Kogi State indigenes under the auspices of the Executive committee of confluence patriots has accused a former Governor of the state, Yahaya Adoza Bello of
practically and tactically turning the state account into his personal Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) from whence he withdrew billions of naira for his personal use for eight years.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) is prosecuting Yahaya Bello alongside his Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246, 470,089.88k (Eight Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty-nine Naira, Eighty-eighty Kobo).
After the committee’s meeting on Saturday in Abuja, it’s Secretary, Abdulwahab Omeiza said Bello’s time as Governor of Kogi State was characterized with all sort of financial irregularities and human right abuses which includes but not limited to the loss of lives and property of innocent citizens of Kogi State who dared to challenge his autocratic regime.
According to Omeiza, the budget of Kogi State during the eight years administration of Bello have been nothing more but a fraud perpetuated against the good and amaible people of Kogi state.
He lamented non-improvement in terms of infrastructural development in Kogi state commensurable with the enormous resources accruing to the state from federal allocation and internal generated revenue in the last eight years.
Omeiza said there have been several financial infractions in the Kogi state account since the last eight years as evidenced by the EFCC in the suit filed against the former governor alongside other respondents to the extent that school fees of his children were been paid from the coffers of Kogi State Government.
“Citizens of the state are now aware from the ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on how state resources were converted to dollars and wired into several bank accounts overseas operated by Former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello and his cronies.
“We are also aware of several property procured by the former governor and his associates in choiced location within Nigeria and overseas using Kogi state resources.
“The illegal sale of Kogi state properties without recourse to due process is one considered by majority of citizens of the state as wickedness of the highest order especially where such properties were under valued and the proceeds of sales not remitted into the state accounts.” He added.
He appealed to the leadership of the EFCC to remain focus in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities as enshrined in the act establishing it and not to be distracted by unscrupulous sponsored agents of denail.
