EFCC And Yahaya Bello Debacle, The Igala Sponsored Protests And Propaganda
By Ozumi Abdul
In as much as I’m not labouring hard to muffle the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello with the celestial garment of sainthood, because like every human, he is fallible and blemish, but it is also pertinent to ask which script the EFCC acting.
Is the commission acting the political script of persecution and score-settling handed over to it by certain political gladiators who feel Yahaya Bello might just be the thorn in their political flesh, since APC’s chairmanship seat will soon be zoned to the North Central, or that of purveyors of tribal venoms who last week staged shameful protest at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, demanding the arrest and prosecution of the former governor?
Kindly cut me some slack again to ask when the EFCC, a federal anti graft agency suddenly becomes the Kogi’s State Auditor General to know how much is missing from its treasury, and when it is missing, to warrant the harassing and persecution of Yahaya Bello, in the veiled guise of probing, despite the Kogi State government’s umpteenth clarification, that no Kobo is missing from its coffers?
Thus, the EFCC versus Yahaya Bello’s ding ding is one that aptly typifies a certain mischievous and impish occurrence, where a mourner cries more than the bereaved. Then I ask rhetorically again, how on earth is it possible for a mourner to be more pained than the bereaved himself; to the point of sobbing and blubbering uncontrollably, where the bereaved would now have to resort to pacifying and sedating him? Isn’t that meddlesomeness, or “busy body” taken to a ridiculous height?
To even think that the EFCC, which two of its successive czars, Ibrahim Magu and Abdulrasheed Bawa, who were variously alleged to have had their hands soiled in stinky filth, is probing unarguably the best ever Kogi State governor in terms of infrastructural developments is comical, satirical and laughable.
Or is there any other organization, or agency with the acronym of “EFCC” that Iam ignorantly bereft of? Is it not the same EFCC, which its reputation before most Nigerians and outside world has over the years been badly pummeled, battered, tattered and shattered into shreds and segmentation?
Is it not the EFCC that has been variously accused of shielding corrupt politicians, compromising, and also doing hatchet jobs as attack dogs of intimidation, victimization and persecution for powerful politicians, when political scores are up in the air for settlement?
Iam talking of the EFCC whose trial of former Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, Ahmed Idris, on alleged N109 billion corruption charges stalled at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, due to the alleged loss of one of the statements he made to the commission during an investigation. I sense compromise here. Don’t you? Read below is the link to the story ????.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.channelstv.com/2023/03/01/alleged-n109bn-fraud-ex-accountant-generals-missing-statement-stalls-trial/amp/
There is a certain Yoruba proverb for those who value wisdom, and the proverb goes thus: Bi a ba rani ni ise eru a fi ti omo je, meaning, when one is sent on an errand as a slave, he should deliver such errand as a freeborn.
This proverb is one with a deep sense of reasoning, that I had expected the EFCC to draw inspiration from when it was sent to go after Yahaya Bello for political vendetta.
How do you as an anti graft agency go after a governor, who within eight years of his reign established two state universities for the advancement of knowledge, despite Kogi’s meager internally generated revenue in the name of probing?
How on earth is the EFCC even comfortable mentioning Yahaya Bello’s name when the dice of misappropriation of fund is tossed up for past governors of Kogi state, the only governor who constructed the first ever flyover bridge in the state, giving the state capital Lokoja, the befitting aesthetic facelifts in the process?
Or does the EFCC need to to be remembered of the several projects that are either totally completed, or near completion during the administration of Yahaya Bello, if it is feigning ignorance to them?
Dear EFCC, here are few of the fact-checkable projects by Yahaya Bello’s led Kogi administration.
~Ayingba-Idah Road (significant progress),
~Igala Unity House (completed).
~Over 200 Rural Water Boreholes
~Rural Electrification project impacting over 200 communities across Kogi East, including those of his 2 predecessors, Ibro And Wada.
~ Construction of the state of the art Reference Hospital in Okene, one its kind,
~ Project Light Up Kogi East (PLUKE) to connect Kogi East to the higher power generating capacities available across the river.
~ Construction of Mohammed Buhari Square, in Lokoja, a
15,600 sitting capacity, fully automated with VIP stands..
~ Erosion control works ongoing simultaneously at Dekina,Umomi and Ogugu.
~Numerous Direct intervention to life threatening health challenges, several massive free health programs across the Land.
~ Visible interventions on Farm Roads.
~ Agricultural Revolution
~ Oguma-Sheria Bridge
-Dekina Township and Ayingba Township roads
~ Renovations Of Palaces across Igala land,
~General Hospital Gegu in Kogi local government area, General Hospital in Isanlu in Yagba East, General Hospital in Adogo in Ajaokuta local government area, rehabilitation of Prince Abubakar Audu University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba in Dekina local government, to mention but a few.
