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  • Bello: New dawn in Kogi

    Bello: New dawn in Kogi

    Barring any last-minute judicial pronouncement, Alhaji Yahaya Bello will be inaugurated as the governor of Kogi State tomorrow. Correspondent TONY AKOWE writes on the intrigues, the interplay of forces and the expectations of the people about the new dawn.

    Many  have described it as power shift by divine intervention. But, one thing is certain, history beckons as Yahaya Bello will be inaugurated as the governor of Kogi State on Wednesday. He will be the youngest person to rule the state and the first elected governor from outside the Igala-speaking ethnic group that has been producing governors.

    His  emergence as the governor-elect did not come without its challenges. He lost the primary election organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the late Prince Abubakar Audu. He came second. But, he is a child of destiny. Although many saw his defeat at the primary as a setback, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him. Audu died before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive. This threw the party into confusion.  But, INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation tactically cleared the way, allowing the APC to substitute its candidate with Bello, because he was the first runner-up at the primary. He participated in the supplementary election from a position of advantage. Bello won the residual poll. However, until the suits against him by aggrieved APC members and the PDP are disposed of by the Supreme Court, Bello will have no respite and his administration, to many,  will lack legitimacy.

    At 41, Bello  will be one of the youngest governors. He is assuming the reins at a time many states are strugling to pay workers’ salaries and pensions. The question many people are asking is:  can he make a difference in Kogi State? Although the Buhari administration  is championing the cause of national revival and rebirth, the same story cannot be said of the states that go cap in hand to Abuja on a monthly basis for hand outs from the Federation Account. However, many people believe that the Kogi State is in dire need of a rebirth. This will no doubt put a huge burden on the shoulders of Bello as he steps into the Lugard House, the seat of power. The governor-elect is not unaware of these challenges and the huge burden he will be inheriting from past government.

    Some stakeholders believe that Bello’s emergence will bring  development to the state. Among those who hold this belief are those who contested the primary with Bello and Audu. They believe that Bello has the potentials to take the state to greater heights. Veteran journalist Yakubu Mohammed said the people expected him to be an agent of change. He said: “We are expecting change in Kogi State because that is what brought him to the position. I think the change mantra would continue in Kogi State. When we are talking about change, it should be change from the old way of doing things to new ways of doing things and the expectation are very high.

    “I didn’t know much about him, until we did primary election together. If you remember, I contested the primary that was supposed to produce the governor of Kogi State. I have aspired to be governor of the state myself and so. I should have an idea of what the people of Kogi are looking for. They are yearning for good leadership, rapid development, equity, Justice and fair play. From his motto of fair plus, we expect that he is going to be fair to all segments of Kogi State and take all the people from the three senatorial district as his own because is going to be the fair of all the people in the state.

    “He should look at the pitfalls that befell his predecessors and avoid them and achieve development, shifting the focus from collecting allocations from Abuja to rural development, agricultural development and provide jobs for the teeming youths of the state who are hanging a looking for handout from anybody they can find. Once there is change, let it be for good and not that the change should takes backward. It should take us forward. My appeal is that all Kogi indigenes and non indigenes who live and earn their living from Kogi State should cooperate with him and ensure that there is smooth over and also ensure there is sustainable development in place and let them all queue in it”.

    A former aspirant, Dr Habeeb Yekeen, said: “The first thing is that I wish him the very best. He is throne the party has picked and I believe in party supremacy. As a result of that, we need to support him and we are giving him all the necessary support. Kogi state has gone into a level that require very serious administration and Yahaya Bello alone cannot do it and he should realize it and put together a very serious think tank that can help him. He should be careful and not just pick people who are just going around him because they are looking for position or they are looking for something from him. He should look for people who have the ability to form the think tank.

    “Also, in choosing those who will work with him. In his executive, he should also do the same thing by getting people who have something to offer. He should not just give appointment because somebody supported him or has been visiting him. It will be very difficult to govern a state that has witnessed maladministration over the years, a state that is very much indebted and workers on strike because salaries has not been paid for months. It therefore means that tough strategies is what need to be put in place. He should look for the right people and we will be willing to give him all the necessary support that he may demand from us”.

    An aspirant, Alhaji Sulaiman Baba Ali, said Bello administration will be a complete departure from previous governments. He said: “As somebody who ran against him in the primary, I had the opportunity of meeting him when all the aspirants had a meeting  and we were able to talk and interact at different times. I believe that we are going to have governance unusual. This is going to be a completely different ball game from what we are used to in a very positive manner. I am so sure about that. He is a very young man and about the youngest among all of us, who ran for the primary then and God, in His infinite mercies, decided that he will be the governor.

