Written by Lanre Adewole, Abuja Thursday, 03 June 2010
WITH the Federal Government set to announce former Executive Secretary of Human Rights Commission, Bukhari Bello as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), indications have emerged on the power blocs that facilitated his nomination by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Nigerian Tribune can reveal that the major influences in the nomination of Bello were a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, his wife and a serving minister from the southern part of the country, while the human rights community which sees him as one of them despite being a civil servant is also said to have played a prominent role.
It was gathered that his biggest promoter was the activist-wife of the former CJN, whose path is said to have crossed with Bello’s several times in the course of using her legal background to promote civil rights issues.
Bello, according to findings, is still serving in the Ministry of Defence, following his secondment from the Ministry of Justice, where he returned after being fired as the boss of the Human Rights Commission.
Bello almost returned to the Ministry of Justice as the Permanent Secretary in 2007 when Professor Ignatius Ayua retired, but his lobbyists could not displace the popular choice, the incumbent Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Yola, who was appointed during the tenure of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa.
Bello, who is reportedly due for retirement from the civil service this year, was also said to have issues with his place of birth which had rocked his career in the civil service.
While his resume stated that he was an indigene of Kebbi State, stories that he was from a state in the southern part of the country had persisted, with the Nigerian Tribune told that the issue on his original place of birth had recurred in his civil service career.
Bello’s relationship with the serving minister was said to be that of kinsman, because he was reportedly from the same village with him and they started life together in the North.
Bello, who was the Director of Legal Services of the then National Electoral Commission (NEC), during the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, was one of the few in the commission that stood against the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late business mogul, Chief M.K.O Abiola.
It was gathered that it was Bello who also assisted his kinsman and serving minister to secure a contractual retainership with the then electoral body which subsisted till date.
The former CJN’s wife, according to the Nigerian Tribune findings, sold the idea of Bello’s chairmanship of the electoral commission to the husband, who was also said to have high opinion of the bureaucrat and consequently described his virtues in superlatives to the president.
The serving minister was also said to have weighed in heavily in favour of his brother and long-time friend when the president reportedly mentioned the recommendation to him.
Kind words were said to have also come in for Bello from the United States in the human rights circle, where he was said to be held in high esteem for his activities in the Human Rights Commission where he served for six years.
The human rights community had risen in unison to condemn his removal in 2006 by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo for allegedly criticising the clamp down of the administration on media professionals.
The government then, however, claimed that its case against him bordered on insubordination and fraudulent handling of the finances of the commission.
Though government initially announced plans to probe him over the alleged offences, the move was later halted and he was recalled to the ministry from where he was later seconded to the Legal Department of the Ministry of Defence, where he is now.
President Jonathan had said that he was coming with a totally dark horse, who he had not met and interacted with.
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