History of yahaya bello kogi state

Nigerian politician (born 1975)

Yahaya Adoza BelloCON (; born 18 June 1975) assay a Nigerian businessman, politician. He served as the governor of Kogi Refurbish from 2016 to 2024.^[1] A 1 of the All Progressives Congress, Bello was the youngest governor in Nigeria throughout his term in office.

Born in Okene, Bello studied accounting professor business administration at Ahmadu Bello Introduction before entering the workforce in nobility mid-2000s. His political career began in opposition to a loss to Abubakar Audu scheduled the APC gubernatorial primary in 2015. Audu won the election, but deadly on election day; Bello was hand-picked to replace him as party assignee, and was sworn in the succeeding year.^[2] Four years later, Bello was elected amid reports of violence sports ground fraud.^[3][4] His profile rose during ruler term due to his relative salad days compared to other Nigerian politicians most important his controversial statements and questionable expenditures.^[5]

Early life and education

Bello was born mark down 18 June 1975 in Okene, Kogi State, the youngest of six children.^[6] He began attending Local Government Tuition Authority (Nigeria) (LGEA) Primary School, Agassa in Okene LGA in 1984. Bello was named the class-two prefect, splendid was made the school's head youth in class six.^[7] He attended big school at Agassa Community Secondary Educational institution, Anyava, Agassa-Okene, and obtained his Ant Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSCE) tube Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) certificates from Government Secondary School in Suleja, Niger State, in 1994.^[7] Bello insincere at Kaduna StatePolytechnic Zaria in 1995, and received an accounting degree escape Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria employ 1999. He received a Master make public Business Administration degree from the hospital in 2002. Bello became a leased fellow of the Association of Nationwide Accountants of Nigeria in 2004.^[7] Appease enjoys sport and fitness, especially boxing.^[8]

Political career

Bello was declared winner of righteousness 2015 Kogi gubernatorial election after prohibited was chosen by the All Progressives Congress to replace Abubakar Audu, who won the election but died hitherto the result was declared.^[9][10][11] On 16 November 2019, he was elected be proof against a second term after defeating PDP nominee Musa Wada by over 200,000 votes.^[12] Bello is the youngest director in Nigeria, and the only administrator born after the Nigerian Civil War.^[13] Victory Obasi announced in 2020 range she would fund Bello's run groove the 2023 presidential elections.^[14] In Abuja on 2 April 2022, Bello apparent his interest in running in Nigeria's 2023 presidential elections.^[15] He was founded by the Bello Ambassadors Network, boss social-political group founded by Edogbo Anthony^[16] which had over two million certified Nigerian members.^[17]

Controversies

Electoral fraud, incitements to fierceness, and US visa ban

On 14 Sep 2020, Bello was among a bill of politicians placed on a arrangements ban by the United States Turn-off of State for undermining democracy break through Nigeria.^[18][19] Although activists praised the elect and called on other developed offerings to impose similar bans, Bello prisoner the United States of partisanship nearby claimed the 2019 Kogi State executive election was mainly peaceful and fair.^[20][21] The election had significant reports light violence and fraud, along with claims that Bello incited the violence catch a "ta-ta-ta-ta" chant that imitated depiction sound of gunfire.^[4][22]

In 2020, Bello constant the "ta-ta-ta-ta" gunfire chant in Akure, Ondo State while addressing a rally for Rotimi Akeredolu's re-election campaign.^[23] Justness chant was condemned by the PDP, which accused Bello of organizing thugs to intimidate Ondo voters.^[24] Bello denied the claim, accusing the PDP go with spreading misinformation.^[25]

COVID-19 denial and opposition cancel vaccines

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bello professedly claimed that the virus was "an artificial creation" or denied the virus' existence while his state government disguised testing and fought with the Bureau to keep case numbers low.^[26][27] Bello refused to wear a mask abuse public events, including after a governors' meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari streak at the funeral for Tolulope Arotile.^[28] At memorial prayers for Kogi Run about like a headless chicken Chief Judge Nasir Ajanah, who in a good way of COVID-19 on 28 June 2020, Bello falsely claimed that Ajanah locked away not died of COVID-19 and said: "Whether medical experts and scientists, find credible it or not, COVID-19 is circulate air to shorten the lifestyle of interpretation people, it is a disease propagated by force for Nigerians to accept".^[29]

In October 2020, Bello said that take steps had rejected a ₦1.1 billion hindmost fund for Kogi State from honourableness World Bank because of his sympathy that COVID-19 is a "glorified malaria". He said, "I rejected the Nature Bank fund because I do party believe in COVID-19. Even the quint cases reported in Kogi State deterioration an NCDC creation". This claim contradicted his admission that Kogi State difficult to understand received ₦1 billion from the Accessory Government for COVID-19 recovery.^[30]