    “Inspite of what anybody may think or whatever out individual desires may be, I think there is a message there and the message is for Kogi, that there is a change that is going to come and it will be in the interest of all of us to queue behind him, support him and make him succeed. I think he has a fair understanding of what the issues are and I can see that the kind of passion that drove some of us into that race, he share the same passion with us. I am upbeat in my expectations and I think we are going to see a new Kogi in the coming days, in the coming months and in the coming years”.

    Former Managing Director of Daily Times Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, lamented the rot in the Kogi State, urging the incoming government to be creative and innovative in its revenue drive. Onukaba, who was an aspirant, said: “Kogi is in a huge mess. Workers are owed months of salary arrears. Roads in the state are in deplorable condition. The public school system, especially at primary school level, has almost collapsed. The state capital, Lokoja, is about the dirtiest city in the country. There is mistrust and suspicion among the constituent groups over recent political developments and over perceived marginalization of some groups in the state. All these have to be addressed urgently. I do not envy anyone taking over at this time. There is so much work to do. The state has not witnessed much development in the last 16 years.  We have got to carry out a thorough staff audit to know if state workers are actually 28,000 and if we really need all of them. We need to begin fixing critical roads, bridges, schools and healthcare centres. The incoming administration must be creative and innovative in its drive for revenue. It must raise internal revenue to the level where it can pay recurrent expenditure.

    “The new government must embark on reconciliation of all Kogites. The people of the state are right now divided and suspicious of one another. The new governor should be a peace maker, a unifier, and a serious leader. Kogi is in crisis. A period of crisis portends danger and opportunity. He can turn this crisis into an opportunity for KOGI’s rebirth through good governance and exemplary leadership”

    A member of the APC Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, said Bello must resolve the acrimony and sentiments across the state and ensure that it becomes a thing of the past. He said: “Let me say that the struggle for power shift in Kogi state has come a long way and a lot of people have died in the struggle. But God gives power to who He wish to give power to  and Hod in. His infinite mercies has given him that power. It is my prayer that the God that has given him this power will give him the wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state and take the state to enviable height because he needs a lot of prayers.

    “Secondly, it is expected that if he is able to perform credibly well, in future all the acrimony, struggle and sentiments that pervade the state will cease to be because a lot of people will now see the need to chooser the best for the state and not along tribal line. It is our prayer that he will not let us down. He knows the burden and what is ahead and so, the expectations are high and being a young man, he. Should be able to wake up and work tirelessly to ensure that what he has so struggled for and eventually gotten is used well”.

    Former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Dr. Tom Adaba said Bello will be coming on board at a time when there is so much disaffections in the state. He stressed: “There has been a lot of ill feelings and misgiving about the marginalisation of the people and everybody, including the Igallas felt there was the need for a change. If the change now comes, we believe that it is meant for our good. The young man has quite a few things going for him. He is sufficiently enlightened and is digitally sound. He has quite some connections in his business world that we  believe will considerably impact on whatever developmental programmes he has for Kogi State.”

    Adana said people have high expectations about the new government. He added: “We believe that his intentions for the state which we see as genuine could help us a great deal in moving this state on to the next level. We have lived in a primitive setting for too long and Kogi does not deserve that especially because of the advantage we have, Kogi being a hub of activities that link up Abuja and being a border to about nine or en states. These are advantages we can take. Lokoja being an old city that has a history behind it.

    “There are certain things here that could easily serve as tourist attraction for the whole of the country and beyond. None of those things have been tapped at all. Kogi state is bountifully blessed with mineral resources which has not been tapped until now and every month, we go cap in hand to the federal government to ask for salaries and handout. We believe that we can be self sufficient and I believe that h his creativity, his strength and his ability, he will be able to make the difference in ensuring that in one or the other,we will be ready to go in die rent direction. These are the areas that I am looking at and I think that all of us in this state will be at an advantage with his coming on board. We are believing that young energetic man who is coming at the helm of affairs will look into all these aspects”.

