By Hillary Asemota
The Former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Elder Simon Achuba, Kogi East Critical Stakeholders including an elder statesman Alh. Sule Iyaji, on Monday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and other anti-graft agencies to arrest and prosecute former Governor Bello for allegedly stealing and embezzling well over N100 billion from Kogi State coffers.
This, they averred will serve as deterrent to other public servants within and outside the state.
The group also wants the anti-corrupt agencies to beam their searchlight and bring the former Governor Yahaya Bello to account for misappropriating over N1 trillion that accrued to the state as according to them, in his 8 years of maladministration.
Addressing the media at the stakeholders meeting in Abuja, Sule who spoke on behalf of the group, said the meeting was prompted by series of infractions, abuse of power, intimidation and encroachments on the rights of the people in the state by the previous and present administrations.
“That EFCC should assist in the recovery of Kogi state Assets in various locations that former Governor Bello sold to himself at giveaway prices vide his cronies and agents acting at his behest.” They said.
In a unanimous declaration, they added: “We, the stakeholders noted with dismay the wanton corruption, extra judicial killings, crass misappropriations of the over N1 trillion that accrued to the state as revenue throughout the tenure of the administration of the former Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the promotion of thuggery and brigandage, rent seeking, absence of visible and tangible developments in the state and promotion of ethnic politics in the state leading to the imposition of his cousin, Governor Ododo on the state as his successor.”
While condemning the eventual declaration of Alh. Usman Ododo as the purported winner of the said election, they condemned killings of indigenes of Kogi East and takeovers of some fishing and agrarian communities in Omala and Dekina Local Government Areas by herders.
Sule, said the Illegal sales of Kogi state Government properties in kogi East, other parts of Kogi state, Abuja, Lagos and Kaduna by the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello was deliberated and a source of concern to the stakeholders.
On the urgent need for the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to call the the Kogi State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Bethrand Onuoha to order, they averred that the continuous retention of of the CP who has alledgedly and confessed to extra judicial murder of their compatriots and serving police officers at the behest of the ormer Governor Yahaya Bello.
They said: “The stakeholders also noted the unlawful acts of dethronement of four (4) traditional rulers across the state by the former Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello in one day and the threat by Governor Ododo to replicate same in kogi east and other parts of Kogi State.
“The meeting moved against illegal mining activities all over Kogi East and other parts of kogi state by armed thugs of former Governor Yahaya Bello.”
According to them, Governor Ododo has demonstrated his poor sense of history and judgment by taking on the Ata Igala, Mathew Opaluwa Oguche Akpa 11, in his first action as Governor of kogi state, adding that the Ata, represents and he is the alter ego of an ancient tradition and people that dates back to the 13th century and hence should not and must not be ridiculed against the established protocol by anyone, not to talk of Governor Ododo whose emergence is a sham, and the position being strongly contested in court.
They added: “We noted with horrific amazement the abandonment of governance and decency by a bench warmer like Ododo, who recently declared himself unfit for the high office of state Governor, and unconstitutional establishment of the office of immediate past governor, now attempting to denigrate the ancient traditional institutions by claiming to forget to acknowledge the presence of the number one traditional ruler in the state at his inauguration as Governor.
“The stakeholders cautioned that, Ododo should retreat from the back of Yahaya Bello who was driven by vendetta and irresponsible use of constitutional powers wherein he dethroned four (4) first class rulers in a single day, just few hours to the end of his tenure without any just cause.”