Yahaya Bello Fingered In N10bn Corruption Scandal

Governor Yahaya Bello has been challenged by a rights group to properly account for N10 billion Kogi State funds he allegedly received from the Federal Government.

In an interview with Daily Post on Thursday, Idris Miliki, Executive Director of Centre For Human Right and Conflict Resolution (CHCR), asked the governor to come out and tell the world how the money was spent.

He alleged that Bello squandered the money that was allocated to local governments in the state in April 2016.

The Executive Director of CHCR while speaking with DAILY POST on Thursday accused the governor of squandering the money he collected from the Federal Government in April this year.

Miliki who expressed discontent in the failure of governor Bello’s administration towards the conduct of Local Government election, noted that the current administration of local government in Kogi State was illegal and unconstitutional.

According to him, the decision of the state Assembly to extend the tenure of Local Government administrators was wrong.

The human right activist charged lawmakers in the state House of Assembly to ensure they are up and doing, adding that majority of projects captured in the 2017 Budget are yet to be addressed.

“The world is watching all the illegalities perpetuated by Governor Bello’s administration.

“We have a government that has been in power for 20 months, yet they don’t have timetable to conduct Local Government election. The government is busy saying they don’t have money, but yet they collected N10billion on behalf of Local Government. What did they use the money for? Where are the Councillors to make bye laws for Local Government to generate revenues?

“Since they collected N10billion on behalf of Local Government, why can’t the current administration use part of the money to conduct Local Government election? Sincerely, there is something beyond the eyes that we don’t know which is going on in Kogi State.

“The State Assembly approved N450 million for State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), to conduct Local Government election in 2017. This same lawmakers extended illegally the tenure of Local Government Administrators. Money is coming and nobody is asking questions.

“We have an illegal ministry of Local Government that is busy sharing money all in the name of joint account. We have a government aide, that is never elected, but allocates money to other tiers of government. This is condemnable. What kind of government are we having in Kogi State, that are doing things outside the law?

Governor Bello must give account for all these misappropriations going on in his government. He cannot operate outside the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”