The Sokoto State Commission of Inquiry investigating the activities of the immediate past government of the state on Thursday closed its public hearings after former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal failed to appear and testify before it despite series of adjournments.

The former Governor was at the instance of his counsel given 14th, 15th and 16th of January to appear and testify before the commission on 9 memos in which his name appeared as witness number one.

When the hearing resumed on the 14th, counsel to Tambuwal, Usman O Sule (SAN), sought for another adjournment of the case on ground that, his client was engaged in budget defence at the National Assembly.

The matter was then stepped down till 15th, during which the counsel made a similar application that the matter should be adjourned till February this month for his client to appear and testify, after which the commission adjoined its sitting till Thursday to enable the Governor appear.

But at the resumed hearing on Thursday, counsel to Tambuwal repeated his request.

However, lead counsel to the Commission, Dr Hassan Liman, SAN, rejected the application, saying the matter had suffered series of adjournments just for the ex-Governor to appear and testify.

?This commission commenced it?s public sitting on the 11,Oct, 2023. Memo no 1, 2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10 had the name of the former Governor mentioned in respect of the investigation by this commission as a witness number 1.

?Everybody coming before the commission is only a witness not plaintiff or accused persons because is an inquiry pursuant to the commission of inquiry law of Sokoto state.

?Secondly, out of respect for the former Governor, it was agreed here including his lawyer in attendance that all witnesses that are invited should come and testify first before inviting the former Governor.

?It was also agreed in the presence of counsels after we finished with all the other witnesses that the dates of 3rd,4th and 5th of December, 2024 to be the dates that, the former Governor will appear and testify as CW1.

?On the 3rd, Dec, 2024 Paul Kazeem and Malam Nuhu Adamu, appeared before this commission on behalf of the former Governor. And applied that the proceedings of third of December be adjoined and the 4th,5th be vacated because the former Governor would not be able to come and apply for adjournment to 17,December for the former Governor to appear and the commission said it was too short and would give him sufficient time. The matter was then adjourned for 14th, 15th,16th of January, 2025.

?On the 14th of January, this court sat but the former Governor didn?t come. The commission adjourned to 15th for the former Governor to appear but his lawyer applied that the matter be adjourned to a date in Feb, 2025. It was then fixed for 15th, January. The commission sat, the former Governor did not appear, Malam Adamu appeared holding the brief for Usman Sule, SAN and repeated the same application that the matter be adjourned till Feb. The commission then fixed 16th for hearing, again today the former Governor did not appear,? he said

Dr Liman noted that, ?This was about the 3rd or 4th time the former Governor was telling us he was on national assignment.

?And for the record he was served all the memos but he had not written even a single sheet of paper to this commission in line with the paragraph 2 (4)of this commission which says ? Any person, organization shall have five days from the date of serving to wrote their response. He should have sent a written response.

?His reasons for none appearance are flimsy reasons and i urged this commission to disregard his application. As a life bencher, former speaker, former Governor and Senator now should have known that, the commission can?t sit forever.?

?I therefore, urged and advise this commission to bring to an end by declaring formerly and closing the public hearing of this commission of inquiry. So that the commission can retire, write it report and submit to the government,? he requested.

However, counsel to Tambuwal, Usman Sule (SAN), said closing the public hearing was tantamount to depriving the former Governor fair hearing because some of the allegations in the memos were criminal in nature.

In his ruling, the chairman of the Commission, retired Justice Pindiga, refused Tambuwal?s application and closed the public hearing.

He urged any interesting witness willing to submit written testimony to do so within 14 days from today (Thursday), adding that the counsel to the commission would respond to their submission within 20 days of its receipt. (Daily Trust)

Update news