Mr Idris Miliki, Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), a Kogi-based NGO, on Saturday urged Gov. Yahaya Bello to probe the immediate past administration in the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by Maliki and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lokoja.
He advised the governor to immediately set up a panel of inquiry to x-ray activities of Capt. Idris Wada’s administration.
The Human Rights activist noted that from 2003, the state had contended with problems of uncompleted projects, inflated contracts, huge and fake wage bills and huge debts of “unimaginable proportion” among other anomalies.
He explained that undertaking an inquiry of the Wada-led administration would help the government to ascertain the state of the economy, level of indebtedness and strategies to be adopted in reshaping the economy.
“It will be in the interest of the people of Kogi for the new governor to set up a judicial panel of inquiry with people of proven integrity to ascertain the level of indebtedness of the state (internally and externally),” he said.
Miliki urged Bello to live up to his promise of maintaining zero-tolerance for corruption by ensuring that all leakages were plugged.
He urged the government to ensure that financial misdemeanours of key players of the last administration were exposed and brought to book.
The activist, however, advised the governor, having pledged to key into the change mantra and the anti-corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari, to declare his assets publicly to elicit the confidence of the people.
“This will enhance the confidence, credibility and above all, trust of the people of Kogi and indeed, Nigeria as the declaration of his assets will make us to know his worth in materials and other resources.
“We must avoid the pitfalls of the past,” he added.
Miliki noted that the immediate past administration was not able to meet the expectations of the electorate in several areas.
He, therefore, urged the new administration to carefully assess and identify the areas where it could make positive and meaningful impact.
– NAN
