Andrew Agbese
5 November 2008
Jos — Former Executive Secretary of the Plateau Muslims pilgrims welfare Board, Alhaji Sale Bayari, has sued the Plateau State government, asking the court to quash the recommendations of the administrative panel it instituted to investigate the 2006/2007 hajj operation which indicted him and with recommendations that have been forwarded to the judicial commission of inquiry probing the award of contracts in the state.
Former governor Joshua Dariye, also summoned to appear before the commission had also taken the state government to court seeking to stop the probe of his administration.
The state government in the case of Bayari, had earlier set up an administrative panel headed by Sheik Abdulazeez Yusuf to investigate the 2006/2007 hajj operation of the Muslim pilgrims welfare board. The panel had since submitted its report to the state government which issued a white paper on it indicting Bayari. But the former executive secretary, whose case is before the commission of inquiry, wants the court to make a declaration that he had not been indicted for misappropriating government funds as the commission was told.
The director of finance of the Muslims pilgrims welfare board, Alhaji Shehu Pasakai, had while testifying before the commission of inquiry, alleged that Bayari had collected and not returned N19.7 million to the commission being fees of 54 pilgrims that could not travel to Saudi Arabia in 2006. Bayari, however wants the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the state government from acting or giving effect to the report of the panel or the government white paper issued to that effect, saying this is because some of the recommendations of the panel were not derived from the terms of reference given the panel which he also said denied him fair hearing. Said he: "the total sum of N19,743 million was derived from outside the specified terms of reference given to the panel as the basis of its investigation.
"The administrative panel roundly violated all know cannons of fair hearing and power at the disposal of an administrative panel of inquiry." While granting the order to serve those concerned with the notice, Justice Yargata Nimpar of the Federal High court, slated hearing on the matter to 17th November.
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