Mixed reactions have continued to trail the request by President Muhammadu Buhari seeking Senate’s nod to okay a promissory note in the sum of N10.069 billion for Kogi State.
The request is coming less than a month to the governorship election scheduled to hold in Kogi State.
It is also coming on the heels of rumors that pressures are on the President not to approve N7billion VAT refund to the Bayelsa State government, for fear that the fund may be diverted towards the forthcoming governorship election.
Analysts say it has become glaring that since Buhari’s request was being made at a critical time the state is facing elections, the fund may be intended to finance the All Progressives Congress (APC) to defeat the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the poll scheduled for November 16.
Although the President had in the letter of the request told the senators that the money is bond issuance to settle inherited local debts on projects executed by the Kogi State government on behalf of the Federal Government, insinuations are that he was being economical with the truth.
Part of the letter read: “The resolutions of the 8th Aseembly was conveyed through three different letters from the clerk of the National Assembly as follows; Letter dated 27th of July 2018, Ref: NASS/CNS/106/vol 10/277 which approved the issuance of promissory notes to 21 States; Letter dated January, 29th, 2019 Ref, NASS/CNS/106/vol 11/004 which approved the issuance of promissory notes to Delta and Taraba States and May, 23 2019, Ref: NASS/CNS/106/vol. 11/164 which approved the issuance of promissory notes to Bauchi State.
“The three resolutions approved the issuance of promissory notes to 24 out of the 25 State Government that requested and the only state for which approval has not been given is Kogi State with an outstanding claim of N10.069b.
“The Senate may wish to know that the claim of all the 25 states for project executed on behalf of the Federal Government were verified by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and Bureau of Public Procurement for which the Federal Executive Council approved the claims which they were forwarded for the approval of the National Assembly.
“The Senate will note that subsequent resolution of the National Assembly approving the refunds to the 24 State Governments, the Federal Government has issued promissory notes to all the 24 State Governments for the settlement of their claims.
“Accordingly, the Senate is hereby requested to kindly approve the issuance of promissory notes in the sum of N10, 069, 692, 410.15 to Kogi State for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government. While looking forward to the timely consideration for the refund to Kogi State,” Buhari wrote.
It is understandable that Kogi State, according to Buhari, was not among the 25 states that benefitted from the refund. But the big question is, why was the state not paid the money, over a year after, and only to be refunded, at a time the state governor is neck deep in the race and possibly in dire need of huge resources to seek a second term?
Of course, it is a fact that offsetting the refund is an obligation of the Federal Government. Likewise, the owed money is what is due to Kogi State, hence it claimed to have expended state funds to execute projects on behalf of the Federal Government.
Retrospectively, the 8th Senate had in 2018, given approval for N488.7bn as reimbursements to states for federal projects they executed across the country.
The money was okayed for 21 states. The 8th Senate’s decision had followed a consideration and adoption of the report of an ad-hoc committee chaired by Senator Francis Alimikhena (APC, Edo).
According to the report, Ogun and Oyo states were allocated N59.2bn and N13.4bn respectively. Also, Zamfara State which was earlier allocated N39.9billion got N60billion.
Lagos got the highest with N114bn. It was followed by Akwa Ibom with N78.7bn. Niger State got the least with N333.8m. It further showed that Adamawa got N4.2bn, Kwara N11.2bn, Plateau N12.1bn, Jigawa N10.7bn, Gombe N6.9bn, Ondo N4.3bn, Ekiti N11.6bn, Edo N10.4bn and Osun N13.2bn.
Others were Ebonyi N15.4bn, Kano N4.4bn, Enugu N13.5bn, Benue N3bn, Imo N2.8bn, and Anambra N37.9bn. The Senate report had stated clearly that some states were not included as a result of incomplete document and bogus claims, and later on January, 29th, 2019, approved of promissory notes to Delta and Taraba, as well as in May, Bauchi State refund was okayed.
