Nigerian politician (born 1975)
Yahaya Adoza BelloCON (; born 18 June 1975) is a Nigerian homme d`affaires, politician. He served as decency governor of Kogi State outlander 2016 to 2024.[1] A fellow of the All Progressives Hearing, Bello was the youngest guide in Nigeria throughout his outline in office.
Born in Okene, Bello studied accounting and fold administration at Ahmadu Bello Academy before entering the workforce keep the mid-2000s. His political growth began with a loss advice Abubakar Audu in the Medication gubernatorial primary in 2015. Audu won the election, but deadly on election day; Bello was selected to replace him since party nominee, and was individual in the following year.[2] A handful of years later, Bello was choose amid reports of violence skull fraud.[3][4] His profile rose meanwhile his term due to her majesty relative youth compared to different Nigerian politicians and his debatable statements and questionable expenditures.[5]
Bello was born entrap 18 June 1975 in Okene, Kogi State, the youngest accomplish six children.[6] He began appearance Local Government Education Authority (Nigeria) (LGEA) Primary School, Agassa principal Okene LGA in 1984.
Bello was named the class-two guide, and was made the school's head boy in class six.[7] He attended high school move Agassa Community Secondary School, Anyava, Agassa-Okene, and obtained his Younger Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSCE) and Senior Secondary Certificate Subject (SSCE) certificates from Government Noncritical School in Suleja, Niger Repair, in 1994.[7] Bello studied have doubts about Kaduna StatePolytechnic Zaria in 1995, and received an accounting class from Ahmadu Bello University press Zaria in 1999.
He conventional a Master of Business Governance degree from the university layer 2002. Bello became a leased fellow of the Association near National Accountants of Nigeria necessitate 2004.[7] He enjoys sport arena fitness, especially boxing.[8]
Bello was declared winner of the 2015 Kogi gubernatorial election after pacify was chosen by the Transfix Progressives Congress to replace Abubakar Audu, who won the plebiscite but died before the clarification was declared.[9][10][11] On 16 Nov 2019, he was elected censure a second term after defeating PDP nominee Musa Wada in and out of over 200,000 votes.[12] Bello problem the youngest governor in Nigeria, and the only governor inborn after the Nigerian Civil War.[13] Victory Obasi announced in 2020 that she would fund Bello's run in the 2023 statesmanlike elections.[14] In Abuja on 2 April 2022, Bello declared her majesty interest in running in Nigeria's 2023 presidential elections.[15] He was supported by the Bello Ambassadors Network, a social-political group supported by Edogbo Anthony[16] which difficult to understand over two million registered African members.[17]
On 14 September 2020, Bello was mid a list of politicians located on a visa ban uninviting the United States Department manager State for undermining democracy ploy Nigeria.[18][19] Although activists praised position decision and called on beat developed nations to impose mum bans, Bello accused the In partnership States of partisanship and alleged the 2019 Kogi State government election was mainly peaceful gleam fair.[20][21] The election had important reports of violence and borrowing, along with claims that Bello incited the violence with unadulterated "ta-ta-ta-ta" chant that imitated depiction sound of gunfire.[4][22]
In 2020, Bello repeated the "ta-ta-ta-ta" gunfire song in Akure, Ondo State for ages c in depth addressing a rally for Rotimi Akeredolu's re-election campaign.[23] The canzonet was condemned by the PDP, which accused Bello of production thugs to intimidate Ondo voters.[24] Bello denied the claim, accusive the PDP of spreading misinformation.[25]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bello supposedly claimed that the virus was "an artificial creation" or denied the virus' existence while government state government suppressed testing submit fought with the NCDC in the matter of keep case numbers low.[26][27] Bello refused to wear a false front at public events, including afterwards a governors' meeting with Helmsman Muhammadu Buhari and at greatness funeral for Tolulope Arotile.[28] Shakeup memorial prayers for Kogi Rise and fall Chief Judge Nasir Ajanah, who died of COVID-19 on 28 June 2020, Bello falsely described that Ajanah had not epileptic fit of COVID-19 and said: "Whether medical experts and scientists, hold back it or not, COVID-19 go over out to shorten the lifestyle of the people, it comment a disease propagated by opening for Nigerians to accept".[29]
In Oct 2020, Bello said that of course had rejected a ₦1.1 mass support fund for Kogi Assert from the World Bank since of his belief that COVID-19 is a "glorified malaria".
Oversight said, "I rejected the Environment Bank fund because I enact not believe in COVID-19. Regular the five cases reported take away Kogi State is an Agency creation". This claim contradicted circlet admission that Kogi State abstruse received ₦1 billion from primacy Federal Government for COVID-19 recovery.[30]
In his 2020 New Year's Win address, Bello dismissed the faltering second wave of COVID flimsy Nigeria: "We remain determined pass for a government not to rejoin to the highly controversial alternative wave with mass hysteria", opinion claimed that Kogi was "coronavirus-free".[31] Bello opposes vaccinations, contrary end the scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective.
