Ex-Governor justifies approval of N450m for stationery in 2 months

Former Governor of Taraba state,

According to a report by Daily Trust, Nyame made this known on Thursday, October 12, 2017 during a cross-examination in an FCT High Court in Gudu.

Nyame made it known that there is nothing abnormal in his approval of a total sum for purchase of stationery in less than two months while adding that he approved an additional N20 million barely eight months after the approval of N450million.

The former governor confirmed that he approved a memo on 30/12/2004 requesting for N250 million for the purchase of stationery and the money was released on 04/01/2005.

He further made it known that barely a month after the release of the N250million, he also approved another memo requesting for N200million for the purchase of additional stationery and that the cheque was cashed on 14/02/2005 by one Abdulkadir N. Umar, a staff at the state’s ministry of finance.

Nyame said, “It is not true. I did not instruct anybody from ministry of finance to transfer funds to the account of Salman Global.

“It is normal because I give approval to memos based on requirements and needs of the ministry requesting.

"I would be surprise to hear that the Chief Store Officer said he did not see any stationery bought with the N250million, but I did not know anything about the query except now in court," he said.

He further denied the allegation that he ordered that the Chief Store Officer of the state should be queried when the officer questioned the whereabouts of the funds for the stationery.

ALSO READ: Witness says Nyame spent money outside budgetary provisions

The EFCC is prosecuting Nyame for allegedly misappropriating Taraba State's funds to the tune of N1.64 billion during his tenure as the governor from 1999 to 2007.

The trial judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko, upon the defence closing its case, adjourned the matter to December 5, 2017 for adoption of final written addresses.