Governor Yahaya Bello, the first youthful governor of Kogi state with no prior political and public service experience has again shown that he is incompetent and not ready to learn on the job.
The delay in the presentation of the 2017 Appropriation bill by the Governor would worsen the standard of living of people of Kogi State. I feel strongly that with the delay, the level of corrupt practices in this government would increase owing to the late implementation of capital votes, spending without appropriation, thereby scuttle proper monitoring of budget implementation .
At a time when a most states Assembly have received the 2017 budget proposals submitted by their various governors, and even the slow-paced President Muhammadu Buhari has submitted the federal government’s proposal as well, nothing has happened in Kogi state. With just two week left into January 2017, Governor Yahaya Bello is yet to submit his budget proposal to the state assembly.
It is disheartening to see that governance has been reduced to child play in Kogi state, and the lingering suffering of the citizens mean nothing to the Governor who so much believes that he is divine and whatever he does is an act of God, including non payment if salaries and pension to civil servants and retirees respectively.
Governor Bello has has the habit of undermining the state Assembly, and this development is ugly with corrupt intent. Bello is a genius when it comes to flaunting due process and spending fund without appropriation, and this anomaly is becoming recurring decimal due to the inability of the state Assembly to understand her power and capacity to effectively discharged her duties.
Spending money without recourse to law makers for approval is an impeachable offense which he, Bello has committed more than all of his predecessor combined. Sadly, Kogi State Assembly has refused to budge, in fact, they see little reason to do so.
Called it toothless dog you may not be far from reality, based on the fact that Bello has spent billions in buying cars some months back before approaching the state assembly for virement which he got easily, thereby reducing kogi state Assembly to mere rubber stamp, and state annual budget to mere ritual.
The implication of delay in budget presentation is that the budget is going to be presented very late and it may not be ready until the end of the first quarter of 2017, which will create room for Bello to spend tax payers money with reckless abandon.
These implications are not funny for the administration of the Kogi people .
– Usman Okai Austin
National Cordinator PDPNYF.