    A community leader in Olamaboro Local Government Area, Dr. E. S Abah, said Bello will work for the advancement of the state. He said:  “Bello will get rid of all these nonsense about inequality and unify us the more and equity is going to rule. We have high hopes for what he is going to do and we are are he will put his wherewithal in getting Kogi State great and unified in the future. So, we have high hopes in his government and we are all willing to work with Yahaya Bello in this new horizon so that we can live at peace”

    Bello’s associate Hon. Enema Paul said the governor-elect described has a vision to salvage the people from what he described as the “doldrums of poverty.” He added: “He is somebody with a high spirit; he believes that Kogi must be better and that every Kogite must live a life that is up to standard. He is somebody that will never steal the money of Kogi state. The wealth of Kogi State is not for one person or for one family and Bello will make judicious use if the wealth of Kogi state in a way that it will touch every life. Kogites have suffered. We have no roads and nothing to show for it and teachers are on strike. I have personally gone to the none local government in the eastern part of the state and have done an assessment of their educational life style, the health life style, their source is drinking water. Every thing is poor, even as far as the home of the outgoing governor. There is not even a bore hole. You need to go to the schools and you will find out that they are all dilapidated. You see our children on the floor. When they are sitting on the floor, how can they concentrate?

    “Bello is god because the Bible says whoever is a child of God is God. He came divinely, even though we worked hard for it. Bello came as a nobody, as a first timer who was never seen as a moving train. Nobody saw him as a force. But, we have laid our lives, people called us names because we saw the future of the state. God sees our heart, we prayed fervently that His will be done. I have always told people that the late Prince Abubakar Audu had no pride, but is somebody that loved good thing. If you give the definition of pride to an Igalla man because he has taste, an Igalla man will say you have pride. Look at the state capital, it is so dilapidated, with very poor road network. What have they been doing? Ibro did his best and it was total failure and Wada came and made it worse. Why can’t we have good road network? Why must we came into Kogi State and if looks like we are entering one village. They said they have given Lokoja people great water work. “But as far as Bello is concerned, Kogi people will smile because his mandate is divinely given and will be divinely protected. I am an Igalla man. When Bello never believed in this, I will always tell him, sir, you will become governor, but I don’t know how it will happen. Even when we came second in the primary, it surprised everybody that we got over 400 votes from the eastern part of the state and this showed that the Igalla too are tired of the fact that they have been doing it for several years and yet, we are the most disadvantaged people in the state. The best that will happen to the people of Kogi state has come. Bello came divinely and his office is divinely protected. When I see people fighting God, it makes me laugh. Kogi people need to smile, our schools need to be opened for good. Bello is not coming to share money for everybody, but to bring people that have the love of Kogites at heart. Kogi must be greater than the past. The Bible says that our latter will be related than our former. I refer to our past governors as our former, Bello has come and it will be greater and better for the people of Kogi State. We will all enjoy and smile and the best will definitely happen and after four years, we will beg him to come back for another four years. With the blueprint of Kogi state he has has at hand, I can assure you that you will see magic in the first 100 days in office. You will see realities and call them magic”.

    Senator Dino Melaye, who is the Chairman of the Inauguration Committee, said the expectations are very high. Melaye said that past administration succeeded in milking the state dry and leaving it as a glorified local government. The people of the state he said expects the governor to hit the ground running and begin to put smiles on the faces of the people of the state.

    Bello is unaware of he high expectations. He was quoted as saying that Kogi was bleeding as a result of the mismanagement. He said “We would correct all this. Going by the manifesto of our party of diversifying the economy of our country, we equally want to look inwards as a state by improving our IGR (Internally Generated Revenue). What are those areas that are currently being tapped and those that are not tapped? Is what is being tapped maximally utilised? We also want to block all leakages that exist now. Kogi State cannot be sitting on a gold mine and we are where we are today. We also want to look into the educational sector because at present it is seriously down. We want to completely overhaul it. In the health sector, our women and children are dying, that is going to be taken seriously. As for job creation, we cannot continue to employ as a state government. We must create that enabling environment for investors to come in and as such a lot of jobs would be created. Agriculture is going to be of serious priority. We are also going to partner with the Federal Government as well as get foreign and local investors to tap into our mineral resources because we don’t have the exclusive right of tapping into these resources.

    As Bello takes the mantle of leadership, Nigerians are eager to see how he will translate his electoral promises into concrete development for the people.

  • ‘Bello plots to doctor nomination form for running mate’

    ‘Bello plots to doctor nomination form for running mate’

    THE Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has been alerted to an alleged plot by Governor-elect Yahaya Bello to doctor a nomination form for a lawmaker as his running mate in the supplementary election.

    A civil society organisation/election monitoring group, Conscience Nigeria, alleged that there was a surreptitious move by Bello to substitute the nomination form submitted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to justify constitutional provision at the tribunal.

    The APC had submitted the names of Bello and James Abiodun Faleke as candidate and running mate for the supplementary poll.

    But, Faleke, who was running mate to the party’s standard-bearer in the November 21 election, the late Prince Abubakar Audu, declined the offer and stuck to the Audu/Faleke ticket.

