Goje: FG withdrew corruption case against me to save face, stop waste of funds

Sen. Danjuma Goje, former Gombe State governor, yesterday said the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) withdrew the two remaining corruption charges against him to save face and resources of government.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had since 2011 filed a 21-count charge against Goje, but 19 of the charges were struck out in March 2019, leaving only two counts bordering on how 50 buses belonging to Gombe State Transport Company were sold

However, on June 7, the case was taken over to the AGF office after a meeting between the former governor and President Muhammadu Buhari. It was alleged that the move was a compromise for Goje to support Ahmad Lawan to emerge Senate President.

Subsequently, a Federal High Court had on July 5 quashed the two remaining counts. Justice Babatunde Quadiri, the Presiding Judge, discharged Goje after the AGF office applied for it.

But speaking through his counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, Goje said the AGF withdrew the charges because, it has become more of persecution than prosecution and a waste of resources.

“The two counts of the charge that were withdrawn by the Attorney-General were an embarrassing triviality,” he said in a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja.

“The charges had become more of persecution than prosecution. It was therefore no surprise to those familiar with the case when the Attorney-General of the Federation withdrew those ridiculous charges.

“The Attorney-General did the right thing and should be commended for saving the face and the resources of the government, by terminating the futile proceedings,”

He said as every adult in Nigeria knows, the sale of unserviceable vehicles is a routine exercise periodically undertaken by the government and even by private organisations.

“The overused buses, many of which had become scraps, had been in use as commercial passenger vehicles for 7 to 8 years. The buses were valued by a proper Board of Survey at the cumulative sum of N22.5m. That value was realised from the sale and the proceeds were paid into the account of the Gombe State Government.

“The prosecution witnesses all testified that the procedure was proper and that the Governor did not buy any of the buses and took no benefit personally from the sale.”