When you are looking for a failed state, with failed leadership and embarking of series of failed missions, if you mention Kogi state then you are not far away from the truth.
When the Yahaya Bello administration came on board, it was a perfect example of power shift as well as youth representation and participation in governance that was sought after in the state.
The administration at inception brought in experts and consultants that scanned the entire the socio-economic environment of the state which led to the production of a blue print tagged ‘The New Direction Blueprint’ – a comprehensive socio-economic road map that would move any polity forward.
Goosh, what happened and went wrong?!
With the coming of the first tranche of bailout funds, the mentality of the administration changed from that of development oriented to that of personal greed and gratification. Embezzlement, fraud, lies became the order of the day.
The governor, Yahaya Bello became a victim of a high wired conspiracy orchestrated by his youthful cabinet. They encourage him to give them funds for their marriages, organize parties and other social events. The likes of Edward Onoja, Odaudu Joel Minister, Bobby Ujah etc were all beneficiaries of this fraudulent venture of the government.
While these were happening, the civil servants and pensioners, who the bailout was initially meant to service their outstanding salary payments, were neglected and relegated to the background. They were refused their pay under the guise of one of a non-comprehensive screening exercise that has ever been carried out in the country. Hence, their was a geometrical increase in the rate of poverty, hunger and disease in the state.
These were coupled with a breakdown in vital socio-economic sector of the state such as the educational, transport, agricultural, health, infrastructural and rural development sectors.
The subsequent Paris Club refunds, ecological fund as well as the monthly federation allocations were are embezzled with nothing to show for it.
The state became financial bankrupt to the extend that it has to borrow 10billion naira in order the pay salaries and carryout other activities of government.
Now that practical situation on ground is that of confusion on the part of the government and its machinery, salary payment in the highest realm of confusion as both the government and the workers do not know who is owing who, when and how.
Higher peak of confusion is that the state who is having a debt profile of 40 billion naira is planning to access 180 billion naira loan in order to service its debts. What type of socio-economic cum political arithmetic is this? Apart from a show that the government is totally administratively confused.
With the recent asphalt overlay on our roads and the construction of a single roundabout in the state which they termed infrastructural development, people like me see what actually going on as road destruction as most of the roads are constructed without drainages which makes it a mere asphalt overlay display to deceive their various sycophants.
Moreover, infrastructural development is more than just dis-constructing roads, inflating the contract sum, awarding contracts to friends and family etc.
Now the situation is now clear, Kogi state is financially bankrupt, salaries can’t be paid unless there is bailouts or the government accesses a loan. The state Assembly is on strike because they have not been paid salaries for months. Hunger and poverty are our romantic partners.
Kogi state is in dire need of change and only me and you can effect that change using our permanent voters cards (PVCs).
Lugard House must be politically disinfected come 2019!
To be continued.
– Sam Enemama Akubor
