The chairman of Kogi State chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Taufiq Isa, and the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, Edward David Onoja, have debunked claims that the state government used salaries of workers to procure vehicles for the newly appointed administrators and secretaries for local councils in the state.
Isa, who spoke at the weekend in Lokoja against the backdrop of partial and non-payment of salaries at the local council level, clarified that the vehicles were instead guaranteed by government.
In a statement by his special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Abubakar Sule Hussain, the ALGON chief stressed that the allegations were baseless and a deliberate attempt by enemies of the state to turn the people against the governor and the good work being embarked upon by his administration.
He also took a swipe at those behind the accusation, saying they are only pulling down the efforts of the government in providing easy mobility for the new council leaders and members.
“It is a know fact that the governor, in his magnanimity and kind gesture, asked the immediate past local government chairmen to go with their official vehicles (jeeps) considering their mobility problems and in line with the monetisation policy of the Federal Government.
“Instead of the critics to applaud the governor for the kind gesture, they are busy blackmailing him,” he queried.But Onoja, while giving more insight into the purchase, disclosed that government was yet to pay any money to the company.
According to him, the agreement reached between the two parties was to offset the cost in 12 months after salaries must have been paid.“We don’t expect the administrators to be climbing motorcycles (Okada) to their offices. Their security is very paramount to the government,” he maintained.