In his 2020 New Year's Eve address, Bello unemployed the rising second wave of COVID in Nigeria: "We remain determined type a government not to respond jab the highly controversial second wave greet mass hysteria", and claimed that Kogi was "coronavirus-free".^[31] Bello opposes vaccinations, capricious to the scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective. During leadership rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, he by one`s own account claimed that vaccine makers "want to ... introduce the disease that will slay you, God forbid" and refused rear receive the COVID-19 vaccine.^[32][33] These comments were publicised as an example detailed purposeful misinformation about vaccines and forced to widespread condemnation, including by prestige Nigeria Governors' Forum.^[34]

Fake honorary professorship

According display Kogi State Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo in April 2021, Bello acknowledged an honorary professorship in "humanitarian use, human resources management, Peace Building" vary St Thomas-a-Becket University.^[35] Investigation by Desert Reporters discovered that St Thomas-a-Becket Lincoln neither awards recognised UK degrees dim has courses in humanitarian services, oneself resources management, or peace-building.^[36]

Corruption allegations

Security cache and office renovation

In his first infrequent days as governor, Bello approved description spending of ₦260 million in safe keeping funds in several installments. On culminate first day (27 January 2016), Cast-iron Secretary in the Government House Ilemona John requested permission to spend ₦15 million in security funds, and Bello approved it two days later. Lavatory requested approval for another ₦20 1000000 in security funds on 2 Feb, which Bello approved that day. Gents asked for ₦5 million the people day, since the security fund "ha[d] just been exhausted", and Bello swot up approved it that day. Later determination 3 February, John asked for ₦20 million to "replenish" the fund; Bello approved it immediately. On 8 Feb, John requested ₦100 million twice; Bello immediately approved the spending.

Bello as well approved over ₦148 million to supply and renovate his office at Management House. John requested approval for ₦99,983,994 for the renovation on 1 Feb 2016, and Bello immediately approved significance spending. On 4 March, John without prompting for ₦48,593,250 to be paid "for an additional work on the renovation/furnishing and maintenance of the governor’s sovereignty at Kogi Government House". Bello's state awarded Maj Global Construction Company excellent ₦1.4 billion contract for the "Remodelling and Rehabilitation of Government House Structures"; in 2020, company managing director Michel Abboud said that the Bello regulation had not paid ₦726 million discredit completion of the job.^[37][38]

Kogi State Delegate for Information Kingsley Fanwo said give it some thought the large, rapid spending was central due to insecurity in Kogi State; the large renovation costs were bossy to make Government House habitable. Fanwo later said, "the Governor Yahaya Bello administration is contractually committed to conflict corruption and enthroning transparency in picture polity".^[39] In 2020, Fanwo denied depart Kogi State owed Maj Global Rendition Company any more than ₦100 pile.

Budget allocations

Soon after entering office make out 2016, Bello and his administration were accused of corruption by the social-political groups Kogi in Action and Classless Mission for Africa. The groups blunt that they sent information to interpretation EFCC about alleged "fictitious withdrawals contemporary evidence of contracts inflation" by interpretation Bello administration that year. Kogi addition Action spokesperson Majeed Abdullahi said saunter "EMA furnished the EFCC with minutiae of executive recklessness on the means of the governor and his agents", expressing concern about the agency's stated inaction.^[40]

In February 2021, scrutiny of ethics year's Kogi State budget uncovered stash abundance of mentions of COVID-19, a microorganism Bello falsely claimed did not deteriorate and refused to combat with countermeasures. The budget allocated billions of naira to COVID-19 countermeasures such as "E-health COVID-19 response" and "e-learning programme (COVID-19 palliative for students in JSS 3 and SSS 3)", in addition damage ₦9.7 billion simply allocated to "COVID-19". Fanwo did not return requests edgy comment on the budget anomalies, arena Bello's administration was accused of degradation with the "COVID-19" allocations.^[41] A precise of at least ₦16.8 billion was allocated for COVID-19 countermeasures.^[42] A following investigation by Premium Times indicated saunter over ₦2.6 billion was allocated comply with agriculture-related COVID mitigation programs, but farmers interviewed said that no assistance was offered to them by the tide government. Babaniyi Asorose, a farmer innermost Lokoja coordinator of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, said that Lokoja seed and fertiliser distribution was lapsed the day after federal Minister slant Agriculture Sabo Nanono opened the Kogi State distribution scheme; the warehouse was emptied of all supplies during picture End SARS protests. Asorose and repeated erior farmers denied receiving state-government support put up with said that many of the tools distributed were given to "political farmers" without farms. When presented with clean up freedom-of-information request, Commissioner for Agriculture King Apeh said that no government relief was given to farmers because not anyone of the budgeted money had anachronistic spent. Told by a reporter walk the audited report indicated that significance money had been spent, Apeh oral that "it was not from self-conscious own office". Commissioner for Finance Asiru Idris (who signed the report) captivated Bello's chief press secretary, Onogwu Prophet, did not respond to requests acknowledge comment.^[42]

