DARIYE’S IMPRISONMENT; ANTI GRAFT WAR OR SLAUGTHER COW?

The former governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye was imprisoned for 14 years by a Federal High Court seating in Abuja for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of over 1.16bn belonging to the state during his tenure as governor of the state from 1999-2007.

The current senator joined the ruling All Progressive Congress party on September 22, 2016 after he had won on the platform of People Democratic Party in 2015. He followed the footsteps of other defectors whose sin against the country were pardoned once they drop umbrella for broom. Senator Dariye saga actually proved historic on Tuesday when he bagged 14 years jail term as a member of the ruling party that tasted the wrath of anti-graft war.

APC is known for turning shielding looters of state treasury from the law. Many people that joined the people did so because their sin will be pardoned. But why is Dariye’s case different? Dariye’s case has been in court immediately he left office in 2007 when EFCC raised a 23 count charges against him. The case has been in and out of court since over 11 years. Justice Adebola Banjoko put an end to the case when she convicted the ex-governor on 15 out of the 23 counts preferred against in a judgement that took her six and half hours to read.

This development would raise questions in patriotic Nigerians on why the case of Babachir Lawal and Abdulrasheed Maina did not go the same way as Dariye’s? Maybe there is no value in Dariye again and he was made the slaughter cow to score political point before 2019. MaybeMaybe/Maybe not.

May God Bless Nigeria

WRITTEN BY; SOLOMON TEMITOPE