By Augustine Aminu
Kogi East Critical Stakeholders have told Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to resign from office having declared himself unworthy of governance by publicly directing his commissioners, civil servants and other government officers to ignore his constitutional directives should that conflict with that of former Governor Yahaya Bello’s directives.
This call was made in Abuja on Monday, at a press conference issuing a seven days ultimatum to Governor Ododo to resign as governor with immediate effect.
Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Sule Iyaji said the public will like to know the status of Alhaji Yahaya Bello in the current administration of Governor Ododo to warrant such directives.
Speaking shortly after the stakeholders meeting, Alhaji Sule Iyaji expressed their displeasure over the way and manner the Government of Kogi State is handling the affairs of Kogites with levity.
According to Iyaji, Ododo’s action has confirmed the unholy, unconstitutional alliance with his predecessor who committed the most horrific electoral fraud ever known in the history of the nascent democracy in Nigeria to ensure he (Ododo) was imposed and declared a “Winner”.
“If Governor Ododo fails to resign within seven (7) working days, the state house of Assembly should commence impeachment proceedings against him”.
The forum said Governor Ododo should refrain from dragging revered traditional institutions in Kogi State into politics and face his rejection by the vast majority of the people and defend the mandate he stole from its rightful owner in court.
The elder state man said the forum condemn in its entirety the fraudulent manner the former governor Yahaya Bello dethroned some traditional rulers in Kogi and
suggested that Governor Ododo should as a matter of urgency reinstate the four (4) traditional rulers, His Royal Highness, the Ohimege Igu Konto Karfe, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Isa Koto, who was also the chairman, Lokoja/Kogi Local Government Area Traditional Council, His Royal Highness Sam Bola Ojao, the Olu Magongo of Magongo, His Royal Highness Adayi Onimisi, the Obobanyi of Emani in the interest of peace and harmony.
“Governor Ododo, should within the time frame of his resignation tender a public apology to His Imperial Majesty, the ATA Igala to avert the wrath of the gods and Igala people worldwide”.
Convener of the group, Alhaji Sule Iyaji, while speaking on the state of insecurity in Kogi state, expressed displeasure over killings of indigenes of Kogi Eastern and takeovers of some fishing and agrarian communities in Omala and Dekina Local Government Areas by Herders.
The group averred that urgent and timely intervention by President Tinubu to curb the escalation and menace of the attacks would go a long way to prevent further bloodshed and recourse to self-help by people of the community.
“Herders have taken over the administration of our fishing and agrarian communities and levying taxes on the hapless citizens for their own use and sacking them from their farmlands and fishing grounds. The herders are equally expanding their control to other communities thereby creating unrest and displacement of our people.”
He said the call on President Tinubu has become necessary at this point in time, considering nonchalant attitude of Kogi state Government to the prevailing serious security situation in the state.
“It is on this note; we join other Nigerians in the call for the creation of state and local government police; because we believed that, where there is a balance of terror, the security situation will abate as no community will watch their land and resources being taken over by strangers or land grabbers.” he said.
For accountability and transparency in the area of revenue of the state, the group called on Governor Usman Ododo to declare without delay, how much Kogi State is receiving as oil producing state.
The convener of the group said, since the past two years that Kogi state was declared one of the oil producing states in the country, nothing in terms of economic growth, payment of salaries and development of the host communities have taken place.
“All the extra revenues accruing from the 13% derivations were presumably stolen by former Governor Yahaya Bello.” KECS said.
Speaking on the interest of Peace, Security and good democratic governance, the group called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately redeploy Kogi state Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Onuoha, who has confessed to extra judicial killings of their compatriots, serving police officers on lawful duties.
The group accused CP Onuoha of corruption and perversion of law and order, Protection of armed thugs of former Governor Yahaya Bello, illegal invasion of residences of perceived political enemies of former Governor Bello, among other heinous crimes from the state.
(News Desk)