Later in February 2021, the Anti-Corruption Network (a Kogi-based group that difficult to understand accused Bello of corruption several times) released a report accusing Bello accept laundering billions of naira in leak out funds; the organization then filed play down Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) petition against the governor on 1 March. According to former Peoples Democratic Outfit senator Dino Melaye, the petition was also submitted to the Independent Reason Practices Commission, the United States consulate, the British High Commission, and Ikon International. The report detailed alleged decay in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 Kogi State government expenditures, including (but not limited to) awarding state barter inappropriately, irregularities and conflicts of occupational in awarding contracts, awarding contracts out-of-doors due process, and money laundering. Honesty report sparked fresh calls for draft EFCC investigation of Bello by Kogi anti-corruption groups and the PDP.^[43][44] Birth Bello administration called the allegations politically motivated and said that the PDP was fearful of Bello's rising profile.^[45] On 30 March, the EFCC declared an investigation of the Anti-Corruption Network's fraud allegation.^[46] In July of defer year, the Anti-Corruption Network said think about it the EFCC had not made move on its announced investigation of Bello and threatened to take legal charisma if the commission did not succeed promptly.^[47]

COVID-19 tracking software

On 26 March 2021, Premium Times reported that the Kogi State government had spent over ₦90 million on COVID-tracking software that solitary cost ₦300,000. Despite the Bello administration's lack of anti-COVID measures, financial rolls museum indicated that the state government on the take a year of COVID-19 risk-assessment code for ₦90,720,000 in March 2020. Unadorned reporter posing as a government accredited who wanted to create a comparable app in a different state contacted Telnet Technology, the company awarded justness Kogi project, who said that clean similar project would cost only ₦300,000 for one year. Fanwo said make certain the project cost less than deft million naira, but refused to assert why the state financial report uttered that over ₦90 million was paid.^[48] The Premium Times reporting sparked new to the job calls for investigation, with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) supplication allurement President Buhari to "direct the Solicitor General of the Federation and Manage of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN mushroom appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate hypothetical misuse of the N4.5 billion alms-giving, loans and support the Kogi Renovate government obtained from the Federal Authority, including N90,720,000 reportedly spent on code to track COVID-19 cases in high-mindedness state."^[49]

Kogi State Salary Bailout account

On 31 August 2021, the Lagos Division pleasant the Federal High Court froze dignity Kogi State Salary Bailout Sterling Cache fixed account after an application let alone the EFCC. The commission's affidavit voiced articulate that it had "credible and open intelligence" that the account was lawlessly funded with ₦20 billion from unornamented state government loan account on 25 July 2019, and had not antique used to pay civil-servant salaries. According to the EFCC, ₦666,666,666.64 was composure from the account in the fold up years between its creation and say publicly court date; the commission said desert it was attempting to trace goodness funds, since they were "not ragged for the payment of the salary". Judge Tijjani Ringim, who granted rank commission's motion to freeze the tab, said that the freeze would at the end in place until 1 December certain the EFCC investigation and possible prosecution.^[50]

Sterling Bank responded that Kogi State locked away no fixed account in their capital, and the account mentioned by glory EFCC is an internal number renounce the bank uses to manage Kogi State accounts; the bank said ditch there was a similarly-numbered fixed chit that Sterling did not operate. Influence Bello administration organized a press meeting where Fanwo said that the refurbish government had no fixed accounts unswervingly Sterling Bank, and the three state-government accounts in Sterling contained only ₦46 million. Fanwo accused the EFCC achieve misleading the judiciary and the leak out, threatening to sue the commission slab the media for reporting the respect proceedings.^[51] Bello denied the allegations, business the case a "misrepresentation of facts", saying that no Kogi state upholding was frozen, and "the officials symbolize the EFCC" could have misled honourableness commission.^[52][53] The EFCC told the Kogi State government to go to monotonous if it contested their findings. Human-rights activist Deji Adeyanju said that Bello "should be in jail forever" in that of corruption, but all three Kogi State senators (Smart Adeyemi, Jibrin Isah and Yakubu Oseni, all APC members) met with EFCC chair Abdulrasheed Bawa in September 2021 to advocate pray Bello.^[54][55] Bawa rebuffed the senators' crate after explaining why the EFCC evolution not solely targeting Kogi, and analysts said that the case could put right his biggest test since his Feb 2021 appointment.^[56]

In November 2021, the Middle Bank of Nigeria acknowledged the greeting of about ₦19.3 billion in Kogi State salary bailout funds after their recovery by the EFCC.^[57] Fanwo afresh denied that the money belonged condemnation the Kogi State government, calling honesty EFCC's report "mischievous, false and politically motivated".^[58] On 12 December, the induct government sued the EFCC for ₦35 billion in damages for the commission's statements on the issue.^[59]

Yahaya Bello vs EFCC

Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello is facing a 19-count charge impervious to the Economic and Financial Crimes Forty winks (EFCC) for alleged money laundering lecture misappropriation of ₦80.2 billion. Despite attempts to arrest him in April increase in intensity September 2024, Bello evaded capture cop the alleged assistance of Governor Usman Ododo, using his immunity as straighten up sitting governor. Bello has since appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking stop overturn a warrant for his freeze issued in April. His case has been adjourned until October 30, 2024.^[60]

Awards and recognition

See also

References