    In a statement yesterday by its Executive Director, Tosin Adeyanju, Conscience Nigeria alleged that INEC and APC national leaders aided and abetted Bello to replace Faleke’s name in the form submitted by the party ahead of the supplementary poll.

    “There is a surreptitious plan by INEC to assist Bello fill the name of a running mate different from Faleke into the electoral body’s official documents and backdate same to prove to the tribunal that Bello fulfilled constitutional provisions by vying for the poll with a running mate,” the group alleged.

    It said Bello violated the rules by participating in the election without a running mate since Faleke, who was nominated by the party, declined the offer in a memo sent to the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and INEC Chairman Mahmud Yakubu.

    Adeyanju urged INEC to investigate the alleged plot, to bring the culprits to book.

     

  • Ex-PDP chairman Bello, son get N300m bail each

    Ex-PDP chairman Bello, son get N300m bail each

    Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted  ex-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Haliru Mohammed Bello and his son, Abba, to bail at N300 million and two sureties each.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a ruling, said in view of the applicants’ health and since they have pledged to be available for trial, the court could not deny them bail.

    Abba is said to be suffering from asthma and arthritis. Haliru is said to be undergoing treatment for injuries related to the surgery he had, in his spinal area, in a United Kingdom (UK) hospital.

    The PDP chieftain’s son will remain in Kuje prison, Abuja, and Haliru is to be restricted to the hospital where he is being treated, as earlier ordered by the court on Tuesday, pending fulfilment of the bail conditions.

    Haliru was brought to court yesterday in a wheel chair, accompanied by medical personnel from the Abuja Clinic. He was transported to the court in a clinic ambulance.

    The ex-PDP chair, his son and their company, Bam Projects and Properties Limited, were arraigned on Tuesday on a four-count of money laundering.

    They were accused of receiving N300 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Mohammed Dasuki, on March 17, 2015, for political campaign under the pretext that it was meant for a housing project, named “Safe Houses”.

    In his ruling yesterday, Justice Mohammed noted that there was nothing before the court to suggest that the offences with which the defendants were charged attract capital punishment, that they could jump bail or that they would interfere with witnesses.

    He said the practice was for the court to adopt a liberal approach in considering whether or not to grant bail to an accused, who is entitled to bail in non-capital offences, having regard to Section 32(1) of the 1979 Constitution.

    “It is only where there are strong and weighty reasons suggesting that the accused will not come back to take his trial or there is the likelihood of his committing more offences, if he is granted bail that bail can be denied.

    “The complainant has not shown that the applicants’ claim of ill-health is false. Furthermore, the medical reports tendered support the applicants’ claim. The complainant’s contention that the applicants have not shown that the prison authorities cannot take care of their ill-heath cannot, in my view, be a ground to refuse the applicants bail.

    “This is because if the applicants are being treated in a hospital or clinic that can adequately take care of their ailment, then it will be most unfair to refuse their bail applications. Furthermore, the applicants have deposed to affidavits that they will not jump bail, that they will provide credible sureties and that they will always attend court to take their trial.

    “I am further satisfied that the 1st and 2nd applicants (Abba and Haliru) are entitled to bail in view of the circumstance of this case. I, therefore, admit the 1st and 3rd defendants to bail pending the trial of this case,” Justice Mohammed said.

    The judge granted Abba bail at N300 million and two sureties in like sum – one of who shall be a civil servant employed by the Federal Government or any of its agencies and must not be below Grade Level  12.

    The other, the judge said, must own a property worth N300 million within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and must deposit his title documents with the court.

    In the case of Haliru, the judge granted him bail at the same amount, with two sureties, one of who must be a Federal Government employee and at the level of a director. The other surety is also to have a property in Abuja worth N300 million.

    Abba and his father are to deposit their travel documents with court  officials, who are also to verify documents submitted by the sureties.

    The judge adjourned to February 16 for trial.

  • Court restricts Bello to hospital

    Court restricts Bello to hospital

    •Son remanded in Kuje prison

    THE CHARGES

    • That you Bello Abba Mohammed, BAM Projects and Properties and Dr. Haliru Bello took possession of N300million when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd)
    • That on or about 17th March 2015 N300million was transferred from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with the CBN purporting same to be for “Safe Houses” but which you claimed to have for political campaign
    • That you Bello Abba Mohammed and BAM Projects and Properties Limited did retain the sum of N300million by concealing the said sum in your account with  Sterling Bank Plc
    • That you Bello Abba Mohammed, BAM Projects and Properties Limited and Dr. Haliru Bello did conspire to launder the sum of N300million

    A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered that former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)Chairman Haliru Mohammed Bello be restricted to the Abuja Clinics,  where he is on admission.

