DW9, Honourable Banahel Joseph Andong, the Acting District Head and Traditional Ruler of Monguna
District, Jos testified that in 1999, he was elected Member of the House of Assembly representing
Bokkos Constituency in Plateau State under the Platform of the PDP, and served as Chairman, House
Committee on Works, Housing and Transport and named the other Members of this Committee. He
carried out Oversight Functions in areas of Jos Metropolis at Bokkos Barkin Ladi Road, Lantang
Mikkan Dams, and some others in Three Zonal Areas of Jos. The work in Bokkos involved Reclamation
of Roads, Ponds and Drainages, and in Langtang, the Project was Reactivating Dams built during
Solomon Lar’s Civilian Government. In the Northern Zones, Erosion Control of Waterway Projects was
undertaken. Whenever, there were overflows of the Yakubu Gowon’s Dam causing Casualties to
People, Property and Houses, the Government did a wonderful job by arresting the situation.
He knew nothing of the Funding of these Projects but only knew that the Federal Government
intervened to solve their Ecological Problems. Again, he did not know how the Assistance was
rendered, whether Financial, with Labour or with Equipment.
The remainder of his testimony is contained in the 2nd Set of Circumstances relating to Plateau
State/Accountant-General’s Accounts and will constitute an unnecessary repetition if stated here.
DW10, Mr. Gideon Mitu, a Civil Servant with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as
a Deputy Director, Expenditure and Social Division, joined the Federal Service in August 2009, on a
Transfer of Service from Plateau State Government. He had attained the Rank of Permanent Secretary
before his Transfer and had been employed in the Ministry of Education and deployed to the Cabinet
Office. He was also from Bokkos Local Government and was from the same Local Government as the
Defendant.
He had become Permanent Secretary in the Year 2000 and immediately after, was deployed to the
Abuja Liaison Office of Plateau State. He explained his job functions, which principally were to take
care of all matters relating to Plateau State Government, the Governor and the State Officials during
their stay in Abuja. He also delivered Correspondences to and from his State Government, promptly.
Under Cross-Examination by the Prosecution, he agreed that he was from the same Local
Government, Local Dialect and Chiefdom as the Defendant, but from a different Village. He gave a
track history of his educational background and job progression through the ranks until he became
Permanent Secretary in December 2000. He had still been working with the Press in 1999 and stated
that he became Secretary at the Cabinet Office within a Period of One Month in June 1999. In
September 2000, barely a Year and Few Months, the Defendant made him Permanent Secretary and
then posted to the Liaison Office in Abuja, as a trusted hand. He was lucky and grateful the Defendant
was Governor, because he helped his Career, Growth and Development and had put his Ethnic Group
on the Map. As Permanent Secretary, he had never received any Funds on behalf of the Plateau State
Government and the Federal Government paid the State Allocations from the Revenue Account,
directly into the Plateau State Government’s Account. He finally stated that it was wrong for this
Allocation to be paid into a Public Officer’s Private Account.
Under Re-Examination, he stated that there was no Rank between a Secretary and a Permanent
Secretary.
DW11, Prof. Danladi Atu working at the Faculty of Education, Social Science University of Abuja
testified that he had been Secretary to the Local Government from 1999 to 2002 and then Chairman
from 2002 to 2007, following his Appointment by the Defendant and Subsequent Approval by the
House of Assembly. He described the hilly, steep and sloppy terrain of Jos North, stating that this Area
86