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By Matthew Eloyi
There is a popular axiom that “If this country does not kill corruption, corruption will kill it.” The axiom
gained wider currency as a result of the level of impunity with which public officials fritter funds running
into billions, without any serious consequence and the resultant retrogression, it foisted on the nation’s
development.
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Recently, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) alleged that a serving Governor in
Nigeria withdrew N60 billion from his state’s purse, saying this was done within his six years in office.
Though the EFCC did not directly disclose the identity of the governor, it hinted that he is domiciled in
the North Central of the country.
However, developing stories on the issue have it that EFCC sources anonymously disclosed that the
the agency could authoritatively confirm that the Governor accused of withdrawing N60 billion cash from his state’s purse is Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
If this is true of Gov. Bello who is perceived as having a presidential ambition, then Nigeria still has a long way to go as far as corruption is concerned.
It would be recalled that the EFCC in mid-November also confirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) acknowledged the receipt of the sum of N19,333,333,333 recovered by the commission from the
Kogi State Salary Bail-out account.
Before the confirmation by the EFCC, it was previously reported that the controversial N20billion –
meant for workers’ salaries in the state – was stashed away in a commercial bank account by the state
government led by Governor Yahaya Bello.
The Kogi State Government, however, denied ownership of the money allegedly returned to the CBN by
the EFCC and threatened to take legal action, if the EFCC did not within 48 hours, retract the statement
that the fund it allegedly returned to the CBN, belonged to the state.
According to an anti-corruption watchdog, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP),
the trend of corruption and the failure by Anti-graft Agencies to effectively check the menace has
hampered the ability of the government to meet the needs of citizens.
To negate the above notion by SERAP, the EFCC is hereby urged to officially reveal the identity of the
said the governor and ensure that he is prosecuted according to the provision of the constitution of the
country, and that the money is recovered for the development of the state.
