I never relocated to Ghana -Ruma

In our Sunday Trust cover story entitled “They were very powerful yesterday,” published on Sunday, June 27, 2010, our reporter quoted sources in Katsina who claimed that the former minister, who was believed to be one of the closest ministers to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, had moved to Ghana.

However, Ruma told Sunday Trust in a telephone interview last week that he had no reason to relocate from Nigeria to Ghana, because he has done nothing to warrant his escape from the country.

He argued thus: “Why should I run away to Ghana? For what? What crime did I commit to warrant me relocating to Ghana? I am not a fugitive of any sort. Those who claimed that I relocated to Ghana are mischief-makers.”

Ruma said further, “The mischief makers are claiming that I have changed my numbers so that people cannot reach me. But we are speaking on my telephone line. you called me on my mobile phone. This shows you that there is no limit to what Nigerians can do to damage the reputation of innocent people.”

Sunday Trust gathered further that the politician is still very popular, not only in Batsari Local Government Area, but also in Katsina State, contrary to reports that he had lost out in the politics of the North-Western state.

One Aminu Sani, a politician from Ruma’s constituency, told Sunday Trust that the former minister had contributed immensely to the development of his local government, and there was no reason for his people to jubilate after his removal as minister.

Sani said, “By establishing a big farm which gives employment to many people, he has done what no other politician from the local government has done. As a human being, it is evident that he cannot satisfy everybody at the same time. I believe that he has tried for his people and his people are very happy with him.”