The new administration of Governor Usman Ododo in Kogi State does not have any reason to fight the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as it is a people-oriented regime that is open to all stakeholders in the state.
Ododo’s spokesperson, Ismaila Isa, disclosed this during an interaction with Editors in Abuja.
The spokesperson said the new administration was not going to be joining issues with any person or group, adding that the administration would not be engaging in bulk passing.
He said the state government has no reason to fight with the EFCC as the anti-graft agency undertakes its mandate as provided by the law.
Isa pledges his principal’s commitment not only to the rule of law but fairness and justice where every segment of the state would be treated equally.
He said “Governor Ododo would not be selective to treat one group over the other. The governor is for all the people in the state and would give everyone a sense of belonging in its policies and programmes.”
The Ododo administration was midwifed by the immediate past governor Yahaya Bello, as a result, Isa agreed that the new administration inherited contentious issues in the state ranging from politics and others, but added that “there would be no bulk passing nor blame anyone or group for anything.”
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE learnt that because of the link between the former governor and the incumbent, there were moves to get at the former governor which is not unconnected the ongoing probe of a fraud case in the state.
The move it was learnt was the recent amendment of charges raised by the EFCC in the case involving the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and it has generated some heat between the state government and the Commission with the state government alleging political motivation in the trial at the Federal High Court Abuja.
This has led to a debate on the timing of the amended charges and suspicion of political vendetta allegedly by some powerful Nigerians who are comfortable with Bello’s political influence.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE learnt that some of the politicians both at the Federal and state levels were yet to forgive the former governor for his ambition in the build up to the 2023 general election.
The former governor participated in the APC primary election that eventually produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu who won the presidential election. This is reported to be the reason he was being vilified.
Despite all these, Bello has since aligned with President Tinubu and earned the later’s support during the governorship election in the State won by Ododo.
Before Bello’s tenure could end, he was being prompted to seek the office of the National Chairman of the APC. Even when has not declared his intention for the office, those who are or could be discomforted by the political aspiration of the former Governor have come together to frustrate his ambition. It is believed that the trial of some of the former Governor’s associates may not be unconnected with his alleged interest in the National Chairmanship of the APC.
It was also learnt that the stand the former governor took on the now settled Naira redesign policy which caused Nigeria untold hardship in the wake of the shortage of bank notes in the country in 2022 to early 2023 is reported to be the reason some politicians were bent on getting at him.
It would be recalled that Bello and his two other colleagues, former Governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Bello Mutawalle of Zamfara State went to court and got judgement to allow the usage of the old naira notes.
There was speculation then that powerful elements with vested political interest whose efforts were to derail the democratic transfer of power to President Tinubu were using the naira redesign policy. But this failed to materialise.
Competent sources within the Federal Government revealed that this same group of highly placed persons have refused to give up but bent on humiliating the former Governor especially as they anticipate that he may earn a position of national relevance in the government of Mr. President sooner than later.
The source in the presidency who asked not to be named revealed further that another issue being used against Yahaya Bello was his stand during the national lock down as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria in 2020.
It would be recalled that under Bello as governor, Kogi State was not shutdown to businesses and commercial activities thus prompting national concerns from many who saw the stance of the former Governor as unbecoming.
The source said “Events have since proven that the former Governor was not wrong in his opposition to a national lockdown as that period of economic downturn is partly responsible for the economic recession that has failed to fully abate till today.
“Proponents of the national lockdown who benefited largely from the proceeds of that arrangement are still at cross with the former Governor of Kogi State and they remain unhappy with his emergence as a patriot of that struggle to mitigate the consequence of a total national lockdown
