A socio – political group of Ebira youths and women, Congres Of Ebira Youths For Justice And Fair Play has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of making itself available for use against Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the immediate past governor of Kogi State.
The Convener of the group, Comrade Kabiru Usman made the accusation during a press conference he addressed in Okene, Kogi State on Wednesday.
He said the EFCC has clearly given itself out that the allegation of corruption it levelled against Bello ” is more of politics than the criminal prosecution.”
Usman expressed dismay that the commission is still pressing ahead in its persecution of Bello in spite of various legal authorities that have spoken on the illegalities of its action.
“It’s evidently clear from all that have happened that EFCC is being used as smokescreen by Yahaya Bello’s political enemies.
“No evidence of formal invitation extended to him by the commission, rather the commission chairman told the world during his infamous press conference that he called the former governor and asked him to come to the headquarters of commission through the back door.
“And he expected Yahaya Bello to submit his neck to him just like that?
“EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede pulled the rug off the commission’s feet when he went further to allege that Yahaya Bello took $720,000 of Kogi money to pay his children’s school fees in advance at the American international School Abuja.
“Now, the questions to Mr EFCC chairman, is the former governor’s children not attending the school before he became governor?
“Was he in anyway indebted to the school on the account of school fees as private citizen?
“Did Yahaya enrol his children in that school in anticipation of him becoming governor?
“These and many more are the question begging for answers from the EFCC chairman.
“When you want to blackmail, do a smart one that will take time for people to uncover the truth.
“May be the EFCC chairman doesn’t know the incalculable damages his outburst has done to the psyche of the innocent children of Yahaya Bello whom he has dragged into his hatchet job.
“We want to therefore warn the EFCC and their sponsors that nothing must happen to Yahaya Bello’s children,” the group said.
Usman also expressed worry that the Federal Government is still keeping mum over the illegal action of the EFCC against Bello.
“To, the federal government of Nigeria, it’s worrisome that all these could be happening to a citizen of Nigeria and a personality like Yahaya Bello and everyone within the corridor of power is keeping mum.
“I urged the cameramen here to beam their lenses on our faces.
“These are not regular faces you see on the political scenes of Ebiraland.
“We are neither APC, PDP or Labour Party members but Representatives of interest groups across Ebiraland.
“Our choice of these method of passing our grievance to those concerned to avoid the process being hijacked by already traumatized Nigerians who are waiting to vent their angers on the government for the hardship they are going..
“Hitting the streets for protests might be inevitable if the harassment and political persecution continued unchecked.
“Nothing, I repeat that
nothing must happen to Yahaya Bello and his children in this ongoing harassment and persecution in the hands of EFCC.
“On the final note, the Youth of Ebiraland wants to remind our dear President and Commander – In – Chief of armed forces, President Ahmed Tinubu to know that there are times when silence is not golden.
“We urge him to immediately call the EFCC boss to order if the anti corruption fight is to be taken seriously under his watch.
“The president will also be doing the nation and his party, APC a lot of good if he looked inward and sanctioned any of his aides using the institutions of government to feather his or his political nest,” Usman stated.
The Convener also sound a word of caution to the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to steer clear of the EFCC vs Bello matter.
Usman advised the Senator to “choose her fight carefully no matter the energy at her disposal.
“We want to remind her of an Ebira adage which says that no one uses his/her oil to cook toad no matter the abundance of oil at her disposal.
“She should note that the political difference between her and FGYB is domestic and internal affairs of our Land.
” It’s therefore disturbing to see that she is using her past political differences with the former governor to align with enemies of Ebiraland who are using EFCC as a canon folder to achieve their clandestine motives.
“Natasha should know that no ethnic groups in Kogi can love her more than her own.
“Our senator needs to draw example from her governorship contest in 2019.
“Those who are urging her to keep attacking Yahaya Bello and by extension Ebira interest now went the directions of their own candidates and left her in the cold.
” Let her know therefore that her support for the traducers of Ebiraland in this Yahaya Bello’s persecution has dire political consequences for her now and in the future.” (vitalnewsngr.com)
