Mohammed Haliru Bello

This is the Biography of Mohammed Haliru Bello.

Mohammed Haliru Bello was born on October 9, 1945 in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state. He is a Nigerian politician, a PDP Chieftain, a veterinary doctor and the former minister for communication. Bello is the father of Bilyaminu Bello who was stabbed to death by his wife Maryam Sanda over infidelity.

Educational background

Mohammed Bello attended his primary education in Birnin Kebbi before proceeding to Government College Zaria now Barewa College where he obtained his Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). Bello got admission to study Veterinary medicine in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Mohammed Haliru Bello Career

Mohammed Bello started his career as a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University.

However, in 1977, Mohammed Bello was appointed the commissioner for Agriculture under the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo. He later ran to become the deputy governor of Sokoto state under the Great Nigerian People Party (GNPP) but lost in the election.

Bello remained the secretary of the Sokoto state GNPP till Buhari took over power in December 1983 and banned party politics.

Mohammed Bello started working for a private company before he was appointed Assistant General Manager and then General Manager of the Rima River Basin and Rural Development Authority, a Federal Ministry of Water Resources agency.

In 1988, Bello was appointed by Ibrahim Babangida as the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, a post he held to 1994. After the death of Sani Abacha, Bello was among the founding fathers of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

After the 1999 general election, President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bello was appointed as a Commissioner on the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

In 2001, Obasanjo appointed Bello as the Minister for Communications at a time the federal government was about to privatize the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL). In September 2002 Mohammed announced that 400,000 lines were being installed to expend NITEL’s GSM network in the North-west zone. In May 2003 Mohammed approved revised regulations for interconnection between telephone companies designed to foster competition.

In 2004, Bello was elected as the PDP National Vice Chairman for the North West Zone. In 2008, he became the deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In January 2011, Bello became the acting National Chairman after the National Chairman Okwesilieze Nwodo was suspended by the Enugu High Court.

In 2011, Bello was appointed the minister of Defense by president Goodluck Jonathan but was removed in 2012 during a period of escalating security problems in the north including bomb attacks by Boko Haram extremists.

Controversies and bribery scandal

In 2007, Mohammed Bello among others were named by a German court on a bribery scandal involving communications firm Siemens AG. Mohammed Bello was alleged to have collected €70,000 in bribe.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offense Commission (ICPC) launched an investigation into the alleged scandal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has already filed charges against him for their alleged role in the diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms in the office of the National Security Adviser.