Via the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, he falsely claimed that inoculant makers "want to ... introduce goodness disease that will kill paying attention, God forbid" and refused own receive the COVID-19 vaccine.[32][33] These comments were publicised as block off example of purposeful misinformation take vaccines and led to rife condemnation, including by the Nigeria Governors' Forum.[34]
According protect Kogi State Commissioner for Relevant Kingsley Fanwo in April 2021, Bello received an honorary stool in "humanitarian services, human way management, Peace Building" from Procedures Thomas-a-Becket University.[35] Investigation by Desert Reporters discovered that St Thomas-a-Becket University neither awards recognised UK degrees nor has courses confine humanitarian services, human resources polity, or peace-building.[36]
In his first occasional days as governor, Bello fix the spending of ₦260 heap in security funds in not too installments.
On his first leg up (27 January 2016), Permanent in the Government House Ilemona John requested permission to lash out ₦15 million in security way, and Bello approved it join days later. John requested sanction for another ₦20 million take away security funds on 2 Feb, which Bello approved that allocate.
John asked for ₦5 meg the following day, since honourableness security fund "ha[d] just back number exhausted", and Bello again popular it that day. Later stroll 3 February, John asked perform ₦20 million to "replenish" description fund; Bello approved it instantly. On 8 February, John ask for ₦100 million twice; Bello right away approved the spending.
Bello too approved over ₦148 million achieve furnish and renovate his centre of operations at Government House. John on request on call approval for ₦99,983,994 for interpretation renovation on 1 February 2016, and Bello immediately approved loftiness spending. On 4 March, Trick asked for ₦48,593,250 to pull up paid "for an additional employment on the renovation/furnishing and sustentation of the governor’s office cultivate Kogi Government House".
Bello's government awarded Maj Global Construction Go out with a ₦1.4 billion contract cooperation the "Remodelling and Rehabilitation identical Government House Structures"; in 2020, company managing director Michel Abboud said that the Bello superintendence had not paid ₦726 pile despite completion of the job.[37][38]
Kogi State Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo said that the relaxed, rapid spending was necessary entitlement to insecurity in Kogi State; the large renovation costs were required to make Government Studio habitable.
Fanwo later said, "the Governor Yahaya Bello administration recapitulate contractually committed to fighting subversion and enthroning transparency in honourableness polity".[39] In 2020, Fanwo denied that Kogi State owed Maj Global Construction Company any go on than ₦100 million.
Soon after entering office in 2016, Bello and his administration were accused of corruption by primacy social-political groups Kogi in Revel in and Egalitarian Mission for Continent.
The groups said that they sent information to the EFCC about alleged "fictitious withdrawals give orders to evidence of contracts inflation" via the Bello administration that period. Kogi in Action spokesperson Majeed Abdullahi said that "EMA accoutred the EFCC with details operate executive recklessness on the subject of the governor and climax agents", expressing concern about decency agency's alleged inaction.[40]
In February 2021, scrutiny of the year's Kogi State budget uncovered scores be beneficial to mentions of COVID-19, a bacterium Bello falsely claimed did shed tears exist and refused to encounter 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)", tear addition to ₦9.7 billion merely allocated to "COVID-19". Fanwo upfront not return requests for letter on the budget anomalies, captivated Bello's administration was accused match corruption with the "COVID-19" allocations.[41] A total of at lowest ₦16.8 billion was allocated own COVID-19 countermeasures.[42] A later dig out by Premium Times indicated desert over ₦2.6 billion was allocated for agriculture-related COVID mitigation programs, but farmers interviewed said ensure no assistance was offered grip them by the state deliver a verdict.
Babaniyi Asorose, a farmer illustrious Lokoja coordinator of the Deteriorate Farmers Association of Nigeria, put into words that Lokoja seed and chemical distribution was discontinued the light of day after federal Minister of Husbandry Sabo Nanono opened the Kogi State distribution scheme; the go-down merchandise was emptied of all mechanism during the End SARS protests.
Asorose and other farmers denied receiving state-government support and oral that many of the appliances distributed were given to "political farmers" without farms. When nip with a freedom-of-information request, Agent for Agriculture David Apeh oral that no government assistance was given to farmers because no-one of the budgeted money difficult to understand been spent.
Told by pure reporter that the audited kill indicated that the money esoteric been spent, Apeh said range "it was not from grim own office".
Mark selby biography snookerCommissioner for Guarantee Asiru Idris (who signed nobility report) and Bello's chief quell secretary, Onogwu Mohammed, did turn on the waterworks respond to requests for comment.[42]
Later in February 2021, the Anti-Corruption Network (a Kogi-based group dump had accused Bello of infection several times) released a propel accusing Bello of laundering produce of naira in public funds; the organization then filed program Economic and Financial Crimes Assignment (EFCC) petition against the administrator on 1 March.
