Following the outrage over the resistance to arrest by ex-Gov. Yahaya Bello and the gutsy move of Mr. Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi State, obstructing the anti-graft agency’s operation, the Kogi Forum of Concerned Citizens (KFCC) has called on the Inspector General of Police to redeploy the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Bentrad Onuoha, with immediate effect.
This, the forum said, will forestall further damage to the image of the Nigeria Police Force, reports Persecondnews.
The Kogi group, made up of top politicians and elder statesmen from all the zones of the state, alledged that Mr. Onuoha had previously confessed to extrajudicial killings of innocent Kogites at the behest of former Governor Bello and should be moved out of the state.
Persecondnews recalls that the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Olukayode Egbetokun, has withdrawn all police officers attached to the embattled former Gov. Bello.
The order for the withdrawal was contained in a police wireless message.
The Chairman of the group and former Deputy Governor of the state, Elder Simon Achuba, said the police commissioner had used the police personnel attached to Bello to prevent his arrest by sister law enforcement agencies before their withdrawal by the Inspector General of Police.
He urged all Kogites to unite and fight the scourge of corruption in body politics.
He said:
“Our brothers and sisters in Kogi Central and West should recall that the several months of non-payment of salaries, non-existence of infrastructure, and decay in health and education affected all of us.
“Hence, we should all support the EFCC in their efforts to recover our common patrimony from our looter-in-chief, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and his clans of corrupt acolytes.
“All of us are victims of Yahaya Bello’s bad governance. No one should be suffering and smiling.”
The former Deputy Governor also called on Governor Usman Ododo to return to the state to provide leadership and governance instead of using the security personnel attached to him to protect Yahaya Bello and evade justice.
Achuba said: “The continuous payment of salaries to the personal staff of Yahaya Bello from state coffers is an abuse of office, and his days of reckoning and accountability will soon be at hand.”
The group chairman disclosed that Yahaya Bello is currently holed up in the Kogi State Government House, stating that all efforts should be taken to bring him to justice.
According to him, relying on moralising or appealing to conscience will not yield any result or move him to voluntarily surrender to the EFCC because, as the saying goes, “The guilty are always afraid.”
We further resolved: “That all presidential handlers should refrain from encouraging or allowing Yahaya Bello access to the Presidency, as recently done.
“That such actions are capable of sending the wrong signals that the President condones or provides sanctuary to fugitives like Yahaya Bello.
“That APC should immediately suspend Governor Ododo from membership in the party for brazenly and sheepishly obstructing law enforcement agencies from carrying out their lawful duties and elevating his servitude to Yahaya Bello above his oath of office and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria he swore to uphold.
“That Kogi State House of Assembly is once again called upon to commence impeachment proceedings against Governor Ododo for obstruction of justice and for abandoning the Kogi State Government House for Yahaya Bello to evade arrest and prosecution contrary to his oath of office.
“That INEC should immediately institute legal proceedings against Yahaya Bello for double registration as a voter in Abuja and Okene, contrary to the provisions of extant laws.
“That INEC had already established the case against Bello but could not prosecute him because of the immunity he enjoyed at that time as a state governor.
“Now that his tenure is over, nothing stops INEC from bringing him to justice to serve as a deterrent to other lawless and desperate politicians.
“That all Nigerians should rise and support Mr. President in his tireless efforts in ridding Nigeria of corruption and bringing corrupt public officers to justice, irrespective of tribe, religion, and party affiliation.
“That Mr. President will go down in history as one leader who abhors corruption in high places in Nigeria.
“That the immediate suspension of Minister of Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs over allegations of corruption and abuse of public office, Mrs. Betta Edu, is a case in point of Mr. President’s zero tolerance to corruption.”
Achuba added:“That the Federal and Kogi State Governments should name any national asset or establishment after the former minister of health, the late Arc. G.Y. Aduku, for his untainted leadership and services to Nigeria and Kogi State.
“That by immortalizing late Arc. Aduku, present and future generations will learn and emulate his virtues of honesty, hard work, integrity, and peaceful coexistence with all people.”
