The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) on Wednesday called on President Bola Tinubu to issue an ultimatum to Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo to surrender his predecessor, Yaha Bello to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC.
Failure to comply with the ultimatum, the Civil Society Organisation said the president should be left with no option than to declare a state of emergency in Kogi State. CHRICED insisted that President Tinubu must be resolute in the fight against corruption.
A statement signed by CHRICED’s Executive Director, Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi and made available to Grassroots Parrot condemned the action of Governor Ododo for allegedly abused his official immunity to shield Yahaya Bello from arrest by the EFCC over the alleged N84bn embezzlement.
“It is reported that Yahaya Bello, who is currently a fugitive on EFCC’s wanted list, is being harbored at the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja by Governor Ododo.
“While we appreciate the efforts made so far by the EFCC in pursuing the case against Yahaya Bello, CHRICED unequivocally condemns Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s interference in thwarting Bello’s arrest, which goes against his sworn oath of office.” He said.
READ ALSO: EFCC Declares Yahaya Bello Wanted Over Alleged N80bn Fraud
Zikirullahi also berated the Kogi State Assembly for hastily passing a resolution urging the EFCC to remove Yahaya Bello from its wanted list. He said the actions highlight the entrenched corruption and impunity in Kogi State.
He expressed worry that the development was emerging in a state grappling with severe challenges such as unpaid pensions, delayed salaries for workers, and lack of infrastructural development.
The CRICED boss highlighted how corruption has emerged as a severe epidemic that Nigerians have been grappling with in recent times.
“Corruption is one of the major tragedies of our country that the All-Progressive congress (APC), which came into office in 2015 on the pretext that it was ready to fight corruption, has sunk neck-deep into the same corruption it claimed it was ready to fight.
“Consequently, the APC administration has lost its way, leaving the national and state treasuries at the mercy of the very mindless and unscrupulous looters that the Nigerian citizens had hoped to see removed from all levels of governance.
“As a matter of fact, in the struggle between anti-corruption forces and apologists of corruption, it is evident that corruption is winning. The term “anti-corruption fight” has become nothing more than a mere facade.
“The loss of political will, and the serious collapse of the moral ground on which the APC administration would have fought corruption to a decisive end is seen from the party’s act of condoning clearly corrupt characters within its own fold.
READ ALSO: Kogi Assembly Urges Bello’s Removal from EFCC Wanted List
He referenced some alleged high profile cases of corruption that the APC-led administration has swept under the carpet including the infamous Gnadollar scandal in Kano and that of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) among others.
“If this were not the case, the shocking revelations from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the serious allegations against former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, the numerous instances of his potential conflicts of interest in handling legal matters related to the recovered Abacha loot, the interference to obstruct the EFCC from investigating and prosecuting high-profile cases, the infamous Gandollar scandal in Kano, the padding of constituency budgets by the National Assembly, and most recently, the seven senior Customs officers who were implicated in accepting bribes worth billions of Naira and yet continue to hold influential positions within the customs hierarchy, would have seen many big thieves cooling their heels in cells of anti-corruption agencies, in readiness for judgment day at the courts.” He said.
Zikirullahi however, urged Nigerian leaders to emulate countries like Saudi Arabia and China where stringent action of the government over there has significantly reduced corruption.
“We can draw lessons from countries like Arabia and China, where the implementation of strict punishments, such as cutting off hands and death for theft, has significantly reduced incidents of stealing. These countries demonstrate that a zero-tolerance approach towards stealing can effectively deter such crimes.” He concluded.
