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Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has dismissed allegations that he was behind the disruption of the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP recently held in the State as he rather accommodated and fed Adamawa State Governor, Adamu Fintiri who Chairman of the election Committee.
Bello argued that, contrary to insinuations, he provided a level-playing field to PDP and other political parties to carry out their activities freely within the State as they moved round the nooks and crannies of the State and government provided security for them and ensured that they were secured and safe.
The Kogi State Governor, while addressing journalists at the end of a meeting with the National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and other aspirants that contested against him during last week’s governorship primaries said, PDP as party with people of questionable characters was responsible for its woes.
“In fact, let me tell you, my colleague, the governor of Adamawa State, His Excellency Adamu Ahmadu Fintiri,who was the chairman of their primaries committee, before he came to Kogi state, he contacted me that he was coming to conduct the election, I provided his accommodation, his feeding and some other logistics within the state to ensure that they had hitch free election exercise.
“I conducted the security people round the Stadium and went round the stadium and my security chiefs in Kogi State were very excellent and up and doing as far as Kogi State is concerned.
“We, on our own part, when we conducted our own primaries on 29th of August, we had a larger number of delegate than the PDP. I was the first person to go to the Stadium around 9 O’clock. As early as 10am, we started our exercises and finished everything before 10pm and left the stadium, that is how efficient we are”, he said.
Bello also insisted that he has cleared all salaries and pension arrears of Kogi civil servants and retirees as against the the mischief by some rumours peddlers that Kogi is owing salaries to the tune of 38 months
“As regard the issue of the news making the round that Kogi state is owing salaries, I want to be categorical state that, my two predecessors inherited salary arrears. It is a problem I inherited when I assumed office but I want to announce to you today that Kogi is not owing any worker salary at all.
“We have been able to clear all workers salary and we are up to date. As a matter of fact, the last primary election that was held on August 29, we paid the salaries of August. That is to tell you that we are up to date as far as salary is concerned.
“The issue of us owning up to 38 months before we cleared it was all false and lies. We did owe up to that, what we were owing at that time was between four to five months.
“As I speak with you now, Mr. President graciously approved bailout of N 30.8 billion. When the money was approved, our National Chairman seated here help me to facilitate the release and the fund has been fully applied and salaries are cleared including pension arrears. We are not owing any salary”, the governor explained.
On his performance, Bello said, “people are saying we have not performed in Kogi state. That has been their wish that we should not perform. Mr. President will in September or October be visiting Kogi State to commission projects that have been concluded and as we move round during our campaign, we will be commissioning projects and you are going to see exactly what we have inherited and where we have been to in terms of infrastructure development, security, social safety nets. I want to believe that I have performed, Kogi is better off than we inherited it”.
My brothers and sisters from Kogi who participated in the process have shared with us their feelings about the process and outcome. But I think the good thing is that I thank each and anyone of them inspite of whatever they have to say recognizing the fact that they have to work together to win the next governorship election in Kogi state so that Gov. Yahaya Bello having governed the state for years, it doesn’t need to do a new apprenticeship. He will build on experience gained, build on where we have done well and improve on where we probably have not so that overall after eight years, we will be able to look back, we point out the change between when he came in and when he left.
Speaking earlier, APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole commended the aspirants for their show of maturity and desire to work for the interest of party and assured them that the party leadership will ensure that they were carried along during and campaign and after the election.
“My brothers and sisters from Kogi who participated in the process have shared with us their feelings about the process and outcome. But I think the good thing is that I thank each and anyone of them in spite of whatever they have to say recognizing the fact that they have to work together to win the next governorship election in Kogi state so that Governor Yahaya Bello having governed the state for years, doesn’t need to do a new apprenticeship”, Oshiomhole noted.
