Northern Senators sack Adamu as Chairman

*Monkey carted away N70m in senatorsa�� farm house a�� Sani
By Ignatius Okorocha
Northern Senators forum yesterday sacked former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC-Nasarawa West) as its chairman, alleging that an estimated sum of N70 million was missing under his watch.
The forum in a letter addressed to the Senate leadership and read on the floor of the Senate by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu said Adamu has been replaced by former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Wamako (APC -Sokoto North).
The letter signed by the foruma��s Public Relations Officer, Senator Dino Melaye, noted that Sen Adamu was removed for a�?financial mismanagement and misadministration.a��
Recall that Senator Adamu led nine Senators to reject National Assembly’s resolution on the adoption of new sequence of election contained in the amendment to Electoral Act that gave rise to reordering of elections schedule that places the conduct of National Assembly election first while that of the president last.
Fielding questions from journalists on the sack of Adamu, a member of the forum, Senator Shehu Sani (APC- Kaduna Central) disclosed that about N70 million belonging to the forum was rumoured to have been carted away by monkeys in a farm house.
He said: “The money was rumoured to have been carted away by monkeys in a farm house.”
a�?There are some things some of my colleagues will not say but Ia��m not used to holding back. When we assumed office, Senator Ahmed Lawan tendered the sum of N70 million to the 8th Senate. That N70 million was money gathered from the 7th Senate.
“It was handed over to northern senators of 8th Senate. The rumours going round, which I dona��t know whether ita��s true but I believe other senators know, is the fact that there were allegations that some monkeys raided the farm house of some of the executives of the northern senators forum and carted away some of these money.
a�?I think, this country is becoming a huge joke. First of all, it was the rodents that drove away the president and then we now have snakes consuming about N36 million and now we have monkeys raiding farm house. So, they dona��t want this to be said but I believe that we should be very clear,” Sani noted.
He, however, didna��t mention whose farm house it is among the executives.
Speaking on the change, the forum’s Public Relations officer, Senator Dino Melaye said the decision was that of the majority in the forum.
a�?All I will just say is simply that the decision of the majority of the Northern Senators Forum is that they want to have a change of leadership. The allegations investigated and found out to be true is that there was financial mismanagement. Monies were spent without the consent of members of the exco. The organisation is becoming moribund and we need to inject some vibrancy in the organisation,a�? he said.
Melaye, however, declined to comment on the N70 million allegation.
Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the N70 million allegation, Senator Adamu declined to speak on the matter. He told journalists that he would speak at an appropriate time.