On being sworn into office on 27 January 2024 as the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ododo swore with the Quran to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
However, since his assumption into office, subsequent events surrounding his immediate predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who is presently on the run from the law, have exposed Ododo as a violator of his oath of office and, by extension, pushing to the back burner the welfare and well-being of the people of the state.
On several occasions, Ododo has abused his office to assault the constitution in preventing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting Bello, the latest being his abracadabra visit to the EFCC office in Abuja lasy month, where he was pictured holding hands with the wanted suspect and thus, misused his constitutional immunity to prevent his wanted predecessor from being arrested.
Sadly, we also recollect how the EFCC stormed the Kogi State Government lodge in Abuja on two occasions last April and on 18 September 2024 with the intention of arresting Bello for questioning over corruption allegations while in office as governor after failing to honour the anti-graft agency’s invitations and how Ododo, on both occasions, prevented the arrest by leveraging on the immunity he enjoys as a sitting governor.
As we write, Bello has been declared wanted by the EFCC for failing to honour its summons to explain himself on issues surrounding the misappropriation of billions of Kogi State tax payers’ money. In addition, the ex-governor’s wanted person tag has been affirmed by the courts, although he has tried unsuccessfully to have it removed from his neck.
Fortunately, while Bello is on the run from the law, one is aware that some of his accomplices, who allegedly partook in the illegal and corrupt siphoning of the state’s money are presently standing trial for the crime of corruption, abuse of public office and misuse of trust. In addition, some of the stolen funds have reportedly been traced to where they were lodged by Bello.
However, in the midst of the commendable efforts of the present EFCC administration to live up to its core responsibility of fighting corruption as mandated by the constitution, one is shocked and ashamed that the Kogi State House of Assembly, which ought to be in the forefront of supporting the anti graft agency in its war against corruption for the collective interest of the long suffering people of the state, is rather waging a parochial, self serving and anti people war against the EFCC for carrying out its statutory functions.
The House of Assembly members, which ought to put the collective interest of the people at its topmost priority, which is the reason why they were voted into office in the first instance, by their conduct so far, have proven to be enablers of corruption by waging a campaign of blackmail and calumny against the anti graft agency to hands off Bello’s matter, claiming that the the state’s money is not missing!
While we are embarrassed by this condemnable and anti-people conduct of the state House of Assembly in prioritising the interest of an individual far and above the collective good of the people of the state, we are not surprised that the lawmakers are following in the shameful, despicable and condemnable footsteps of the Delta State House of Assembly in 2013 during the former Governor James Ibori saga, when they claimed that the state funds is not missing, that EFCC should leave him alone, even in the face of the incontrovertible facts of the former governor’s attempt to bribe the then EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who is now National Security Adviser, with the $15 million, which was deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria as an evidence.
But while the show of shame by the Delta State House of Assembly, as an enabler of corruption lasted, former Ibori was arrested by the authorities in London, prosecuted and jailed for corruption, only for the same shameless state House of Assembly to go public demanding for the return of the seized bribe $15 million bribe to be returned to the state coffers.
It’s sad and unfortunate that, today in the Kogi State show of shame by the governor and the state House of Assembly, we are now witnesses to the violation and abuse of the constitution by persons who ought to uphold its provisions for the collective good that they swore to on oath. But have rather turned violators because of individual, personal, self-serving and corrupt interests. This is condemnable in its entirety.
But we must commend the EFCC under the present leadership for its professionalism and diligent conduct in the face of intimidation, provocation, campaign of blackmail and calumny to distract it from performing its constitutional duty. We urge EFCC to remain focused, law abiding and consistent to ensure that the war against corruption is fought to a logical conclusion with the Bello case and others in tandem with the provisions of the law and the collective good of the people of Nigeria.
Ekujumi is a good governance advocate and rights activist
