Governor Bello of Kogi

Richard Elesho/ Lokoja

In furtherance of his Independence Day promise to institute a probe into the finances of the State, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State on Friday evening inaugurated a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the activities of some past governments in the State.

The sphere of probe of the Commission covers from May 29th, 2003 to January 27th 2012, when the People’s Democratic Party, PDP governed the State. The Governors of the State for the period under probe were Alh. Ibrahim Idris, Mr Clarence Olafemi (Acting Governor) and Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada.

The seven member Commission of Inquiry is headed by Justice Umar Rano as Chairman. Other members are Dr. Mohammed Aboki, Barr. Amen Franklin Adejoh,Prof. Angela Okatahi, Chief J. O Ajewole, Maj. Gen. H. G Aminusalami (Rtd) Mrs Fatima Ojochenemi Audu. The lawyer to the panel is Jacob Odaudu, SAN. The Commission has Three Months to accomplish its task.

While Inaugurating the commission, Bello, said it became necessary to look into the activities of the past administrations with a view to recovering funds belonging to the state but which found their ways into private pockets.

He emphasized that the decision to embark on the probe was not to witch hunt anybody that served in the past administrations in the state but to ensure that the state start on a new note.

“Government had also mandated the commission to recommend measures that would prevent stealing of public funds. My administration is ready to put Kogi on the path of development; so I urge the people to assist the commission in the discharge of its assignment.” Bello said.

Terms of reference of the commission include, “Determine whether the contracts awarded by Kogi state government between May 29 2003 and January 27, 2016 to individuals or corporate organizations were in accordance with due process, and/or were executed in accordance with contract agreement.

The  Commission is also to determine “contract sum of the projects, the amount actually paid to the contractors and the percentage of job done, identify where contracts were executed contrary to agreement as a result of which government lost money, recover such money and make appropriate recommendations for such cases”.

But the PDP in a reaction described the move as diversionary and accused Bello of persecuting its members and leaders. National co-ordinator Peoples Democratic Party National Youth Frontier  PDPNYF, Usman Austin Okai  in a statement condemned the initiative as being laughable.

He challenged the Yahaya Bello led administration to give account of the monies collected since the inception of the administration saying”he who comes to equity must come clean hands.”

The group accuse Governor Bello of acting a script with a premeditated end. Okai wondered the parameter yahaya bello will deploy with a view to arriving at a premeditated and pre positioned inquiry that consultants and review committee are simultaneously dissipating empty energies to unravel nothing.

He warned that his group will resist any attempts to rubbish the good reputation of the former Governors. Okai urged Governor Bello to retrace his steps and allow sleeping dogs to lie.