A socio-cultural group, Egbira Voice of Nigeria, has accused the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) of embarking on selective justice against former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.
Addressing a world press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the convener, Dr Kenneth Enebe accused the anti graft agency of witch hunting and making a deliberate attempt to eliminate the former Kogi State Governor.
The group, who vowed that they won’t allow further intimidation, harassment and persecution of former Governor Bello by the EFCC expressed worries that some ethnic bigots are using the commission to work against the constitution of Nigeria.
Enebe, while appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the EFCC to order said Yahaya Bello eight years in office witnessed remarkable achievement across the three senatorial districts of Kogi State.
The statement said:
“We are constrained to bring to the attention of Your Excellency that the whole dust raised by the infamous EFCC/Former Governor Yahaya Bello saga has its roots in the ethnic complexities and political servant-master relationship that bedeviled our dear Kogi State since its creation in 1991.
“Our worry is the way a supposed important organ of the Federal Government of Nigeria like the EFCC got enmeshed in the whole conundrum that is capable of tarnishing the image of the good work of the present administration, led by your humble self.
“Before we go further to acquaint Your Excellency with the historical perspective of the whole issue, it will suffice to let you into the roles played by our Igala brothers at the beginning of the drama of the so-called EFCC case with the attendant palpable fear that former Governor Yahaya Bello may be submitting himself to the guillotine if he is taken into EFCC custody.
“When the former governor was yet to be officially invited by the anti-graft agency, some notable Igala sons and daughters, led by a former Deputy Governor of the state, Simon Achuba, and one Austin Okhai had, at various times, staged protests to the EFCC office in Abuja, urging the anti-graft agency to probe the former governor who in their imagination is an enemy of their race.
“Your Excellency, one Jubrin Okutepa, SAN, an Igala man by tribe and a staunch member of the Social Democratic Party, a party raised by the Igala ethnic group to contest the last gubernatorial election in Kogi State, had, during several television appearances, made disparaging comments on the person of Yahaya Bello as regards the need for the EFCC to nail him. Your Excellency may wish to note that this politician in the cloak of a lawyer is one of the SANs hired by the EFCC to do the ethnic agenda of eliminating Yahaya Bello. He was the lawyer that filed the charge against the former Governor on behalf of the agency.
“It would interest you to note Sir, that, upon the judgment of the Supreme Court affirming the victory of Alhaji Usman Ododo as the duly elected governor of the state, the defeated SDP candidate, Muri Ajaka, issued a statement saying that “now that the election case is over”, he will exert his energy on how to bring Yahaya Bello to book by the EFCC. If we may ask, Your Excellency, when has it become the duty of a defeated candidate of a party to tell the EFCC what to do with a graft case or an accused person?
“It may also interest His Excellency to know that the former Governor is a firm believer in the rule of law and can never run away from it. But the whole gamut of these orchestrated ethnic prejudice, historical perspective of his coming to power that demystified the age-long belief that the seat of power of Kogi State was the exclusive reserve of one ethnic group and the modus operandi of the EFCC are making discerning minds believe that Yahaya Bello’s life is not safe in the hands of the EFCC.
“Permit us also, Your Excellency, to go a little down memory lane with regard to the historical perspective of the struggle for equality for Kogites since the creation of the state. Kogi State was created in 1991 by the General Ibrahim Babangida military administration at the instance of the Egbira people of Kogi Central, Okun of Kogi West from Kwara State. The administration of Babangida brought in the Igalas of Kogi East who failed to get their demanded OKURA State from Benue State.
“These major ethnic groups, Your Excellency, have lived together harmoniously in the colonial days of Kabba Province and early days of old Kwara State. The sense of brotherhood of being one’s brother’s keeper made the political gladiators of the Central and West in the persons of Alhaji Adamu Atta, former governor of old Kwara; Late Senator AT Ahmed, Alhaji Usman Abatemi, Chief SB Daniya, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, and others two numerous to mention here, to take a decision to concede the first governorship slot to Kogi East since an Ebira man in the person of Adamu Atta has had the opportunity of governing Kwara State while their Igala brothers were denied the opportunity in Benue.
“This was the reason the two parties – National Republican Convention (NRC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) – had Prince Abubakar Audu and Dr Stephen Achema, all Igala, as the Parties’ gubernatorial candidates in that election.
“This supposed magnanimity turned to be a political albatross for the people of the West and Central as our Igala brothers of the East consolidated on power and tried to make an exclusive reserve of it as if it were for the Igala ethnic group alone.
“Prince Abubakar Audu, who emerged as the first civilian governor of Kogi State, ruled the state for six (6) years, between 1992-93 and 1999-2003. AUDU was succeeded by Alh. Ibrahim Idris, between 2003-2008 and 2008-2012, while Capt. Wada Idris took over from 2012 to 2016. These, in addition to the rulership of the first Military Administrator, Col. Danladi Zakari, between 1991 and 92 made it a total of 21 years of Igala ethnic hegemony over Kogi State to the detriment of the Egbira and Okun.
