By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Middle Belt leader, retired General Theophilus Danjuma has exploded over a recent news making round, alleging a sinister plans to remove the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) President from office in January 2025 by some members yet to be identified.
There were sweeping allegations of financial misconduct against the MBF President, Comrade Bitrus Pogu, by some purported member of the Forum, who alleged that N2 billion was given to him by General TY Danjuma (rtd) for the Forum’s activities.
Reacting to the allegations in an interview with our correspondent, Comrade Pogu disclosed that the retired General has expressed disgust when confronted with the information and declared before the elders forum chairman that Pogu “Is not going anywhere and nobody can push him out”.
Earlier, One Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa had circulated a written statement to some MBF members including the President, alleging that there were a lots of complaints against him by some members concerning MBF office and financial misconduct.
A statement made available to our correspondent reads in parts:
“Please with due respect Sir, there’s lot complains against you by some Middle Belt members concerning you’re office Middle Belt Forum and financial misconduct that: (1) Gen. TY Danjuma gave N2b for the activities of the Middle Belt but you did not account for the N2b.
“(2) The Middle Belt Forum youths have a programme of given awards to some former Governors, former Senators including SGF and former Senate President.
“But you people (Pogu & Co) didn’t give them even one naira to help the youths in their programme, only Madam Deborah that gave them N10k and you left the programme to Yola and appoint Dr. John Dara to represent you, also the youth”, it stated.
However, in the interview, Comrade Pogu lamented that a secretaries of elders’ forum went and reported the case to Chief Edwin Clark. “So all they said was that i will have to be kick out by January, and they created the story.
“In creating the story, when I met the elders yesterday (last week), I said the shameless person who said TY gave me money, the Governor, not even TY Danjuma, because they know my relationship with the TY is totally difference, created the story.
“Little did I know that before I came to meet them, the chairman of the elders forum told them that, when he told the General TY about this story the General said I am not going anywhere, and nobody is pushing me out”, Pogu said.
Pogu further said “If General TY is telling them this, could he would have given me money which I squandered? The Governor who want me out so that someone from PDP will be in, is the one who donated only N3 million.
“So I address them and said look, there are so many things I don’t talk but today I’ll talk. That Governor was given multi-millions of naira to run his election.
‘Here is somebody from Gombe, he was only given some money which is a fraction of what that Governor got but he gave the MBF N30 million, that’s why we didn’t seek for money from anywhere last.
“I think his here, seated. Then I said go and tell your Governor, that when we meet in front of the general, the game will be over. So I know the people doing this kinds of story. I know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. Is PDP people.
“Last year 2023 they tried and tried, that we went for Obi, and they feel if I’m around, their game will still fail, so let them do anything they can do to stamped me out of office, and their going to pay for it, don’t worry.
“But I want to know the people responsible. Let me give you another example. Last year before election, I requested that the General TY Danjuma give money to people who are contesting and he did gave.
“They thought the money was passing through me to them, till when I call the guy and said come meet me in front of the elders. I said when that money was paid, yes I requested for money to be given to you, was it given to me to forward to you or paid directly to you?
“And he said it was paid directly to me, and I now said what’s my own business. You didn’t do what your suppose to do and I said you cannot enjoy another money, and it was given to somebody else.
“So whats my business about that. But what I need is the people who are peddling the rumours, I know is political. All they’re after is if I’m there what they’ll want to do for PDP will not happen. And maybe Atiku will not be there if he want to run again, because I’ll not support it.
“If we still decide to go for Obi, we’ll lift Obi’s hands again and say this is our candidate. I don’t care what they say and those people who are peddling this whatever story, if the General will tell them that I am going nowhere and nobody is pushing me. Do they know me more than the General”, Pogu asked.
“But the story we had said it was N2 billion, but asked, for what?
Responding, Pogu said “Don’t worry, let them peddle it but who are they, this is what I need from you? After a heated debate between us, he said, “‘Its somebody who told Pastor Musa Dikwa.
“And they cooked the story and let Pastor Musa Dikwa be the one to spread the it. They join the story with event of the youth, that I, refused to chair the program and went to Yola. I went to Yola because I want a Muslim face to appear at that youth program and my deputy is Muslim person.
If the mummus don’t know what we’re doing politically, let then do it or say what they want to say. So, is some people within our organization”, he stated.
While he promised to be with General TY on Monday, preceding our interview, Pogu said “So, the issue is that the General must have been aware, and tell the other lower Generals that you dear not. So if they’re the one peddling it fine, but I don’t think the other General will do that.
“Musa Dikwa is among those who want me out to be in. I myself circulated the statement from Dikwa to others to know to who are behind it. First, Dikwa did not know there was going to be a youth program, second Dikwa doesn’t know whether or not money was given to me or anything.
“It means somebody from our team must have concocted the story and given to Dikwa to launder the story.
“Before, middle Belt issues would be waved by the side by some section of the country when is mention but now nobody can say Middle Belt does not exist. If u know any of the elders, you call him and find out what TY Danjuma reaction had been before they started, sort of telling them not to dear.
A most familiar members of the Forum contacted, who promised to respond failed to do so until the time of filing the report.