    The court also ordered that his son, Abba Mohammed Bello be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja.

    Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, who listened to lawyers to Mohammed and his son argue their  bail applications, shortly after they were arraigned on a four-count charge of money laundering.

    The judge directed that his order that Bello be restricted to the hospital be brought to the notice of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) by the court’s registrar, for enforcement.

    The court orders are to subsist till tomorrow when the judge will rule on the bail applications.

    Bello, who reportedly took ill shortly after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the charge against him, his son and their company, Bam Projects and Properties Limited, was brought to court in a wheel chair. He was assisted by two medical personnel provided by the hospital.

    The former Defence Minister, dressed in a dark-blue embroidered kaftan, was brought to the court a few minutes after 10 am. His son, dressed in a sky-blue kaftan, was brought in by security agents about 30 munities later.

    By 11.20am, proceedings had begun. The charge against them was called and each count read to them. They pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers, O. Ozoka (for Abba) and Abdulazeez Ibrahim (for Bello) moved their bail applications and urged the court to allow them on bail.

    Before the court heard parties’ argument on the bail applications, proceedings were briefly halted when Bello, through his lawyer, sought the court’s permission “to answer the call of nature”, a request the judge promptly granted.

    On the resumption of proceedings about 30 munities later, Ozoka and Ibrahim urged the court to grant them bail on the grounds that the offences were bailable and that both defendants were ill.

    Although Ozoka was silent on the nature of his client’s illness, Abba, who at a point in the course of proceedings sought to be allowed to sit down, told the judge that he was suffering from stomach discomfort, when the judge asked him what was wrong with him.

    Ibrahim told the court that Bello was on admission at the Abuja Clinics, where he was treated for surgery wounds. He said his client just returned from the United Kingdom, where he undertook “a major surgery”. He was silent on the nature of his (Bello’s) illness.

    Prosecution lawyer Aliyu Yusuf opposed the bail application on the ground that both father and son were unable to provide sufficient evidence to enable the court exercise its discretion to grant them bail.

    Relying on the authority of Abiola vs Federal Republic of Nigeria 1995 (1) NWLR part 370 at page 155, Yusuf urged the court to deny them bail on the ground that they were yet to provide evidence that the prison authorities were incapable of attending to their illnesses, if they were remanded in prison custody.

    He urged the court to consider the weight of evidence against the defendants, the possibility of them tampering with prosecution witnesses and the magnitude of the punishment, which is a maximum of 14 years, should they be convicted.

    Ruling, Justice Mohamed ordered that Abba (who is listed as the 1st defendant) be remanded in Kuje prison and that Bello, who is on admission at the Abuja Clinics, should be restricted to the hospital  under the supervision of the IGP. He directed that the court’s registrar should immediately bring the court’s order to the attention of the IGP and adjourned till January 7 for ruling on their requests for bail.

    Bello, his son and BAM are accused of receiving N300m from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on March 17, 2015 for political campaign under pretext that it was meant for  a housing project named “Safe Houses”.

    The first count states that the N300m collected by the defendants was part of proceeds of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki’s “unlawful activity”.

    They were, in count two, accused of receiving the N300m under the guise that it was meant “for Safe Houses” when it was actually for political campaign.

    In count three, they were alleged to have concealed the money in their Sterling Bank Plc account when they “knew the said Doctor Aliru Bello and Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd.) to be engaged in a criminal conduct”.

    They were also accused of conspiring to “launder” the money, which they claimed to have received for political campaign when they “reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, the then National Security Adviser”.

    The charges: “That you Bello Abba Mohammed, BAM Projects and Properties and Dr. Haliru Bello on or about 17th March 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court took possession of the sum of N300million paid into the account of BAM Projects and Properties Limited with Sterling Bank Plc from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with the CBN when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser( to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section (15) (3) of the same Act.

    “That you Bello Abba Mohammed, BAM Projects and Properties Limited and Dr. Haliru Bello on or about 17th March 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N300million which sum was transferred from the account of the  Office of the National Security Adviser with the CBN purporting same to be for “Safe Houses” but which you claimed to have for political campaign and when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser( to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section (15) (3) of the same Act.

    “That you Bello Abba Mohammed and BAM Projects and Properties Limited on or about 17th March 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did retain the sum of N300million on behalf of  Dr. Haliru Bello and Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the former Chairman of PDP and National Security Adviser respectively by concealing the said sum in your account with  Sterling Bank Plc when you knew the said Dr. Haliru Bello and Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd) to be engaged in a criminal conduct to wit: theft of public fund for a political activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section (17) (b) of the same Act.

