I read on your Facebook Page late yesterday that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has approved N50.8 billion bailout for Kogi State government. I found the bizarre news irritating and annoying because the outgoing government of Yahaya Bello is joking with our collective sensibilities. Why this huge joke on a critical issue that affects the common man in the state?
I want to state categorically that the government of Yahaya Bello is lying to Kogi people on the issue of bailout. No fund has been approved! It is just a ploy to confuse the labour leaders in the state and stop them from embarking on strike that has been schedule to commence next week Monday. As I write, I am aware that joint labour unions have typed a bulletin issuing notice of strike to Kogi State government.
The governor and the unusual source of the information, Idris Asiru, are currently flexing in Saudi. They got wind of the move by labour leaders and instead of meeting their demands or plead with them, they resorted to expensive lies proclaiming that the much awaited bailout has been approved.
Concerned Kogi people have called me and expressed surprise reading about the CBN approval for the bailout from the governor’s Special Adviser on Investment (who is far away in Saudi) on social media platforms, whereas the CBN released an official statement when the same approval was given to Capt. Idris Wada on 8th August, 2015.
I challenge the source, Asiru Idris, to come out and tell the whole world when the Yahaya Bello government re-applied for the bailout, how much was applied for and when the said approval will be cash-backed and made available to the long-suffering people of Kogi State. This is conspiracy against the good people of the state.
It is so unfortunate that this unpopular government has chose the path of dishonour by playing on our intelligence.
– Adamu Ojonugwa writes from Lokoja
