Al-Makura Is Criminalising Eggon People Over Ombatse - Ewuga

BEVERLY HILLS, March 11, (THEWILL) - Senator Solomon Ewuga on Tuesday waived off his indictment by the Nasarawa State Government, alleging that the governor, Umar Tanko Al-Makura, by so doing is criminalising the Eggon nation and its people.

Ewuga was reportedly indicted over the Ombatse crisis in Nassarawa State last year.

The crisis led to killing of many security operatives, particularly police officers .

He faulted the panel report indicting him of involvement in the Ombatse crisis as contained in the report of Justice Joseph Fola Gbadeyan-led Commission of inquiry, which was set up to look into the Alakyo killings of May 7, 2013.

Ewuga was indicted on the grounds of allegedly being one of the financiers of the Ombatse and for allegedly giving false evidence on oat before the commission.

His actions, according to the panel, are punishable under Section 158(1) of the Penal Code Law, as applicable in Nasarawa State.

But Senator Ewuga who addressed the media on Tuesday condemned the swift response of the government to the white paper, saying it shows it was premeditated.

According to him, he was only invited as a witness and not as an accused, declaring that it was wrong to find him guilty without giving him the opportunity of fair hearing.

"I have not seen the White Paper and the Panel's recommendation but whatever my response is today is based on what I saw on the media, first on AIT on Monday and then, on the pages of the newspapers on Tuesday.

"The report was handed in on Friday and it is a six-volume report.

For the fact that the White Paper is already out indicates a premeditation because it was an ingenuous thing to have read those volumes and to decipher the appropriateness of the punishment or otherwise within two days.

"Secondly, I was invited as a witness to the Panel not as an accused and I was not availed of any cross examination of purported accusation against me which you know by virtue of the provision of the Constitution, breaches my fundamental rights to fair hearing.

"And to my understanding of the issues, my invitation as a witness was supposed to establish the credibility or otherwise of what I know within my purview of the event related to whatever circumstance the Ombatse is involved in," he said.

Ewuga alleged that he was being witch hunted for being politically visible in the state and also, for coming from Eggon, a tribe criminalised by the state government.

' I am Eggon and by extension, the White Papers indicate Eggon elites for abating or hedging.

So, it is presumed that every member who is Eggon had a disposition towards Ombatse.

'Not only did it stop there, it also indicted our traditional council.

So, there is a wholesome criminalisation.
The only thing is that the identity of some people must be established because of their clear visibility and I think this is where I fall in,' he said.

Explaining further , Ewuga said: 'I have political roles in Nasarawa State and I am sure this no doubt, accounts for what is happening.

One thing about it is this, it talks about false statement, that is perjury, that again is a subject of another kind of discussion but the thing is, the fact before me are perjured for the panel.

"The issue of me financing the Ombatse is a very curious position .

Gracefully, it is not the law court because I am going to be prosecuted.

So, it is good to establish the import of whatever the criminality is going to be.

"The last one is the issue of suspicion.
Our laws have a different orientation from what I am hearing of being suspected.

I don't know whether our laws allow for suspicion to be a ground upon which you classify anybody in this country.

"I want to make a very formal statement once I get the White Paper.

I will give you the history of certain events that took place and it is for the history to be told the way things emerged.

"I needed to give you all these things so that you know where I am coming from.

I don't know where I am going to yet but this is the position that myself as Solomon Ewuga belong but it is also good to know that I have both in terms of family and in terms of extension, a very rich pedigree, not to undermine the Constitution and values that this country represent.

"I have traveled very widely.
So I have a cosmopolitan disposition not to be limited by very arrant positions as being presented but that can be done because there is no art to find the heart construction on the face.

" EMMA UCHE, ABUJA