My son is an adult – Bamanga Tukur

By Henry Umoru
THE National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has urged Nigerians not to engage in media trials as the prosecution of his son, Mahmud Tukur and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is on the fuel subsidy scandal.

Tukur who also pleaded against jumping into conclusion by Nigerians, stressed that his son,  Mahmud Tukur who is the Managing Director of Eterna Oil and Gas is an adult and capable of speaking and defending himself.

The PDP National Chairman’s son is presently facing trial with others alleged involvement in  fraudulent management of oil subsidy fund.
Bamanga Tukur stressed that as the case is on, there was no need diminishing his  status as a father  because of the perceived ‘sins’ of the son, adding that  there was  no need visiting the son’s sin on him.

Bamanga Tukur

According to him,  as an adult and managing a publicly quoted firm,  the rules and guidelines of all companies are contained in the Deeds of Association of the company and the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC.

Addressing Journalists in Abuja yesterday, Tukur who spoke through his Special Adviser on Monitoring, Hon. Bernard Mikko, said,  “The anger for which Nigerians vent on corrupts officials or persons can therefore be seen from the standpoint of the angst against corruption or that they would have been the beneficiary rather than the person caught.

” This explains why we are quick to try suspects, especially those linked to top government functionaries in the media circus and creating frenzy where non- exists. Our laws are clear and even a primary school pupil knows we are all presumed innocent until proven otherwise and convicted by a competent court of law.

“The sons of the past and current PDP chairmen are no exception. Mahmud is the son of Bamanga Tukur, the current PDP national chairman but since the reported arraignment of the former, the trial seemed to have not only shifted from the courts to the media, but also shifted from the son to the father.

“What  is happening now is in contrast to Deuteronomy 24:16 “ the father shall not be put to death for his children and the children for fathers, every man shall be put to death for his own sin”.

The Aide who also  quoted  Ezekiel 18:20,  said, “the soul that sinneth shall die. The son shall not bear iniquity for his father and neither shall the father bear iniquity for the son”, explaining that these biblical verses underscores the points by stating the every individual is accountable for his or her own action, obviously, a parent cannot take medication to cure his or her child.

Also, Alhaji Issa Tafida Mafindi, a member of the PDP National Executive Committee, NEC  decried the media attack and refered to the most recent when son of Umaru Mutallab was involved in boming in a US jet. The son was tried and convicted, but not impinging the character of his father, who was a renowned banker.

According to  Mafindi,  when the wife of Nelson Mandela, Winnee was being tried for murder that the name of the former South African President was not dragged to the mud as in this case.

The chairman of the Eterna Oil and Gas is Fola Adeola  and not Bamanga Tukur.
Tukur who  reiterated his support to address  corruption, however warned  against politicizing the battle to eliminate corruption, adding, “Corruption as a global phenomenon requires concerted effort by all to mitigate and the simple way to this is to promptly report or expose all cases of it and allow justice to take its course.

Once vendetta or any atom of ill will and malaise is introduced in it, it becomes corruptive in itself and will result in injustice.”