Mr Stephen Yakubu, a former Secretary to the Kogi State Government (SSG), said that he did not append his signature to a petition written against the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.
Yakubu, in his testimony before a Lokoja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, in a case of forgery brought against Mr Julius Elukpo, the Chairman, Kogi Elders Forum, said that there was never a time he sat and agreed on the content of the petition with anybody.
According to him, the petition which contained his signature and sent to the minister of health, alleging corruption and gross abuse of office against the management of the centre, was without his knowledge and approval.
Elukpo was docked on a count charge bordering on forgery.
“When I saw a copy of the petition, I noticed that the signature was mine. I was amazed. I did not sign the petition. My signature must have been lifted from previous documents I signed on behalf of the forum,” Yakubu told the court.
The witness who was led in evidence by the counsel to the police, Mr Theophilus Oteme said that he later dissociated himself from the content of the petition in writing alongside two other alleged signatories to the petition.
However, Yakubu, admitted before the court that he along with others at a meeting of the forum agreed to write a letter to the minister of health to appeal to him to consider a qualified indigene of the state for the then vacant position of the Chief Medical Director of the FMC.
Under cross examination by the defence counsel, Mr Muisdeen Abdallah, Yakubu admitted that the signature on the petition was his, but added he did not authorise the content of the petition.
The Secretary of the forum, Mr Stephen Adachiewa, who also testified, said it was only he and the Chairman that are authorised to sign correspondence on behalf of the forum.
Adavhiewa who said that he had been the secretary of the forum for four years, explained that in most cases, other members were not allowed to sign document of behalf of the forum, while the chairman at a time chose to sign correspondence alone.
The Chief Magistrate, Abubakar Ibrahim, adjourned further hearing until Nov.14.
(NAN)
