The ward returning officers from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the recently concluded Jalingo, Yorro, and Zing Federal Constituency bye-election have refuted allegations of embezzlement against Amino Hassan Jauro, the Jalingo local government chairman.
In a press statement signed by Nasiru Mustapha, Ibrahim Jungudo Manga, Emmanuel Kini, Hon. Bashir Suleiman, Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, and Moses Stephen Chamang, the returning officers for various wards, they categorically denied the accusations, labeling them as political blackmail aimed at tarnishing the chairman’s reputation.
The electoral officials were prompted to respond to a publication by a Taraba-based online news platform, which alleged that the Jalingo PDP ward returning officers accused Jauro of embezzling the funds allocated as allowances for the PDP ward returning officers.
However, the six returning officers clarified that the accusation was baseless and false. They stated that Hon. Jauro neither received nor embezzled any funds allocated as allowances for the PDP ward returning officers in the house of Representative bye-election in Jalingo local government.
“We the returning officers of the PDP wards in Jalingo, hereby address the misinformation, propagated by an online news platform (Taraba News), and a WhatsApp group of the same name. The platform publication, accusing Alhaji Aminu Hassan Jauro, the Jalingo local government chairman of embezzling funds designated for paying the wards returning officers during the Jalingo Yorro and Zing February bye-election is falsehood.
“It’s also an unfounded claim attributed to Engr. Sadiq Abbas Tafida, the Rep member for the constituency confirmed the allocation of allowances to the Chairman or the Jalingo local government PDP Chairman in his presence as claimed by Mr. Hamza Yettoe and his associates. We urge the public to disregard the report as it is a baseless, falsehood targeted at blackmailing the council chairman.
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“To provide clarity, the allowances for the ten PDP wards returning officers in the bye-election were not included in the payment templates during the election process, and was made clear to all parties involved. The delay in payment is not the responsibility of the Jalingo Local Government Chairman who is rather working hard to ensure the payment.
“We want to state here that those behind the accusations are motivated by personal grievance having failed to secure positions as councillors or appointments within the Jalingo Local Government administration. They are backed by certain groups in Jalingo who are unhappy with the developmental efforts of governor Agbu Kefas administration and that of Alhaji Aminu Jauro Hassan,” The statement read.
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