Statements on the issues of Stationeries and Gratification. Therefore, it is
very likely that Alhaji Tutare would not want to put his Signature on any
Document. His Statement writing was ongoing until the 12th of July 2007.
In the face of stark irreconcilable and conflicting evidence, from both the
Defendant and his Permanent Secretary in charge of Government House, the
Documentary Paper Trail becomes the crucial validation for one side or the
other. Crucial Documentary Evidence Missing from the Issue of the
Presidential Visit, include: 1) The Signature of the Commissioner of Finance,
approving the payment on the face of the Memo. 2) The absence of the Name
of the Payee on the Payment Voucher. 3) Invoices and Receipts of Payments
made to the Contractors. 4) Acknowledgment Registers. 5) Evidence of
Retirement of Funds. 6) List of Committee Members and 7) The Cheques of
Payment.
It is clear that it was Government Funds, which necessitated Government
Function and was for a State Government Occasion, albeit that the Contract
was directly between the Federal Government and a Chinese Company, for
which Taraba State Government had no input. There was therefore a great
need for Due Process, Accountability and Probity. There was a bypass of the
Process to Procure a Supplementary Bill, and all Relevant Offices,
Departments, and Officials were sidelined. It remained clear that it was the
Secretary to the State Government that had the responsibility to Coordinate
and Execute the Activities as well as receive Guests for that Day. The
Defendant has stated that Mr. Ayuba Zaku was the Secretary to the State
Government at this time, and it was expected that his Name featured
prominently in the Execution of the Memos. In actual fact, the Memos ought
to have been raised initially from the Office of the Secretary of the State
Government. The Defendant had mentioned that Mr. Zaku was the Chairman
of the Planning Committee, but there was no evidence of this before the
Court.
As much as the Governor can assign roles to anyone, the simple fact remains
that the Governor cannot assign outside the Rules and Regulation under
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