Considerably, given the pervasiveness of corruption in the country, even if the Federal Government pays Kogi as it is obligatory, the timing calls for question. It could turn out a preconceived disposition that is politically motivated.
This is why the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faulted the Federal Government action, and rather, posited that the N10.069 billion presidential refunds were not approved for Kogi State but for Governor Yahaya Bello.
The party fumed that salaries of Kogi workers were being owed for about 36 months and FG did not care to aid the state to clear it, only to technically refund money owed state when it is election time.
Specifically, PDP said the seeking of NASS approval on the refund is high level of deceit by the Buhari administration that preaches transparency and integrity. It noted that Buhari’s action is to misdirect lawmakers and to claim that the refund is meant to settle debts on projects executed in the state.
“The PDP says it is scandalous that the Buhari Presidency, with its claims of transparency and integrity, would seek to mislead the National Assembly by asserting that the fund is for projects done by the state government on behalf of the Federal Government, when in reality no one can point to any such project executed by Governor Yahaya Bello in the last four years.
“The PDP describes as endorsement of corruption and inexcusable injury to the people of Kogi State, for President Muhammadu Buhari to seek to direct funds to Governor Yahaya Bello, for phantom projects, and neglect the Kogi workers many of whom are owed salaries and pension in arrears of 36 months,” it stated.
“If the Buhari Presidency means well for Kogi State, it should reword its request and put the interest of the masses ahead of all selfish and parochial political considerations, particularly as the state approaches a critical election in which the people have made up their minds to vote out Governor Yahaya Bello,” National Publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said in a statement.
The issues raised by PDP are as weighty as they are damn serious. They hinge on the lack of transparency by the government of the day. Yet, in this crucial time, desperate situations demand desperate actions and the seeking approval of N10.069bn for Kogi may not be far from it.
However, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has described the position of the PDP as desperation to block payment of the money which, he insists cannot work.
Bello through his Director General of Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo said: “Kogi State would have gotten the refund for long but for the obstructive tendencies of the former Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye. He was able to obstruct the refund to the state because of his closeness to the then Senate President.”
“It should be noted that other states had gotten their refund except Kogi State. The President, by writing to the Senate for the approval of the refund has displayed his father figure as the father of the nation who supports and promotes equity and fairness,” he said.
But the governorship candidate of the PDP in Kogi state, Musa Wada, has alleged that “the money is meant for buying of votes.”
“The money is meant for vote-buying. The APC observed that all indications show they are going to lose the election. President Buhari released N30 billion bailout earlier but it didn’t help matters. Now he wants to release another N10 billion few days to election,” Deputy Director, Public Communication of Wada campaign council, Austin Okai said.
The unfolding debate over the N10.069bn to Kogi, especially with regards to plan by Federal Government to reimburse the governor, and or APC, to defeat Wada and the PDP represents an arena where everything wrong in democratic dispositions have taken centre stage. And given that perception is reality, this current situation can be hugely worrisome and the contrived fog needs to be cleared.
An Abuja public affairs analyst, Isah Samson, in an interview said, seeking approval for refund on money a state used to execute projects on behalf of the Federal Government is developmental.
However, he said that the projects are invisible considering the level of underdevelopment Kogi State has witnessed since 2015, expressing suspicion that the timing for the payment of the money when election is near is preconceived.
“Nobody can be worried if money owed a state is paid. But for the case of Kogi State, it is obvious that the governor has not executed visible projects and the people are aware. If at all it is said the money is to be used for clearance of salary arrears, it will be believable.
“And for the Federal Government to choose to pay the refund when election is by the corner can simply be adduced that it wants to empower the APC to defeat PDP because the opposition party is no longer in power.
“All said, whether the money is genuinely paid or meant to facilitate election, I think we need to change the way and manner our government operates so that confidence and credibility would be built in the minds of the citizenry,” Isah posited.
Solomon Ayado, Abuja
