Kogi youths under the aegis of Kogi Youth Leaders Forum (KYLF), have taken a swipe at a northern group for accusing the state governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo of shielding his predecessor, Yahaya Bello from prosecution.
KYLF said the allegation is unfounded, mendacious, and smacks of politically induced hate, urging that Ododo should be allowed to face the business of governance, for which he is employed by the people of the state.
In a statement, the Convener of Kogi Youth Leaders Forum (KYLF), Dr. Benjamin Oguche wondered why the trial of Yahaya Bello by the EFCC has become a veneer for political capitalists to make undue gains.
According to him, the call by the Northern group to President Bola Tinubu to stop Ododo from shielding Yahaya Bello confirms the long-held position of KYLF that the media frenzy about the former governor’s trial is politically motivated, noting that powerful forces within and outside the state are bent on seeing Bello go down.
“From the malicious call of the Northern group, it is now clear that Yahaya Bello’s ordeal is just beyond trial for alleged money laundering. It is a clear political witch-hunt, persecution, and giving the dog a bad name just to kill it.
“Interestingly, the man in the eye of the storm does not shy away from making himself available to provide answers on how he presided over the affairs of our state and left a legacy of honour and pride.
“Accusing Ododo of shielding a man who is not on the run is not only childish but laughable. It is one of their many ploys to distract the governor with trivialities and irrelevancies to achieve their nefarious aims.
“Like we have raised in the past, how much was the budget of Kogi in 2016 that the governor was accused of looting over N80bn? For the avoidance of doubt, the state only received N39bn from FAAC in 2016. The onus therefore is on those raising the hate-induced allegation to prove where the fund they are alleging was stolen came from.
“For a matter that is already in court to dominate the front burner in their discourse, it only amounts to a mob action against a man whose offence is nothing but standing by and defending the welfare of his people.
“Yahaya Bello is not the only politically exposed person facing prosecution but we keep wondering why feather-weight elements have latched onto it to vent out accumulated hate”, he noted.
While calling for an end to media trial and persecution of Yahaya Bello, KYLF called on Governor Ododo to remain focused on delivering effective service to the people of the state in line with a contract agreement he has made with them.
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