    “That you Bello Abba Mohammed, BAM Projects and Properties Limited and Dr. Haliru Bello on or about 17th March 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire to launder  the sum of N300million which sum you claimed to have received for political campaign and when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser( to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section (15) (3) of the same Act.”

     

  • Bello urges good management of development aid

    Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has called on other state governments to track the flow of aid by various development partners.

    According to him, there is need for new strategies for fund utilisation and management. He also stressed the need to efficiently manage funds given to the states.

    Speaking at the 4th annual meeting of Secretaries of Aid Coordination in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) states in Minna, Governor Bello said the state government has kick-started the coordination of all the development partners through its quarterly meetings and tracking of their activities in line with the state’s vision and mission.

    The Governor, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Niger State Planning Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha revealed the plan of the state government to institutionalise the conduct of bi-annual development partners’ forum as part of the way forward.

    “It is worthwhile to say that we have articulated our development agenda into development blueprint and mainstreamed all interventions into medium-term sector strategies (MTSS). This has covered some sectors so that we can be systematically guided in all steps we take in the interest of our people,” he said.

    In his address, the Focal Person of UNDP in Niger State, Malam Babawachiko Yahaya called for the strengthening of network for Aid coordination through sharing of operational experiences and best practices.

    He lamented the haphazard approach by states to various development partners’ Aids and assistance which, he said, has not addressed the desired goals.

    He said Niger State has laid a foundation for effective coordination between the departments responsible for planning and budget to curb instances of duplication.

  • Kogi: Bello, Faleke and APC’s worsening dilemma

    Kogi: Bello, Faleke and APC’s worsening dilemma

    Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, reports on what he described as ‘Kogi State dilemma’ following refusal of Abubakar Audu’s running mate, James Faleke’s refusal to accept APC’s choice, Yahaya Bello, as the replacement for Audu

    While the people of Kogi State are preparing for the coming of a new government following the defeat of incumbent Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), with most of the attention focused on the governor-elect, Yayaha Bello, the party is facing a crisis of its own, and pundits say it could prove far more chaotic than many people imagined.

    Observers of the politics of the state say the APC dilemma in Kogi, which started with the sudden death of its original gubernatorial candidate, the late Abubakar Audu, on the eve of what many insist was an election victory, and escalated with the refusal of Audu’s running mate, James Faleke, to accept the party’s choice, Yahaya Bello, as the replacement for Audu, is worsening.

    According to party sources, there are palpable fears within the party at all levels that the ongoing crisis is capable of not only robbing the APC of its victory in Kogi State, but also capable of denting the image of the party and its leadership across the country.

    James Shuaib is the Kogi State Chairman of the Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ). The rights activist-turned politician says right from the moment Audu died, APC chieftains in the state started working at cross purposes.

    He emphasized the possibility of a fifth columnist in the entire saga. According to him, it will be unfortunate if the victorious party and its chieftains allow selfishness and unnecessary bickering to rob them of their hard earned victory in the state.

    “There are many issues that portend danger for the party. Unless the party finds a way of putting its house in order as soon as possible, I can assure you that the APC stand a very serious risk of losing the state to the PDP.

    While the PDP is busy compiling legal document that can help its case at the tribunal, the victorious party is busy exposing itself daily. With the Bello and Faleke camps daily issuing damaging releases about one another, somebody somewhere within the hierarchy of the party should have told them they are arming the PDP to defeat them in the courts,” he said.

    The issues

    Shuaib, like many other pundits, has been calling attention to actions of APC chieftains in Kogi that are capable of working against the interest of the party at the tribunal. The APC national leadership, he cautioned, should stop pretending that all is well when in actual fact a lot is currently wrong, and can only become worse.

    “Don’t forget that Faleke vowed not to “trade off or compromise his mandate as the governor-elect of Kogi State.” And in line with that resolve, he wrote both the national leadership of his party and the INEC, refusing to run on the same ticket with Bello in the supplementary election.

    Technically, it can be argued that APC had no deputy governorship candidate in that election. Although this is strongly debatable, it is not a good omen for Bello and his party, especially as the PDP will clutch at any straw to regain its control of the state,” he said.

    Faleke had, few days before the supplementary election, written INEC, demanding the removal of his name as the running mate to Alhaji Yahaya Bello in election. He also wrote to the leadership of his party, making the same demand. Since then, he has refused to associate with the Bello/Faleke ticket in spite of insistence by INEC that he remained the running mate.

