Former gubernatorial candidate and a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Goodman Akwu has described the withdrawal of over N300million from the State treasury to celebrate Kogi State 25 years’ anniversary as ‘rapacious’, and insensitive to the plight of Kogites in the current economic difficulties.
In an interview with Daily post in Abuja on Saturday, the politician explained that there was nothing to celebrate in the state as infrastructures have collapsed. He said the worsening plight of workers under the current administration which has not been so in the last 25 years calls for concern.
Describing the celebration as a misplaced priority, Akwu wondered, how governor Yahaya Bello spent a whooping sum of N300million at this time of economic downturn.
“It is a misplaced priority for Kogi Governor to spend N300million celebrating the creation of the state. After all, what are we celebrating when workers have been turned to scavengers due to non-payment of salaries in the last eight months, as well as ecological and other social challenges staring the state on the face? ” he asked.
According to him, the stoning of Bello at a Jumat Mosque in Lokoja on Friday was a manifestation of the impression of his government by the people he governs, noting that it was unfortunate for him to say that the people were sponsored by his political traducers.
“You will agree with me that the governor was stoned at a Jumat Mosque in Lokoja on Friday and you know if workers were not paid, they continue to set their eyes on every Kobo that comes into government coffers and how it goes out and for what purposes.”
“Also what happened reflected Kogi people’s impression about this government and the incident should not be attributed to his perceived political enemies,”he added.
Similarly, Daily post learnt that the wife of the state governor, Hajia Rashida Bello was booed at Anyigba in the eastern Senatorial District on Friday.
Confirming the incident, Chairman of the physically challenged, Comrade Momoh Aduku said his association was informed of Mrs Bello’s largesse, but that they simply told her to persuade her husband to pay workers salaries, while they declined her anniversary gifts.
“The Governor’s wife was on a visit to our Association at Anyigba to have us celebrate with her on the anniversary, but we declined her gifts and asked that workers be paid first, while we also pleaded with her to persuade the governor to pay salaries,” Aduku maintained.
