Senator Shehu Sani has stormed the office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) with snake charmers, just as the examination body promises to arrest and prosecute the “snake’’ that swallowed N36 million.
The senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, said the visit, was to get to the bottom of the issue surrounding the reported case of missing N36 million from the JAMB office in Makurdi, Benue State.
One Philomena Chieshe, a sales clerk in the JAMB office, Makurdi, told JAMB registrar and his team that “she could not account for N36 million she made in previous years before the abolition of scratch cards.
In the course of interrogation, Philomena denied the allegations that she stole the money but confessed that her housemaid connived with another JAMB staff to spiritually (through a snake) steal the money from the vault in the account office.
According to Sani, his visit to JAMB is in response to the story that a snake swallowed N36 million. Senator Shehu Sani wants IDPs fund looters to be sanctioned He lamented that it was of concern that such a huge sum of money was reported to have been swallowed by a snake.
“I believe that the contribution I can make is to bring snake charmers from my constituency to the JAMB office and to help them fish out the snake and weed out snakes from their premises.” Sani further said that if a snake could actually swallow N36 million, one day Nigerians may wake up to say that a snake had swallowed the country’s foreign reserve.
“Even if it is a spiritual matter, we believe that these people I brought, are some of the best snake charmers in the country and they will help in arresting both physical and spiritual snakes if there has been any in the JAMB office.” He explained that it was very clear the incident did not happen during the tenure of the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.
“We are very proud of him. We believe he is someone who should continue to run this agency. “It is good for Nigerians to know this is what happened before he came into office. I believe the best thing we can do is to continue to support him.
“It is high time Nigerians knew that there may be other dirty things happening in other places but this place has exposed it for us. We know the truth and I’m very happy about that. Sani presented snake repellents and chemicals to the board.
Responding, the spokesperson for JAMB, Mr Fabian Benjamin explained that on assumption of duty, the present registrar discovered that there were loopholes in the sale of scratch cards. “We discovered a lot of loopholes.
The registrar thereafter introduced pin vending. “After introducing the pin vending, it was natural for him to call for an audit of the former use of scratch cards. “After taking stock, it was discovered that in some offices, they could not account for what they sold. “According to her, a snake swallowed the money.”
Benjamin further explained that in the spirit of transparency, inclusiveness and openness, the agency felt that Nigerians should know what was happening. He said Chieshe had been queried and has also appeared before a disciplinary committee.
“A report has been put together and sent to the Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu and as soon as that report is approved, she will be disciplined and handed over to the appropriate security agency for proper profiling.
He also told Sani of another incident in Nasarawa State, where a staff member claimed that the unsold cards he was bringing to Abuja got burnt when the car he was travelling in was involved in an accident. JAMB has vowed to arrest and prosecute the “mysterious snake” which allegedly took N36 million from its vault in Benue State.
“After taking stock, it was discovered that in some offices, they could not account for what they sold.
“Ms Philomena Chieshe was entrusted with a number of scratch cards which she sold, but N36m could not be accounted for.
“When asked, she actually said she sold them at the said amount, and kept the money in the public vault. According to her, a snake swallowed the money.”
Benjamin further explained that in the spirit of transparency, inclusiveness, and openness, the agency felt that Nigerians should know what was happening.
He said Chieshe had been queried and has also appeared before a disciplinary committee.
Meanwhile, the crisis between Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and his counterpart in Plateaus State, Simon Lalong seems to have taken a new dimension as Ortom warned him to stop interfering in Benue affairs.
“Please tell your boss when you see him to stop interfering with affairs in my state, let him mind his business in Plateau and I will mind my own business here,” Ortom told Lalomg representative in Makurdi.
Governor Ortom gave the warning early hours of yesterday at a stakeholders meeting with National Economic Council, NEC’s technical committee on herdsmen/ farmers crisis resolution led by Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi.
The meeting which commenced at the new banquet hall, Government House, Makurdi dragged to an early hour yesterday.
The governor in his remarks at the meeting told the audience that his deputy, Benson Abounu had met Lalong at a function outside the state recently where Lalomg said he still stand by his statement, warning governor Ortom to desist from the anti-open grazing law.
According to Ortom, ‘my deputy told me that he had a discussion with Lalong recently at a function, where he said that he had to apologize to me over his statement because of pressure on him, saying, he stands by his earlier statement.”
He also told people that he introduced this Kenya woman in this committee to me, whereas, this woman was introduced to me by Nasir El Rufai, not him.”
“Am the governor here (Benue), how can he say that he warned me, who is he to warn me, he can only advise me.”
It would be recalled that Governor Lalong at the peak of the herdsmen attacks on Benue State told newsmen in Abuja that he warned governor Ortom against the new law.
Chairman, state traditional council, HRM, Professor, James Ayatse who spoke at the meeting raised serious concern about the credibility of the committee since some of its members had taken a position on the crisis.
“I have a concern here, Governors of Plateau and Kaduna states; Lalong and El Rufai had made serious statements concerning the crisis how do we get justice?
“With pains, a delegation from Benue visited president Buhari and the only consolation he could give us was to say, in the name of God, accommodate your fellow countrymen, with this statement, how will my people get justice? This is my concern”
Other speakers who spoke at the meeting include; Catholic Bishop, Makudi diocese, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, former attorney general and minister of justice, Hon. Mike Aondoaka, SAN, a former commissioner in the state, Mrs Rebecca Akpedzan.
Others include; President General Mdzough U Tiv, Cheif Edward Ujege, Benard Hon, SAN, State chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev Akpen Negua and a second class traditional ruler, Chief Abomtse.
All condemned the lackluster attitude of federal government to the crisis and insisted that there was no going back on the new law, all saying, ‘this law has come to stay.’
The meeting was attended by prominent sons and daughters of the state from all walks of life; National Assembly members, traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians and opinion moulders.
Ebonyi governor said that the committee was in the state to find ways to find a lasting solution to the herdsmen/farmers crises in the country noting that the views of stakeholders were necessary to assist the committee in its onerous tasks.