Katsina Commission of Inquiry, a charade, complete sham-Ibrahim Shema

Former Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema has described the state commission of inquiry report that the erstwhile governor stole the sum of fifty billion Naira N50.5billion as a charade and a complete sham.

Shema in a statement issued on Saturday by the Head Media Team, Mr. Oluwabusola Olawale said first the time in the history of Nigeria a Commission of Inquiry will conduct sitting after sacking of its chairman by the Court of Appeal and without appointing a new chairman another person announced himself as the chairman.

The commission of inquiry set up by the State Governor, Aminu Masari, has declared that ex-governor, Ibrahim Shema, looted over N50.5bn from the treasury.

In a swift reaction to the outcome of the report, Shema, described the commission of inquiry as strange and “it has never happen in the country and anywhere in the world that the Commission of Inquiry will sit for just one day and submitted the report to the Governor at night.

“It is also apparent with the haste the Commission carried out its assignment after the Court of Appeal sacked its chairman, arguing that the disqualified chairman may have prepared the predetermined report submitted to Governor Aminu Bello Masari.

“The Katsina state incident is a travesty of justice and blatant abuse of fair hearing and it  is not known in law. That a Commission of Inquiry will not issue hearing notice before sitting, refused Shema and his lawyers access to documents and memo presented by government officials, went ahead to deny the former Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema and members of his administration right to make any presentation, present witnesses and cross examining officials of Katsina state government who presented memo to the Commission.

“It Is the first time in Nigeria  that a Governor of a state would write a letter to his colleague in another state just as  Governor Masari wrote to the Plateau state Governor to request for a particular judge ( Justice Muhammad Sirajo) from the state for a special assignment at the Commission of Inquiry he set up, the action that prompted the Court of Appeal to decide thus – ” in the instant case, I must agree ……that by the 1st respondent (Governor Aminu Bello Masari) asking for a specific Judge of a High Court, rather than ask the Chief Judge of that state to nominate one of the Judges of the High Court with requisite capabilities, would give the impression to right minded person that there was an element of bias in the selection of the said Judge. I hold that the impression that will be created in the mind of a right minded person faced with a request by the Governor of a State, who had set up a Commission investigating the Appellant ( Ibrahim Shehu Shema), requesting that the Commission be chaired by his specific nominee from a sister State, would certainly be one of bias against the Appellant.

“It is curious and unheard of that the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Governor Aminu Bello Masari will flagrantly ignored the decision of Court of Appeal and Notice of Appeal to the Supreme Court and proceeded to carry out a predetermined agenda of Governor Masari which is clearly indicates that sadism, tyranny, dictatorship and blatant abuse of rule of law and Court process is the order of the day in a President state.

The statement said it is  worrisome that a letter written by Ibrahim Shehu Shema’s lawyer to the Commission of  Inquiry, the state Attorney General, and Counsel to the Commission was turned down as “they all refused to accept any letter from Shema’s lawyer. More disturbing also is the fact that the Commission of Inquiry, EFCC, security agencies are all being harassed by Governor Masari to carry out his wicked agenda against Ibrahim Shehu Shema.

“It can never happen anywhere in the world even in bannana republic that a Governor after making allegations of corruption against the officials of past administration will turn around to write a letter to Commission of Inquiry to remove the names of certain individual from being investigated simply because they have joined the officials of his administration.

“We therefore reject  this charade, scandalous, unlawful, callous and unjustified rape on our democracy and Rule of Law, and we will not accept the outcome of this wicked manipulations. It is a fact that Governor Masari since assumption of office has embarked on callous, wicked and pull Shema down at all cost project and we are bringing to the attention of Nigerians and International communities the travesty of justice and blatant abuse of fair hearing being perpetrated in katsina state.

Olawale reiterated that former Governor Shema have voluntarily submitted himself to EFCC for investigation since September, 2016, presented himself in Court to defend himself against the allegations,  and he is prepared to defend himself of any allegation in accordance with the Rule of Law, Justice, Fairness and Equity.