“From the foregoing, you would agree with us that the leadership change that occured in 2016 and the eventual emergence of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, an Egbira by tribe from Kogi Central was divine. But our Igala brothers have taken this as ‘a hard to be forgiven’ sin by the former Governor for the role God used him to play to actualise power rotation in the State.
“Contrary to the false narratives being put out in the media about the performance of Former Governor Yahaya Bello, we make bold to say Sir, that he had unequalled and exemplary achievements, all geared towards healing the wounds and uniting the people of the state.
“You may wish to see some of the highlights of the verifiable human and infrastructural developmental achievements aimed at uniting our people as follows:
“For the first time in the history of the state, he chose his Chief of staff from outside his ethnic group in the person of Mr. Edward Onoja from Igala. Hitherto, such positions were only from the governors’ ethnic group or from his Local Government.
“Rebuilt the Igala unity house, which was abandoned for over 50 years.
“Women and youths’ economic and political development ever witnessed across the state.
“Obtained the World Bank grant to construct and arrest the devastating erosion problems in Igala land and Lokoja township river line water structural embankment.
“Construction and rehabilitation of abandoned rural and township roads in Igala land, including the roads leading to former governors Ibrahim Idris and Idris Wada’s villages.
“Built and equipped the Teaching hospital of Prince Abubakar Audu University in Igalaland.
“Provision, installation and lightening up of Igala communities that were not connected to the national grid.
“Supported the president’s appointment of Hon. Shuaibu Abubakar Audu as Minister of the Federal Republic from Igala, aside from his nomination of Prof Stephen Ocheni of same Igala as Minister during his first tenure. This was a taboo in the past.
“You may wish to note here that except during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when he appointed Chief Bayo Ojo, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo and chief Kola Jamodu as Ministers from Kogi West, when Audu was governor, under other successive Igala governors of Gov. Ibrahim Idris and Gov. Wada Idris, they retained the ministerial positions in Kogi East.
“Furthermore, FGYB established additional two functional State Universities in kogi Central and Kogi West
“Revisited and reclaimed the Kogi State oil producing area in Igalaland that was ceded to South East by former president Goodluck Jonathan under former governor Ibrahim Idris and this made Kogi State the tenth (10th) oil producing state in Nigeria.
“Your Excellency may wish to recall the efforts of FGYB when he collaborated with other like minds to stop the sufferings of the Nigerian masses during the Naira currency redesign, which would have had negative impact on the presidential election at the time.
“Under the Eight (8) years administration of FGYB, the higher institutions in Kogi State were not allowed to be affected with strikes due to his compassion for the students and parents. We wonder, if all these are crimes and we’re at a loss why EFCC, a government institution, is being used to persecute him with a view to eliminating him at all costs.
“Your Excellency, despite all these efforts of the former governor to unite the state, it seems our supposed Igala brothers can never be contended with anything unless every other ethnic group in the state agrees to play the second fiddle while they continue to rule.
“It is on this note we wish to appeal to Your Excellency to please stop this proxy war being waged against Yahaya Bello and by extension, the Ebira people through the EFCC.
“If the Yahaya Bello they declared wanted over an alleged refusal to honour their invitation now walked into the EFCC office voluntarily, why would they turn him back only to return at night to embarrass the governor of Kogi State in the Governor’s Lodge by attempting to arrest someone who was in their office earlier? Is it by dragging Yahaya Bello on the ground like a bandit or terrorist that the EFCC would be seen to be effective?
“It is surprising that, in the Commission’s naked efforts to cover up their unsuccessful mission to eliminate Former Governor Bello and Gov Usman Ododo at the Kogi Government Lodge in Asokoro Abuja, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who earlier denied the presence of the former governor in his office, issued a confessional press statement on the 19th September, 2024 which stated that the EFCC rejected the method by which FGYB reported to the commission because he was accompanied by his successor, H.E Usman Ahmed Ododo and other dignitaries, which is in violation of its invitation protocol.
“Hence, the chairman directed that no official of the commission should attend to him and asked him to go home until they called him but only to be attacked with Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo at the Kogi government lodge in Abuja at night.
“However the same EFCC received former Governor Ayodele Peter Fayose of Ekiti State in company of Governor Nyesom Wike, Femi Fani Kayode, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and other dignitaries to the EFCC office.
“This unprofessional handling of former Governor Yahaya Bello by the EFCC, under Ola Olukoyede is pushing us to nurse the fear that the life of the former Governor will not be safe having him in EFCC custody, hence our appeal to you to wade into the matter to ensure that the right things are done.
“Sir, if these actions of the EFCC are not checked, we might be left with no other options than to put the international communities, Civil Society Organisations in and outside Nigeria on notice about the unprofessional conducts of the EFCC. The agency will be held responsible if anything untoward happens to Former Governor Yahaya Bello.
“Your Excellency, we want to strongly suggest that the Commission should be monitored closely to ensure that its operatives do not put spanners into the efforts of rebuilding the country that Your Excellency is carrying on.
“We have absolute confidence in Your Excellency’s ability to resolve this matter expeditiously and give respite and hope to Former Governor Yahaya Bello, his family, the Egbira people, Kogi State and Nigeria by extension”