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If I may ask, how can these feats be achievable and possible if the EFCC’s laughable and bogus claim of misappropriation of money to the tune of 84 billion naira is actually true, in a poor state like Kogi where financial resources are minimally limited?
If the EFCC is actually serious, with all ingenuity, and truly determined to hunt Kogi’s past governors who had laundered the state’s financial resources, the commission has their dossiers at its beck and call, including the one that is no more.
The EFCC should start dusting off their long abandoned files. They are all from the Igala speaking extraction that staged protest to the commission’s headquarters last week, crying foul, demanding the non-existing probe of Yahaya Bello.
Wait a bit, is it not pathetically laughable that the Igalas are now hypocritically canonizing themselves as saints, because they desperately want power through the back door, either by crook or hook?
They left power just barely eight years ago, and now they are already power-thirsty, they want power desperately, because they pride themselves as “born to rule”, and seeing another tribe ruling is anathema to them, and the only person they consider in their chimerical wild hallucinations as the nemesis to getting power again is Yahaya Bello, hence their relentless and enduring smear campaigns of calumny against his person in both conventional and social media.
So Igalas, who had held on to power for close to two decades without requisite developments in the state, held the state by the jugular, regressed the state, ran it amok, looted its resources, had thousands of their people on the state government’s payroll as ghost workers now have the moral effronteries, brazenness and brashness to be staging protest at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja, and engaging in full blown media propaganda, and smear campaigns against Yahaya Bello? Wow! Wonder of the tenth heaven.
Perhaps they want me to start opening the odorous cans of worms of their kinsmen, who had presided over the affairs of the state, with their cases still at the EFCC.
I will start shortlisting them one after the other with fact-checkable evidence, and I challenge the EFCC to resuscitate those seeming dead cases if truly they are not acting the script of political persecution or ethnic jingoism. After all, what is good for the geese, people say, is equally good for the ganda.
Late Prince Audu Abubakar
He was declared wanted in 2012 by the EFCC for offenses bordering on conspiracy, stealing and misappropriation of public funds. According to a press statement signed by the then EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the action followed the failure of the suspect to respond to invitation by the anti- graft agency.
The statement said an attempt by the EFCC to arrest Prince Audu at his 32, Sulaiman Barau Street, Asokoro, Abuja residence on December 11, 2012 failed as he allegedly evaded arrest.
The former governor is alleged to have fraudulently enriched himself to the tune of over N4 billion while he held sway as governor of Kogi State between 1999 and 2003. Below ???? is the link to storyhttps://www.channelstv.com/2012/12/20/n4-billion-fraud-efcc-declares-ex-gov-audu-wanted/
Alhaji Idris Ibrahim (Ibro)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2012 quizzed the then immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, for allegedly buying 10 luxurious properties, including six choice hotels, in Abuja when in office.
The property was alleged to be acquired at home and abroad by the governor during his tenure between 2003 to 2012..
The commission confirmed that it preliminarily quizzed the ex-governor for six hours then. Below is the link to the story https://thenationonlineng.net/efcc-grills-ex-kogi-governor-idris-over-choice-property/
In fact, former senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye had to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission then over the alleged illegal acquisition of 10 luxurious properties by Ibrahim Idris.
Alhaji Ibrahim Idris was asked to explain where he got the resources to own Gubabi Royal Hotel, Dreamland Suites, Summerest Hotel, Palmac Hotel, Executive Suite and Grand Ibro Hotel, formerly known as Ibro Hotel, among other properties both in and outside Nigeria, between
May 29, 2003 and January 27, 2012.
Below ???? is the link to the story: https://www.channelstv.com/2012/04/18/melaye-ask-efcc-to-investigate-former-kogi-governor/
Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada
On 6th November, 2017, Wada was detained by the EFCC over alleged involvement in the over N23bn poll cash which former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke, reportedly handed to the Peoples Democratic Party to use and compromise the 2015 presidential election. Below ???? is the link to the story.https://dailypost.ng/2017/11/06/breaking-efcc-detains-idris-wada/
Also, in November 2011, a particular group under the aegis of Kogi Patriots even petitioned the EFCC over alleged looting of Kogi State by the then outgoing governor Idris Ibrahim, and his in-law, Idris Ichalla Wada. Below ???? is the link to the story.https://kogireports.com/group-petitions-efcc-on-the-looting-of-kogi-by-governor-idris-and-captain-wada-2/
Dear Igala brothers, when chanting “Bello thief”, “Bello looter” during your next predictable protest at the EFCC’s headquarters, or in your usual media propaganda, I do honestly hope you will remember who the pioneers, great grandfathers, grandfathers and fathers of looting are in the state.
To my Ebira brothers, if you think the brazing assaults, attacks and smear on Yahaya Bello’s person are solely his business, then I pray may it never be too late for our snake to hiss when its head is already off.
We will never cherish what we have, but I pray may it never get off our fingertips.
