reports claiming that he was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly embezzling N93 billion during his tenure.
Haruna, who described the reports as false and a lazy attempt to soil his reputation, clarified that he was prosecuted and acquitted for N52.5 million, not N93 billion.
Haruna, governor between 1999 and 2007, clarified that he couldn’t misappropriate N93 billion when the entire Federal Allocation to Adamawa between May 1999 and May 2007 was N114 billion, of which N39 billion was spent on salaries and emoluments.
The former governor also pointed out that he was the first Nigerian governor to refuse the security vote during his eight-year tenure. He asserted that the amount he was prosecuted for could have constituted his monthly security vote for eight years, totaling N4.9 billion.
He reiterated that the facts regarding the state’s finances during his tenure have been in the public domain, questioning the plausibility of embezzling N93 billion out of a total receipt of about N114.8 billion.
He lamented being embarrassed and scandalized by the erroneous report.
He said: “I shared my case of prosecution with the Senate and tendered a copy of the judgment. Before the same Senate, I revealed that it was curious that I was prosecuted because of about N52m when in my eight years as governor I refused to take the security vote, which has become fashionable for governors to take since the military era.
“The money I was being prosecuted for (about 52m) could have passed for my monthly security vote for 8 years which would have amounted to N4.9bn. These facts have been in the public domain. It might interest you to know that in my eight years in government, Adamawa State’s receipt from the Federation account was N114.8bn out of which about N39bn was spent on salaries, leave and transport grants, and other recurrent expenditures.
“How could I have embezzled N93bn out of a total receipt of about N114.8bn in eight years?”
The New Diplomat recalls that the EFCC had arraigned Haruna and three others on a 28-count amended charge of conspiracy, forgery of bank accounts documents and altering of Guarantee Trust Bank documents, and paying the sums of N31.5 million and N21 million into an account of Guarantee Trust Bank allegedly operated by the former governor to defraud the Government of Adamawa State.
However, in a judgment on January 16, 2014, Justice Balkisu Bello Aliyu acquitted the former governor, ruling: “On the whole, I find no prima facie case established against the 1st Defendant Boni Haruna and I discharge him accordingly. There is no vicarious liability in criminal proceedings.”.
