.President accused of misappropriation, suspended for supporting APC
By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
The battle for number one seat in Niger State has divided the National Association of Niger State Students (NANISS), the parent body of all students of Niger State origin in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
Already, the association has slammed a six-week suspension on its President, Comrade Muhammad Sani Yahaya.
Yahaya attracted the wrath of NANISS for supporting and joining the campaign for the re-election of the incumbent Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello and the All Progressive Congress (APC) without the consent of the students’ body.
The National Executive Council and Students Representatives Council of NANISS, which met in Minna to review political developments in the state, also accused Yahaya of diverting funds and bus belonging to the association.
NANISS Senate President, Mubarak Gana, who disclosed this.
He said, “We unanimously suspended our National President, Comrade Muhammad Sani Yahaya, for six weeks for negating the ethics and constitutional provisions of the association”.
According to Mubarak, “We suspended Comrade Sani Yahaya because he could not account for the N1.5 million and a Hiace bus belonging to NANISS which he uses to join the campaigns train of Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello.
“His suspension is in line with the provisions of NANISS national constitution, 2009 as amended section 15 sub section, 1 & 4, respectively. He must return the bus within 21 days. The resolve to suspend him was reached by the Parliament on the 26th of January 2019”.
Meanwhile, the embattled NANISS president has debunked the claims, saying, “I remain the president. I can support any candidate or political party of my choice. The suspension will not stand because some of the aggrieved members are also supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state”.
The Senate in a statement also advised the suspended President to hand over all properties of NANISS to the acting National President, Comrade Amina Ibrahim, warning that, ‘‘any appearances in an official capacity by the President whether in person or proxy shall be termed as impersonation which shall be treated in line with the agreed laws’’.
Also, the Acting President, Amina Ibrahim, said that the National Executive Council (NEC) of NANISS would make sure that the embattled President produces the bus and the N1.5 million he siphoned in the name of repairing the bus.
She said, “We suspended him because of misappropriation, derogation of constitutional provisions. This is just few of the about 10 allegations contained in a letter dully signed by the NEC members of NANISS”.
Amina also explained that the NANISS Senate President was to serve as chairman of the panel to investigate the allegations against Yahaya and if found guilty, he would be punished according to the provisions of our constitution without fear or favour.
