Ex Senate President, David Mark Writes Emotional Letter To In Detention Former Governor Gabriel Suswam Not To Be Dispirited As Family, Friends Allegedly Abandon Him

Ex-Senate President David Mark wrote an emotional letter to Suswam, urging him not to be dispirited by the situation.

Mark, whose letter was taken to Suswam by a former Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, asked the ex-governor to be strong and get closer to God.

He said as a Catholic, he could only support the ex-governor with prayers with a caveat that “with faith in God, it will soon be over”.

A source close to the family said: “Suswam is already dejected in custody having been abandoned by his kinsmen and associates. But Mark and some other leaders from Benue State stood by Suswam. They include ex-Commissioner of Police Abubakar Tsav; Moro; a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Mzenda Iho; ex-PDP chairman in Benue State, Emmanuel Agbo;  and the party chairman, John Mgbede . Some of them have visited the ex-governor in detention.”

The Benue State government referred the report of the Commission of Inquiry against Suswam and 51 others to the DSS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution.

The over 240 pages report alleged that Suswam and many of his appointees, including civil servants, mismanaged the resources.

The panel recommended that 52 individuals and 10 corporate bodies should refund over N107 billion to the government.

It also recommended deeper investigations and possible refund of over N44 billion from transactions it found not to be in compliance with the financial guidelines.

The panel said  N1. 21 trillion accrued to the state from about 27 identified sources out of which N802 billion was appropriated and N219 billion was expended but not appropriated.

The former governor, a former Commissioner, a former Special Adviser on Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs and two former permanent secretaries, and a former accountant of the Bureau were alleged to have diverted local government funds amounting to N51, 559,859,968.00 into personal use.

Suswam is facing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged  N3.1bn fraud relating to the issue raised by the Justice Kpojime-led probe panel.

thenation