Barrister Bala Ngilari, the former Adamawa State Governor, recently spoke about what could happen to him if he had a billion naira.
According to the Daily Trust, he made this declaration while responding to the corruption case that rendered him the first casualty of a court ruling since the dawn of democracy in 1999.
Ngilari, who briefly administered the North Eastern state from October 2014 to May 2015, was found guilty of corruption amounting to 166 million naira and incarcerated after vacating his post. Nevertheless, the appellate court subsequently acquitted him.
In a recent interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, he discussed various subjects. When questioned if he has a billion naira, he retorted, “If I were to see one billion naira right now, I’d faint.”
“The paradox lies in the fact that the most daunting challenge faced by an individual who endeavors to be righteous is the accumulation of enemies.
I say this with unwavering courage: if one examines the court proceedings that arraigned me on a five-count charge, not a single count among those five alleges that I misappropriated or diverted a single naira.
“I endeavored to vie for the Senate as a member of the APC. I embarked on an extensive tour and, two or three days before the primary election, I communicated with the delegates through my campaign director general and coordinators.”
“The delegates said, ‘Sir, in terms of the most suitable candidate for this endeavor, you are undoubtedly the right choice. However, we must be honest with you; we cannot accept the 100,000 naira that you intend to offer us.
I intended to give 100,000 naira to perhaps 200 individuals, amounting to approximately 20 million naira, so they could initiate projects in their communities.”
“I mean, at that time, 100,000 naira held significant value. Nevertheless, they refused to accept it because there are individuals who are willing to give them one million naira each.”
Temmyabbe (
)
