By Stellamaries Amuwa, Abuja
A group, the Kogi Conscience Liberation Movement (KCLM) in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations in Kogi State have urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to speedily bring former Governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello to answer charges of corruption against him.
This was made known during a Save Democracy Solidarity March themed: Stop Corruption and Save Democracy” at the EFCC National Headquarters, in Abuja
According to the leader of some Civil Society Groups under the aegis of Kogi Conscience Liberation Movement, Okpanachi Jacob, they decided to pay a solidarity visit in honour of the renewed engagement in the war against corruption by the EFCC.
Comrade Okpanachi said, “It is important to note that according to Edmund Burke ‘When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle’. Today we are here to assert that back home our people are happy with the move by the EFCC, they should continue with the good work they are doing. 80billion Naira is not a child’s play, 800million Naira for a school fee of 5 to 6 children upfront can definitely pay WAEC fee for about 29,630 students in Kogi State.
“Here we are from a state that the Counterpart Founding for UBEC is a problem and children are out of school because their parents do not have access to money. In Kogi State today primary and secondary school education has become moribund affairs and here we are with elite groups defending the man that is behind the predicaments of millions of Kogi people.
“It is unfortunate that we found ourselves in this situation but the most sacrosanct thing is this, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda did not leave the fight against corruption behind. It is visible but yet there is a remarkable step towards ensuring that corruption is stamped out of the system knowing that it draws back our political, economic and social life as can be viewed from the incidences that accumulated in Kogi State in the past 7 to 8 years.”
Similarly, Desmond Obaru from Ogorimagogo local government area, Kogi Central urge EFCC to make sure that all the alledgedly wealth stolen by the former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and his cohorts are brought back.
Desmond said, “We have come to encourage the EFCC because the world is watching and at the appropriate time we can conveniently assure you that those who took gratification to subvert the will of the people will be brought to book. We have come to say EFCC continue with your good work. No individual is above the law, other former Governors who did not steal as much as Kogi former Governor Bello were brought to book, we will not rest until justice is served.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director, Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren thanked the group for identifying with the work of the EFCC. “I am personally happy that I can see citizens of Kogi State that are concerned with the misuse of their state resources.
” I want to assure you that I have the permission of the Chairman to assure you that this issue will not be swept under the carpet. The issue we have with Yahaya Bello is not a personal matter. EFCC is out to enforce law, we have a charge pending before the FCT High Court Abuja, all we simply want Yahaya Bello to do, is to answer to those charges. We are not concerned about renting crowds or getting people to speak in favour of EFCC no, all we want is where ever he is hiding let him come out and attend to the charges filed against him.
“The Commission has had cause to arraign several ex-governors some of them are walking freely now because they have been properly arraigned and granted bail. That is what we want Yahaya Bello to do because nobody in Nigeria is above the law. Yahaya Bello as a former Governor does not have immunity against persecution and he knows that. So wherever he is hiding the message I have for him is simple, come out and be properly arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction and answer to the allegations that are against him. We will not rest until he is arraigned in court.”
