EFCC Quizzes Former Plateau Governor, Jang

Former Governor of Plateau State and senator representing Plateau North senatorial district in the National Assembly, Jonah Jang, was on Tuesday quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over financial transactions during his tenure as governor of the state.

This was confirmed by his Senior Legislative Aide, Mrs.  Olivia Dazyam.
The statement signed by Dazyam said Jang was pleased to honour the invitation by EFCC “to give an account of his meritorious stewardship to the people of Plateau State, when he served as their governor for  eight years from 2007-2015.”

The statement also said: “As a man whose seasoned record of achievements in all ramifications of governance are scattered across the nooks and crannies of Plateau State, with visible infrastructural spectacles in all 17 local government areas, he is a firm believer in the mandate of the EFCC where genuine probity and accountability are concerned.”

But political observers in the state said the invitation by EFCC might not be unconnected with the controversy over recent killings in Benue and the reaction of the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong and the response of Jang who condemned the governor’s initial statement.

However, Lalong had since apologised to Benue people and the governor, Samuel Ortom, but in Plateau State, the polity, according to political pundits, is heating up and hence the arrest.

Jang’s invitation also came at a time a Plateau cleric and overseer of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministry International (EBOMI), Isaiah El-Buba, was arrested by security agencies in Jos after members of his church resisted the security operatives from whisking him away.
Reports indicated that he was arrested as a result of his last Sunday’s sermon where he asked Nigerians to reject President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 poll.

However, a group, Plateau Collective Interest, yesterday reacted to El-Buba’s arrest.
A statement signed by its Coordinator, David Dmitri’s Ishaku, said the cleric was to answer some questions in connection with some business deals with the former governor, but he failed to honour the invitation.

“The anti-graft agency was there to carry out its legitimate duty to recover funds it believes were stolen from the coffers of the state and which the prophet from allegations is said to have immensely benefitted from to put up the imposing structure that is now the tallest building in Plateau State that currently houses his ministry,” Ishaku said.

El-Buba had accused President Buhari of sending men of the Department of State Service (DSS) to arrest him.
The pastor had while addressing his congregants during a church service, condemned President Buhari for failing to arrest Fulani herdsmen carrying out attacks in various parts of the country.