KOGI GUBER: Igala Group Attacks Bello, Warns Him Against Desecrating Palace Of Monarch

The Supreme Council of the Igala Nation has taken a dig at the Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello for allegedly desecrating the office of the Igala king, Attah Igala.

Supreme Council of Igala Nation is a pan Igala organisation with indigenes across the globe.

This is coming on the heels of an alleged recent weekend political party meeting of the governor’s campaign team held at the palace of the Attah of Igala with the sole objective of inaugurating members of the Bello’s second term campaign team.

According to reports the meeting also had a second agenda of issuing out harsh threats on the Igala and Kogi people who hold contrary political ideologies and views to the governor as well as forcefully getting the Attah and the other Igala royal fathers to move to Lokoja to endorse Mr. Bello’s second term bid.

In a statement signed by Secretary of the pan organisation, Achigili Abudu Ojonile, the Igala council said Bello having misused the opportunity that was meant for their indigenes is now seeking their support with force.

The statement reads; “SCIN deems it very necessary at this point in the life of the Igala nation to call governor Yaya Bello and his Chief of staff Mr. David Edward Onoja to order by asking them to respect his royal majesty, the Attah of Igala and all other Igala royalties by leaving them alone and stop further desecration of the palace of the Attah of Igala who also doubles as the chairman of the council of chiefs in Kogi State.

“Our attention was drawn to a recent weekend political party meeting of Governor Yaya Bello’s campaign team held at the palace of the Attah of Igala with the sole objective of inaugurating members of the Governor Yahaya Bello second term campaign team and also with a second agenda of issuing out harsh threats on the Igala and Kogi people who hold contrary political ideologies and views to theirs. This was followed by forcefully getting the Attah and the other Igala royal fathers to move to Lokoja to endorse Governor Yaya Bello’s second term bid.

“We the IGALA people have absolute respect for our royal fathers who as well as serving as custodians of our culture and tradition also intercede between us and our ancestors from time immemorial. We therefore take total exception to the sacrilegious use of the Palace of the Attah of Igala for unholy political gatherings where open threats are being issued to the people by Mr. David Edward Onoja and his gun carrying thugs.

“We wish to use this freedom to also express our distaste and condemn in totality your using the instruments of the office of the Governor of Kogi state to forcefully drag them to Lugard house for the purpose of endorsing your second term bid.

Speaking further, the group said “At this juncture, it is pertinent to remind you that the respected post of the office of Governor of Kogi state was keenly contested by two illustrious sons of Igala Kingdom, his Excellency Captain Idris Ichalla Wada and his Excellency Prince Abubakar Audu of blessed memory who both pulled massive neck to neck votes. That providence or political manipulations by the then higher powers that be made it possible for you to occupy a seat that you didn’t work for, should have humbled you enough to endear yourself to the hearts of the people by carrying out the wishes and will of the people within the limits of the excessive resources by way of bail out funds, Paris club refunds, ecological funds accruing to your administration coupled with the advantage of being the governor of the least indebted State in Nigeria as at when you were sworn in as governor.

“Unfortunately, like an 18th century tyrant/ dictator, you choose to turn against the people who generously loved you and accepted you as the divinely chosen youthful digital age anticipated game changer governor, by denying them several months of salary and pensions, terminating the appointments of over 137 senior and experienced University lecturers of their children, subjecting them to endless screening leading to endless pains and death of many even death by suicide.

“Now that election bells have come ringing again demanding for accountability of your stewardship in the last three and half years and realizing that this is the time for the people who once loved and welcomed you but you punished so terribly, you chose in your ill-advised political approach to start running from pillar to post.

“Feeling rejected by all, like the proverbial King Saul of Israel of biblical times, you chose to go and desecrate the palace of his royal majesty the Attah of Igala by getting Mr. Edward Onoja, your chief of staff and a disrespectful subject of the Attah, to contribute his own quarter of the abomination by threatening fire and brimstone on those who drew attention of the presidency and the highly esteemed national leaders of your party to what is happening in Kogi state.

“It is worthy of mention here that these national leaders of your party are men of integrity whose names have been written in all high grades of Gold or Diamond before now and whom we all respect. Unfortunately, instead of emulating such leaders, you chose to go your own unacceptable way and finally decided to humiliate all what is left for us as source of pride and unity, our royalties, by using the instruments of the office of Governor of Kogi state to humiliate them by dragging them to Lugard

The group, however, said “By way of advice, If you Governor Yahaya Bello have run yourself aground by your style of governance and now looking for intercessors to reach the already battered people of Kogi state, you should leave our royal fathers out of your self-inflicted injuries and retrace your steps back to the car time and place were you missed them or better still correct quickly all the wrongs you are being accused of which is no secret before all men and even the high heavens. Recall sacked workers, pay up salaries and pensions, withdraw the arms given to thugs who are now killing themselves and heed the advise or follow the laid down examples of enviable leaders of your party who earlier told you “go and settle with your people” and then the people can settle with you,” the statement added.

The governor is reportedly facing stiff opposition against his reelection from state workers and a good number of people in the state over his alleged nonperformance, owing of staff salaries and other accusations.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC declared Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress the governor-elect of Kogi State on December 6, 2015, following conclusion of the governorship election declared inconclusive on November 22.

Mr. Bello emerged APC candidate for the supplementary election, after the demise of Abubakar Audu on November 22, 2015. The deceased won the APC primary election, while Mr. Bello was first runner-up.

The election was declared inconclusive after the margin of win between PDP and APC was less than the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units where election was cancelled.

The APC garnered 6,885 votes in the supplementary election, bringing the total votes it received to 247,752, having polled 240,857 in the November 21 election.

The second runner up, the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Idris Wada, who was the incumbent governor, scored 5,363 in the supplementary election.

Thus, PDP polled a total of 204, 877 votes, having had 199,514 at the November 21 election.