For Allegedly Squandering Over N230bn, Kogi APC Threatens To Remove Yahaya Bello

The Executive Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello might be up for a fresh trouble, as the leadership of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has made weighty allegations of financial recklessness and piloting a non-inclusive government on the young Governor.

At a Press Briefing held in Abuja on Friday, the party also gave an ultimatum of 4 weeks, for the Governor to pay up all outstanding entitlements of civil servants and pensioners from the N30bn bailout fund currently available to the state.

The party accused the governor of running a government that is bereaved of transparency, accountability and justifiable financial conducts.

“The responsibility of any responsive leader is to be transparent, accountable and justifiable in its financial conducts.

“Governor Yahaya in defiant to this standard rule of good governance has never deemed it necessary to render public public account since his assumption of office. All the other Governors that just spent one year in office accounted for their stewardship nationwide.

“This has led to gross public financial failure and reckless spending by the government, as we have it on record that Governor Bello has wasted and lavished over N230bn in one year.

“This represents thirteen months Federal Allocations to the state; N10bn infrastructural development funds, N30bn bailout fund, over N11bn Paris Club excess refund. We also have the N16bn refunded for federal government roads built by the past administration of Alh. Ibrahim Idris, N700m ecological fund.

“All these above exclude an average of N600m internally generated revenue monthly,” the party said.

On the alleged failure to pay state workers and pensioners, the party was furious with the Governor, stressing that such act has made the people of Kogi to start disliking the APC.

“The political leaders of Kogi State and the APC stakeholders have resolved unequivocally to give 4 weeks ultimatum to Governor Yahaya Bello, to reconcile the ongoing staff audit in the state with the realities on ground, pay our civil servants, the pensioners and others,” APC said.

The party also threatened “peaceful revolution” across the 21 LGAs of the State,” should the governor refuse to do the needful within the stipulated time.

Some of the posers the party wants the Governor to address also include, the reason he “sacked medical Doctors in all the public hospitals”; “why he has decided to run the affairs of the state without the political party he claims to belong”; whether it is “possible for a state like Kogi to function without teachers in schools, ” among others.

The Press Briefing was attended by the only Kogi APC Senator in the 8th Assembly, Dino Melaye, 5 former Senators, serving and past House of Reps members of APC extraction and elders of the party drawn from across the LGAs.

Others include the State Chairman of the party, Chief Haddy A. Ametuo and 25 out of 35 state executive members, comprising Vice Chairman, zonal Deputies Chairman, Women and Youths leaders, state Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Secretary and others.

Also in attendance are 15 out of 21 LG Chairmen of the party, including that of the Governor’s LG, Okenne and his women leaders.