As the plight of workers in Kogi State worsens day by day, due to non payment of salaries, the member representing Ankpa/Olamaboro/Omala federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Hassan Omale has described the situation as pathetic.
He declared that governor Yahaya Bello was sent as Pharaoh to teach Kogi people lessons for not appreciating those who did well for the state.
Speaking with Daily post in Abuja, he said that Bello was hiding under the guise of screening in the last eight months, while workers and the entire state continued to suffer.
“Several governors have served and left and we would not appreciate them. You know God has a way of doing things and that is why he sent Bello as Pharaoh so that we can learn our lessons”, he noted.
He revealed that the entire lawmakers from the state in the lower chamber of the National Assembly wrote to have audience with him for purposes of advising him on the way forward, but were shunned.
“When he began his screening, there was public outcry because many people were erroneously screened out and nine of us as lawmakers from the state, including Deputy House Leader, decided to write a letter to him so we can sit and talk, but we never heard from him”, he said.
Hassan expressed worry that Kogi State under Bello had leadership problems, having surrounded himself with inexperienced people, a situation he said, was responsible for high profile crimes in the state.
He added that it was a good development that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) began investigating him based on petition from certain groups and individuals bothering on fraud and other forms of financial malfeasance in the last eight months he took over.
He urged Kogi people to patiently wait for the outcome of the report, stressing that ‘the cock and bull’ story surrounding N20billion bailout funds which Bello got from Central Bank of Nigeria for payment of salaries was saddening.
“The EFCC was in the state based on petitions to the effect that he never utilised the N20billion bailout fund, though government officials would say they have paid close to seven months salaries; if you go to the state, workers would tell you they were being owed eight months”, he lamented.
Credit: Daily Post
