Former Adamawa commissioner of Finance, Mr. John Elias has today finished his ten years of jail terms and regained freedom.
Elias in an interview with TG NEWS correspondent said is happy he carried the cross that he ought not to carry for many people.
While shedding tears of joy, the Adamawa politician who served the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs for three years during the administration of Governor Boni Haruna said charges against him were schemed and manufactured by his enemies who were afraid of his growing political acceptance.
He recalled how the whole scenario played out against him at the Yola Federal High Court where the judge accused him to have defrauded the Adamawa state government of fifty-one million naira.
He revealed that the said money was not for the state government, but money contributed in 2002 for the Bring Back Boni (BBB) project of his second term governorship aspirations by the twenty-one local government chairman.
According to him BBB committee were not having any account at the first trench of the contribution but decided to use his account and deposited thirty-one million naira five hundred (31,500,000) in the first trench.
But Senator Paul Wampana’s petition against him of stealing government’s money used the Economic and financial crime commission (EFCC), an agency then under Ibrahim Lamurde as the chairman to wipe out sentiments against him.
“It was over BBB project’s money found on my account EFCC used it against me despite bringing witnesses and testified that the money was contributed by the 21 LGAs chairmen to bring Boni back in office, 2002.
“I was truly jailed over what I didn’t commit, bore the cross for others to be free. I thank God I’m alive and healthy and some of My enemies are no more today, many of them in pitiful condition.
“If you are a thief you should be able to benefit from the proceeds of stealing. The money in question I gave it all to the person that was intended to have it, not a dime I removed from it.” John said
He continued to say that former Governor Boni Haruna and one Mohammed Bassi were accused of forgery during the case because of the new BBB account opened that he later transferred the money (N31,500,000).
The accusations against them was because the new account was having inconsistency in the data captured, on it Boni was the sole signatory and Bassi’s passport was also in the account.
With all the gangs up against him in making sure they jail him, Elias said he has forgiven all his enemies, and according to him is back on track to continue doing what God has created him to do.
“I forgive all those behind my imprisonment, who knows I would have been in one problem or the other if I in was not jail? It’s all things working for my good and religious enjoins us to forgive one another.” He said