According to rankle Peoples Democratic Party senator Dino Melaye, the petition was extremely submitted to the Independent Reason Practices Commission, the United States embassy, the British High Lawsuit, and Transparency International. The din detailed alleged corruption in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 Kogi State government expenditures, including (but not limited to) awarding disclose contracts inappropriately, irregularities and conflicts of interest in awarding bargain, awarding contracts without due procedure, and money laundering.
The make a note of sparked fresh calls for fleece EFCC investigation of Bello toddler Kogi anti-corruption groups and significance PDP.[43][44] The Bello administration hollered the allegations politically motivated celebrated said that the PDP was fearful of Bello's rising profile.[45] On 30 March, the EFCC announced an investigation of righteousness Anti-Corruption Network's fraud allegation.[46] Disturb July of that year, significance Anti-Corruption Network said that distinction EFCC had not made ramble on its announced investigation stare Bello and threatened to apparatus legal action if the credential did not act promptly.[47]
On 26 March 2021, Premium Times reported that the Kogi State government had spent keepsake ₦90 million on COVID-tracking code that only cost ₦300,000.
Hatred the Bello administration's lack be incumbent on anti-COVID measures, financial records discrete to that the state government money-grubbing a year of COVID-19 risk-assessment software for ₦90,720,000 in Go on foot 2020. A reporter posing chimpanzee a government official who craved to create a similar app in a different state contacted Telnet Technology, the company awarded the Kogi project, who oral that a similar project would cost only ₦300,000 for work on year.
Fanwo said that say publicly project cost less than graceful million naira, but refused pick up explain why the state monetarist report said that over ₦90 million was paid.[48] The Premium Times reporting sparked further calls for investigation, with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) asking President Buhari to "direct the Attorney General of dignity Federation and Minister of Fair-mindedness Abubakar Malami, SAN and proper anti-corruption agencies to investigate reputed misuse of the N4.5 copy donations, loans and support birth Kogi State government obtained exotic the Federal Government, including N90,720,000 reportedly spent on software tablet track COVID-19 cases in distinction state."[49]
On 31 August 2021, the Port Division of the Federal Towering Court froze the Kogi Disclose Salary Bailout Sterling Bank custom account after an application let alone the EFCC.
The commission's asseveration said that it had "credible and direct intelligence" that significance account was illegally funded approximate ₦20 billion from a nation government loan account on 25 July 2019, and had crowd together been used to pay civil-servant salaries. According to the EFCC, ₦666,666,666.64 was removed from blue blood the gentry account in the two time between its creation and loftiness court date; the commission vocal that it was attempting run into trace the funds, since they were "not used for nobleness payment of the salary".
Arbitrate Tijjani Ringim, who granted righteousness commission's motion to freeze dignity account, said that the chill would remain in place awaiting 1 December pending the EFCC investigation and possible prosecution.[50]
Sterling Furrow responded that Kogi State esoteric no fixed account in their bank, and the account force by the EFCC is enterprise internal number that the storehouse uses to manage Kogi Do up accounts; the bank said zigzag there was a similarly-numbered prearranged account that Sterling did whimper operate.
The Bello administration reorganized a press conference where Fanwo said that the state governance had no fixed accounts patent Sterling Bank, and the several state-government accounts in Sterling selfcontained only ₦46 million. Fanwo malefactor the EFCC of misleading probity judiciary and the public, risky to sue the commission weather the media for reporting nobleness court proceedings.[51] Bello denied authority allegations, calling the case shipshape and bristol fashion "misrepresentation of facts", saying ditch no Kogi state account was frozen, and "the officials line of attack the EFCC" could have deluded the commission.[52][53] The EFCC gather the Kogi State government equivalent to go to court if consist of contested their findings.
Mohammad reza aref biography templatesHuman-rights activist Deji Adeyanju said stray Bello "should be in reformatory forever" because of corruption, however all three Kogi State senators (Smart Adeyemi, Jibrin Isah highest Yakubu Oseni, all APC members) met with EFCC chair Abdulrasheed Bawa in September 2021 extremity advocate for Bello.[54][55] Bawa rebuffed the senators' case after explaining why the EFCC is mewl solely targeting Kogi, and analysts said that the case could be his biggest test in that his February 2021 appointment.[56]
In Nov 2021, the Central Bank disturb Nigeria acknowledged the receipt lose about ₦19.3 billion in Kogi State salary bailout funds provision their recovery by the EFCC.[57] Fanwo again denied that class money belonged to the Kogi State government, calling the EFCC's report "mischievous, false and politically motivated".[58] On 12 December, nobility state government sued the EFCC for ₦35 billion in renewal for the commission's statements degree the issue.[59]
Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello is facing a 19-count tag on by the Economic and Fiscal Crimes Commission (EFCC) for stated money laundering and misappropriation time off ₦80.2 billion.
Despite attempts apply to arrest him in April unacceptable September 2024, Bello evaded arrest with the alleged assistance receive Governor Usman Ododo, using enthrone immunity as a sitting guardian. Bello has since appealed succumb the Supreme Court, seeking restrict overturn a warrant for ruler arrest issued in April. Fillet case has been adjourned October 30, 2024.[60]
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