$720,000 probe: Yahaya Bello was a successful businessman before assuming office – KYEJ
John Peters
…Children of those sponsoring corruption allegation attend foreign schools
A Non-Governmental Organization, Kogi Youth Emancipation for Justice (KYEJ) has held a peaceful protest in Abuja on Saturday calling on Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to adhere to the rules of law and due process while carrying out its functions.
Convener of the group Ibrahim Abdulraheem who gave the charge at a press briefing on the ongoing controversies trailing the planned arrest of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello by the Commission for allegedly using the State resources to pay the sum of $720,000 school fees for his children while in office.
Abdulraheem who also called for caution, argued that the former Governor who was a successful businessman before being elected into office as Governor, has the wherewithal to pay for his children’s school fees abroad.
He however noted that the children of those behind Alhaji Bello’s travail also attend foreign schools, but are currently insulated because they are not being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency.
“You said something about him withdrawing money for paying his children’s school fees according to the media with evidence. First of all I want to ask we are all Nigerians and we know how politics is being played in this country.
“Before assuming the office, he was a successful businessman, that’s the first thing I want everybody to know.
He’s a successful businessman, this person in question as well has refunded a lot of money worth billions of Naira because to the Federal Government, a World Bank project.
“Now if this person wants to embezzle money as the media has portrayed hi before the general public do you think he would refund back those money, no!
“So, whatever that is happening that the media has to come forth to start saying that he paid money or he didn’t not paid money, does it mean tha all his life he doesn’t have such amount or money to pay for his children’s school fees?
“And the people talking out there, now let me ask, these people talking out there, are there children in Nigeria? How are they paying their money? Is it because they did not come to the public or because they don’t have issues with the EFCC?
“Was that the reason why former Governor of Kogi State is being dragged into the mud because he paid his children’s school fees with that kind of amount of money?
“People say he withdrew it from the state Treasury, I am sorry, how much are we talking about here, hoe much is the Kogi State allocation.
“Since assumption of office, has he done anything a project, how much does a project worth that at the end of it all, $720,000 being paid just for school fees? There’s one thing my people used to say, life doesn’t always come as planned.
“But in every situation we found ourselves we make the best out of it. Whoever that brought that fraud to the public is trying to make the best out of the situation at hand. And I promise you by the special grace of God, if due process is being followed, and they follow due process, the end justifies the means.”
When asked whether the Group is satisfied with the 8 years in office, he said: “im going to answer this question in two ways, no one is perfect except God Almighty that created the heaven anf earth. Even His Angels from Adam to date. Nigerians please listen to this, even His Angels were not perfect starting from Adam.
“So, for that 8 years if we are not okay with him I don’t think we can come out to seek justice. In as much as he is human, there are lot of little things that may go wrong, but for us we are proud of him.”
In his remarks, FCT Chairman of the Group, Mr. AbdulGaniyu Muluku underscored the need for EFCC authorities to obey the subsisting interim injunction and adhere to the principles of due process.
“For an institution to jump court order to chase a man of integrity like this. Let them respect the court order and follow due process.”
He also urged that anyone who has anything against the former Governor should seek redress at the court of competent jurisdiction.
Some of the placards displayed by the protester read: ‘EFCC please follow the rules of law’; ‘EFCC there are surplus of helpless cases in your office that been there decades, have you brought justice to them?’; and ‘Are you a show-glass witch hunter?’
Others include: ‘Where is justice for those cases?’; ‘Alh. Yahaya Bello was a billionaire before Governorship’; and ‘Governor that returned millions of dollars surplus to world Bank’.
