Joshua Dariye, the recently released former governor of Plateau state, has spoken out about the alleged misappropriation of N1.126 billion during his tenure as governor from 1999 to 2007, according to The Nation newspaper. During an interview on Channels Television’s “Newsnight” on Monday, October 10, Dariye said he used some of the money to support former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s re-election campaign in 2003.
“(The sum of) N800 million went to the Plateau State account; N100 million went to PDP Southwest and another N100 million went to the Obasanjo campaign organization; N80 million went to the ecological fund and then N66 million went to PDP Plateau State.
“What was missing was about N4 million, which is the commission of turnover.”
While recounting his experiences in prison, the former Plateau state governor revealed that his incarceration was politically motivated. Dariye was arrested in 2007 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly diverting N1.126 billion in public funds intended for the state’s ecology. Dariye was sentenced to 14 years in prison after a federal high court in Abuja issued a verdict. Dariye, who was dissatisfied with the high court’s decision, filed an appeal with the appellate court. His sentence was reduced by four years on appeal, and the Supreme Court upheld the appellate court’s initial decision.
The former governor also revealed that the current state of Nigeria’s correctional facility does not depict an environment for reform, rather, it compounds the problems of inmates.
He said: “The correctional centre is one republic that is a government on its own. They don’t have the best of facilities, I must say. It’s not habitable for human beings, and I think the Federal Government must have a look at it.”
Meanwhile, the former plateau state governor has announced that he will not run for Senate in the 2023 general election. There have been rumors that Dariye will run for the Plateau Central Senate seat on the Labour Party ticket. However, the former governor, who was recently released from prison, stated that he has no such plans.