A Civil Society Organization under the umbrella of “Civil Society for Good Government, has has urged all relevant government agencies to expedite action in the ongoing war against corruption by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration.
Speaking against the background of the corruption case against a former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the organisation, in a statement in Abuja, said citizens ‘ are becoming restless over the outcome of the matter.
The statement, which was in collaboration with the Kogi Conscience Liberation Movement, was signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Peter Onuma and its Secretary, Com. Okpanachi Jacob.
The Group urged the EFCC to do more to address the situation with the ex-governor as it was making the populace lose faith in the present administration’s commitment to fighting corruption.
The statement reads, “This have become necessary as Nigerians and kogi State citizens are seemingly becoming restless over the macabre dance in ongoing processes of a long awaited prosecution of its immediate past Governor Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello for an alleged 80.2 billion Naira fraud.
“We recall that Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday 23rd April 2024 served Former Governor, his charges through his counsel, Abdulwahab Muhammed (SAN), this is over 2 months , it seems Nigerians are getting impatient and tired from wrong signals of Government’s direction in its fight against corruption as can be viewed in Kogi state Case Study.
“With great magnitude of spillover from corruption on the economy of Kogi State, poverty level have become very high which is inversely or directly correlated with crime rate, civil servants are already reduced to beggars due to low income resulting from 8 years of accumulated salary shortfall; these are visible result of unchecked corruption.
“In the light of this it is important that our civil populace be kept in remind of the threat to our statehood as corruption will impede our social-economic and political progress since it reduces the confidence of intending foreign direct investors on our system while on the hand it enhance the confidence of officials that intends to engage in corrupt practices as there are no action for deterrence.
“While we commend the efforts of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), we still urge them to do more as great number of people are tending to lose hope in this fight against corruption, citizens are already filled with doubt on what is actually going on with issues of EFCC and Kogi State former Governor!
“It is imperative that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu be informed as this affects the hope quotients of our civil populace with respect to the fight against corruption under the renewed hope agenda, we thus call on the President to as a matter of expediency and call to national duty ensure that rights things are done within the shortest possible period as pleaded by Kogi State citizens.”
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