    Another analyst, Baba Abdul Ocholi, an Abuja based legal luminary, says Faleke’s refusal to be the running mate to the new candidate, Yahaya Bello, in the governorship supplementary election has put his party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in a quandary.

    “It is not an issue that should be treated with kids’ glove. We are in a democracy and the rule of law is paramount. The electoral law is very clear about all these things. But I think there is still time for the party to put its house in order over this particular matter and avoid the repercussion. Faleke must stop saying he didn’t contest the election with Bello. It is dangerous for his party,” he said.

    Another issue of concern to analysts is the recent claims and counter claims amongst the warring APC camps over Bello’s Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC). “It is surprising that members of the same party can disagree to the point of hurting the chances of their party this much,” Ocholi said.

    The Audu/Faleke Campaign Organisation has, during the week, alleged that the governor-elect does not possess the Permanent Voter Card. In a statement, the Director of Publicity of the group, Duro Meseko, alleged that Bello was “now running around to induce the Independent National Electoral Commission to obtain backdated PVC.”

    “We have it on good authority that Yahaya Bello, who was fielded as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Party (APC) in the December 5 supplementary poll, is not a registered voter and this is our prayer in the petition we filed against his nomination by our party as a replacement for the late flag bearer, Prince Abubakar Audu.

    “We heard that the supplementary governor-elect whose name was not on the Permanent Voter Register has been trying to lobby INEC officials to smuggle his name into the register for the purpose of his defence at the Kogi Governorship Election Petitions’ Tribunal,” he alleged.

    While the camp of the governor-elect is yet to respond to the allegation, the defeated PDP in the state, according to sources, is already discussing the possibility of adding the allegation to its claims before the tribunal in its bid to reclaim the state.

    “Like I said, the PDP will hang on to any claim in its fight against the APC. That explains why it is tactless of the APC for its chieftains to be saying so much against one another,” he said

    APC’s position

    Betraying signs that the party is actually bothered about the current scenario in the confluence state, National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, recently said the party might finally consider the option of replacing its deputy governor-elect in Kogi State, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, if all the reconciliatory moves fail.

    But he was very quick to add that consultations to resolve the crisis and bring everybody back on board were still going on. He added that on the decision taken to replace Audu with Bello by the party, the APC was ready to face any legal hurdle.

    He said in the choice of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the party adopted a simple commonsensical solution which it can easily defend legally should the need arise.

    “We have thought the process through and we have won the election in Kogi. Those aggrieved, it is for them to call to question whatever they feel aggrieved about. We will meet them on those grounds. For us in the APC, Kogi is a settled issue, if you want to go to the tribunal, we’ll meet you there, if you want to go to court, we’ll meet you there,” he said.

  • Bello hailed on victory

    The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has congratulated Kogi State Governor-elect Yahaya Adoza Bello on “his resounding victory at the polls.”

    In a letter dated December 18 by its Acting Chairman, Shettima Umar Abba Gana, the commission expressed confidence in Bello’s  competence to turn around Kogi’s fortunes.

    The governor-elect served the commission for about 15 years before resigning to pursue his governorship ambition.

    RMAFC said Bello’s success did not come as a surprise, citing his “hard work, ingenuity, diplomacy and doggedness in pursuing genuine goals” while working with the commission.

    It expressed confidence in his ability to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

    “These and other enviable traits of yours attest to your acceptability by the people,” the commission said, wishing Bello a successful tenure.

    The media office of the governor-elect praised the content of RMAFC’s congratulatory message.

    It said the message testified to the sterling qualities of the man, who is prepared to lead Kogi into prosperity from January 27.

  • INEC gives Bello certificate of return

    INEC gives Bello certificate of return

    •Faleke absent

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday presented Alhaji Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) a certificate of return as the elected governor of Kogi State.

    INEC Chairman Prof. Yakubu Mahmud presented the certificate to Bello at 4pm at the commission’s headquarters in Lokoja.

    Represented by Prof. Anthonia Okoosi-Simbine, INEC’s national commissioner, Mahmud said the exercise was the conclusion of the governorship election, adding that it was in accordance with Section 75(2) of the Electoral Act (as amended).

    The Deputy Governor-elect, Abiodun Faleke, was absent.

    Bello acknowledged the roles of everyone, particularly those of the late Prince Abubakar Audu, whose death led to his emergence as the APC candidate.

    He solicited support, promising to unite Kogites and work for the state’s progress.

     

  • CNPP rallies support for Bello

    CNPP rallies support for Bello

    The election of Alhaji Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Kogi State governorship poll has been described as a fresh air destined by God to restore the state to the path of development.

