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The newly affirmed governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello has promised to make peace with all aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and his gubernatorial flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party Idris Wada.
Speaking after his victory, Bello said he was already making efforts to bring unity among himself, Wada and James Faleke, the running mate to late Audu Abubakar who died during the course of the November 2015 election in the state.
Bello said: “I will reach out to them, in fact, I have started reaching out to some of them already.”
“I will give them responsibilities in the state,” Bello said.
The governor said the aim of according responsibilities to his fellow contestants in the Kogi state leadership tussle is aimed at ensuring rapid development in the state.
He said his administration is currently working on purging the state of illegalities and corrupt practices that have prolonged stagnation in Kogi state.
“We met a system whereby the civil service was over bloated, the salary billed for Kogi state as at the time I assumed office was almost N3 billion.
“The resources at our disposal was an average of N2 billion, there was no way we could have continued that way and the state government and the MDAs there were over five months arrears while that of the local government was over 12 months,” he said.
The governor said his administration took drastic decision to reduce the bloated state civil service salary.
“We have been able to save not less than N1.4 billion, it was a tough decision, the exercise is still ongoing even though the earlier one was concluded,” he said.
He also pleaded with Kogi state civil servants to bear with his administration in its effort to make things right in the state.
Bello’s position as the governor of Kogi state was affirmed by the Supreme Court after a long court battle with aggrieved members and contestants for the seat. His emergence as the governor of the state came after the APC gubernatorial flag bearer Audu Abubakar died during the November 2015 election conducted in the state. While the Independent National Electoral Commission held that the said election was already declared inconclusive due to irregularities in various polling units – before Abubakar’s death, James Faleke, running mate on the APC platform argued that he be automatically pronounced governor. Faleke in his claim said he inherited all the votes that belonged to Abubakar as his running mate and that Bello was only a stranger and an accidental occupant on the Kogi state governor’s seat.
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