Nyame is standing trial on a
41-count charge bordering on misappropriation of state funds to the tune of
N1.64 billion while in office. He had earlier lost his "no case"
submission and had to defend himself in court.
Ayuba, whose testimony began on May
22, 2017 under cross-examination by Olalekan Ojo, counsel for Nyame is
currently the acting accountant general of the state. He had earlier given
evidence relating to payment vouchers and documents marked exhibit O1.
At today's proceedings, his
cross-examination continued with him testifying as to whether the processing of
the documents underwent post-auditing.
After identifying the exhibit,
Ayuba, told the court that "post auditing" was carried out on the
documents.
"Every voucher raised for
payment was usually examined by the regional auditor before payments are made
and post auditing comes up at the end of a period, either a month, six months
or annually," he said.
According to him, such post auditing
was "to ensure that the internal auditors confirm the attachments to the
payment vouchers".
He added that "post auditing is
done after the compilation and computation by the office of the accountant
general before it is sent to the office of the auditor general of the state for
confirmation and certification before the accounts are published".
He further noted that the memo by
the executive governor was the first attachment, while others are those
acknowledging the payment and the payment vouchers.
Under further cross-examination by
Ojo, he averred that since there were no queries raised by the office of the
auditor general in the process of post auditing, "then everything is
ok".
Identifying three published reports
dated 2007, 2008 and 2009 detailing financial transactions in the state, he
said, "All the reports all had the certification of the state's auditor
general and indication that the published accounts have no problem."
While noting that no audit queries
were raised on the documents, he said, "I actually found out from the
accountant why they were not published, he simply said there was no political
will to publish the accounts, but that they have been compiled and ready for
publication."
However, under cross-examination by
the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Ayuba was taken up on the accounts
of the state for 2005 and 2006, which were not published, as well as his
testimony of having been a civil servant for the past 20 years.
Under examination by the
prosecution, he admitted to have been out of service between 2011 and 2014,
contradicting his earlier statement that he had been in service for more than
two decades without a break.
Ayuba admitted that he indeed
contested for the House of Representatives under the platform of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, in 2011. He claimed that he won the election, "but
I was not announced as the winner".
"I contested in 2011 but I was
brought back to service in December 2014, so it is true, because I was
reinstated and pardoned in 2014 and number of years I lost were merged,"
he added.
He also admitted that while in
service, he never had anything to do with payment of salaries to the
governor, commissioners, and permanent secretaries.
Jacobs, therefore put it to him that
based on his testimony so far, "you're a politician coming here to help
your colleague [Nyame] and you do not have a civil service that was not
polluted by political influence".
Justice Banjoko, thereafter
adjourned to May 25, 2017 for further cross examination of Ayuba by the
prosecution.
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