    This was contained in a statement by the Chairman, Abdanis Abubakar Ibrahim, Secretary, Ilyas Badanga and nine chairmen of affiliated parties of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP).

    It urged the people to support the Bello administration, which it said was an intervention by God to rescue Kogi from underdevelopment.

    The CNPP noted that the late Prince Abubakar Audu, who was adjudged to be the founding father of Kogi State, would have died in vain, if Bello was not elected.

    It enjoined the people to bury the hatchet for the state’s progress.

    The statement reads: “Bello’s election was the first fruit of the founding father of modern Kogi, the late Prince Audu.

    “We urge all Kogites to support this young man, who is in a hurry to use his managerial acumen to uplift the state.

    “We have seen how he has achieved tremendously within a short period in business. With the support of all of us, he will take Kogi to the promised land.”

    Congratulating the electorate for ensuring a free and fair election, CNPP advised them to protect the victory to deepen the actualisation of the “generational and power shift.”

  • APC’s Bello takes clear lead

    APC’s Bello takes clear lead

    Unofficial results from yesterday’s supplementary governorship election in Kogi State suggest victory for the  All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

    Results from most of the polling units in local government areas where the supplementary elections were held placed him far ahead of the incumbent, Idris Wada.

    The results are as follows: Oboroke Ward II, Okehi LG APC 110 PDP 0; Akpanko Polling Ebia South, Ajaokuta APC 212 PDP 2; Oborote Uvete II polling unit 10 APC 108 PDP 2; Yagba West, Ajiglji/Ofinran/Okedisin polling unit APC 86 PDP 73; Okene LGA- Barkin Ward APC 201 PDP 2; Ituwa Ipaja, Ajaokuta zone APC 247 PDP 8; Ikende  (Bassa LG)APC 52 PDP 14; Eforo Ward APC 169 PDP 100.

    Wada had 102 votes in Aiyetoro Ward I against Bellos’APC.

    Voting was, however, disrupted in Eti-Eje, Anyigba, Dekina LGA after thugs disrupted the voting process. They shot into the air  sending voters running for their lives.

    Order was, however, restored by security agents.

    But as soon as voting started, the thugs stormed the place again and chased the voters on queue away, disrupting the entire voting arena.

    APC’s late candidate in the November 21 ‘inconclusive’  election, Prince Abubakar Audu was already leading with   240,867 votes against PDP’s 205,977 when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared that supplementary election would have to be held in 91 polling  centres where voting was deemed to have fallen short of the electoral law.

    Soon after that, Audu died and the commission asked the APC to present another candidate.

    Audu’s running mate, Mr. James Abiodun Faleke, and Wada disputed INEC’s position and asked that they be declared winner of the election.

    They later took their cases to the Federal High Court Abuja which on Friday declined jurisdiction over the two suits and others on the election.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole said the issues raised were election related and had crossed the “threshold” of matters on which the court could exercise jurisdiction because the election results in most of the polling units had been declared.

    He added that the suits qualified as a post-election dispute that could only be entertained by the election petition tribunal which would be set up by the President of the Court of Appeal in line with section 285(2) of the Constitution.

    The judge said he refrained from looking at the merit of the cases to enable parties re-argued the issues involved at the election petition tribunal.

    The court’s decision paved the way for yesterday’s supplementary election as the suits had, among others, sought to restrain INEC from proceeding with the supplementary election.

    The first suit was on four consolidated suits filed by Wada, Emanuel Daiko, who claimed to have contested the election as a candidate of the People for Democratic Change (PDC); Raphael Igbokwe (a PDP member of the House of Representatives from Imo State) and Stephen Wada Omaye and a Johnson Jacob Usman (who claimed to be an indigene of the state, a registered voter and a lawyer.

    The second judgment was on the suit by Faleke. Wada had, in the main, urged the court to compel INEC to declare Wada winner of the election, on the ground that he is the only surviving candidate in the election who scored the second highest votes after the deceased candidate of the APC.

    Faleke, on his part, faulted the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the election inconclusive; asked the court to among others compel INEC to declare his joint ticket with the late Abubakar Audu winner of the election and to restrain it (INEC) from proceeding with its planned supplementary election.

    In dismissing the suits, the judge upheld arguments by lawyers to INEC (first defendant) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (second defendant),  Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) and T. A Gazali, to the effect that the court was without the requisite jurisdiction to determine the cases, which border on the outcome of an election already held.

    It was also their argument that it was within the INEC’s powers to conduct the supplementary election.