By Rahmon Bibilari
The confusion orchestrated by the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Mr Yahaya Bello, in his bid to evade investigation and frustrate prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegation of abuse of office, underpins the height of recklessness and decadence that have become standard of political leadership in Nigeria. With his recalcitrance and self-indicting attempt to arm-twist the system, Bello has demonstrated that he was indeed law unto himself while in office as governor.
It is, therefore, not strange that the former governor now desperately seeks to re-enact his lawlessness through some judicial alibi that confers impunity rather than legitimacy. By orchestrating protests against the EFCC and instigating hooliganism to frustrate investigation, Bello has consciously embarked on acts tantamount to subversion against the Nigerian state.
Governor Ahmed Ododo’s frustration of the EFCC’s operation is condemnable. It presents a dangerous signal that further reinforces Bello’s subversion of the Nigerian state. It is, therefore, hoped that the EFCC will be committed to the diligent investigation and prosecution of the case against Yahaya Bello and other culprits to convince Nigerians about its seriousness and reassert the agency’s authorities in the fight against corruption.
It should be amusing that the man who until a few months ago was accorded the full compliments of the paraphernalia of office as the governor and chief security officer of Kogi State came to the limelight following a series of political coincidences in 2016. So soon after leaving office, Yahaya Bello has become an escapee; scared stiff of the very shadow of his lionised personae.
It is recalled that the EFCCC commenced an investigation into the alleged high-profile corruption involving the former governor long before the expiration of his term of office. Upon leaving office, one would have expected Bello to cooperate with the anti-graft commission considering that he and his defenders had, all along, refuted the allegations of corruption. It is now crystal clear that the former governor miscalculated and never expected to be held to account over his stewardship in Kogi State.
Not satisfied with the diversionary protection he had sought under the law through interim court orders, he deployed high-level campaigns of calumny procured through protesters who embarked on protests against the EFCC. It is, however, pertinent to emphasise that the unfolding scenario around the drama so far instigated by the former governor is attributable to the diminishing leadership quality, which largely speaks to the rot that now glaringly conveys political correctness in the country.
Unknown to Yahaya Bello and his choristers, the EFCC is empowered by law to investigate corruption allegations regardless of the level of misrepresentations, denigration and deliberate manipulation of the judiciary. Unfortunately, he and his supporters forgot that the EFCC could not be blackmailed into abandoning glaring cases of corruption part of which an international school in Abuja only recently underscored by voluntarily agreeing to return a whopping sum of $760,00 being proceeds of money allegedly laundered on behalf of the former governor. The jokes should be on those who have indulged in all manner of sophistries aimed at legitimising Bello’s impunity masked under bogus judicial pronouncements.
Interestingly, the exposé already in the public domain regarding Bello’s alleged iniquities in Kogi State is mindboggling and calls for scrutiny for truth and accountability in the interest of justice. Only enablers of corruption could accuse the EFCC of running afoul of the law when the suspect former governor owes the obligation of full cooperation with the anti-corruption agency.
There is no doubt that Nigerians and the international community are watching the situation in Kogi State with keen interest. The EFCC has the responsibility to ensure that Bello is brought under investigation as required by the law. He must not be allowed to evade his obligation to give account to the people of Kogi State who he presided over for eight years. It is indeed enough self-indictment for any former governor to seek to frustrate the call to accountability the way he has demonstrated.
What Bello has succeeded in doing so far is akin to justifying that he was never the choice the of Kogi people as expressed by the collective mandate of the electorate but rather a creation of a flawed system legitimised through manipulation of law and the judicial process. It must thus be reiterated that his case must not be swept under the carpet on account of his status as a fugitive of law. His accomplices must be apprehended and made to answer to charges as required by the law. It should be disturbing that the custodians of the apparatuses of the Nigerian state appear unperturbed by the dangerous trend unfolding in Kogi State.
The overriding implication of the lawlessness in the Confluence State portends a huge disincentive for the anti-corruption crusade in the country. If corruption must be tackled headlong, there should be no inhibition whatsoever against the operations of the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies. To this extent, it is expected that the subversion in Kogi State would not be further tolerated or excused under whatever guise.
The Yahaya Bello scenario has further reignited public concerns and indeed negative perceptions regarding the role of the judiciary in the fight against corruption. The fight against corruption would become only a huge joke unless the leadership of the Nigerian judiciary rises to the occasion to restore the integrity of the justice system; particularly in matters that pertain to high-profile cases of corruption.
For the avoidance of doubt, the case against Yahaya Bello remains a litmus test for the judiciary, which must be seen to be above aboard and not perceived as deliberately constituting impediments to the EFCC. The judiciary must not be seen as obstructing justice and, by so doing, enabling corrupt individuals to evade prosecution through questionable judicial pronouncements that serve to legitimise impunity.
• Bibilari writes from Kabba, Kogi State.