Daily Independent (Lagos)
Francis Iwuchukwu
1 June 2009
Boni Haruna, former Governor of Adamawa State, has never really moved away from public glare since he assumed office in 1999. Throughout his tenure, the trend hardly changed. Haruna was originally voted as deputy to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who contested the Adamawa governorship election before he became former President Olusegun Obasanjo's deputy.
But Haruna's last days in office were characterised by what many called political acrimony, as virtually all the key officials in his government were rounded up by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial misconduct. Ever since, the ex-governor has been appearing in court to answer questions on charges preferred against him.
Last Thursday, the EFCC re-arraigned him at the Federal High Court in Abuja on allegations of laundering another N100 million. The fresh suit was instituted against him following what the EFCC called a new discovery of fraud he allegedly perpetrated while in office.
Reports claimed he would face a fresh 28-count criminal charge alongside three of his associates - Mohammed Bassi, a member of the State House of Assembly, Babani Elias, and a limited liability company allegedly used as a conduit pipe to siphon the money.
Yet, the plea of Haruna and Bassi, who were in court, could not be taken due to the absence of the other two accused persons, as the presiding judge insisted that the four accused must present their pleas together.
The ex-governor's problem started in July 2008, when operatives of the anti-graft agency arrested and arraigned him before an Abuja High Court on a 21-count charge of alleged misappropriation of about N93 million while he was in office.
Haruna's antagonists challenged his style of leadership and accused him of non-performance during his tenure as governor. They also saw him as inexperienced and gullible. He has, however, consistently debunked these criticisms, insisting that it was satanic for people to associate him with such shortcomings when he had the people's mandate.
David Anyaele, executive director, Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), while reacting to Haruna's current travails berated political office holders for not placing the interest of the people first in everything they do as leaders.
He said, however, that the accused persons remained innocent until the court proved otherwise.
"I think it is important to say this, that the ex-governor and others accused alongside are adjudged not guilty until the court, which I believe has the jurisdiction to try the matter, says otherwise. So, anyone who calls them common criminals will be doing so at his or her own peril," Anyaele remarked.
Haruna, who was born on June 12, 1957 in Kubi, Adamawa State, studied at the College of Preliminary Studies, Yola, where he obtained a Higher School Certificate (HSC), in 1981. He later bagged a master's degree in Public Administration in 1990 and in 1994 attended the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), where he obtained a Certificate in Journalism.
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