The Kogi State gubernatorial aspirant and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sunday Umoru has strongly condemned a “prejudiced extension of local government Administrator’s tenure by the Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
Governor Bello, in a letter transmitted to the House of Assembly said his administration was not ready to conduct local government election in the state due to paucity of funds. He, therefore, sought another six months extension for the current administrators of the 21 local government areas of the state from the state house of assembly.
The new extension was the third time the governor would grant the local government administrators since they were appointed after the expiration of the democratically elected chairmen in May 2016.
In a press statement released by Chief Sunday Umoru, stated that the tenure elongation is a clear indication that Governor Bello is scared of the looming defeat of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the polls if the election was to be conducted.
“The good people of Kogi State are done with governor Bello and his APC party, and the earlier the governor realise this, the better for him to start parking his belongings because he will vacate the LUGARD HOUSE come 2019 by the special grace of God.
“I dare the governor to make a U-turn on the extension and immediately put all the needful in place to conduct the Local Government election, to test his popularity in Kogi State. I guarantee him that his APC party will woefully lose the election in all the twenty-one (21) Local Government Areas of the State.
“It’s very disheartening, that in spite of all the genuine criticism and expressions of dissatisfaction of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration by the people of Kogi State. The governor has turned his face away and also turned his deaf ears to the cry of the people and pretending that all is well.
“Governor Yahaya Bello thinks by keeping his loyalist Administrators to run the affairs of the various Local Government Areas will help him win election in 2019, perhaps with the believe that they will manipulate for him.
“Frantically, the governor must be told the truth that he has failed, and the entire people of Kogi State are all disappointed in his administration, because since Bello was imposed and installed as the governor, following the demise of Prince Abubakar Audu the supposed winner of the Kogi 2015 election, Bello’s administration has brought nothing good to the state other than destructions, hunger and poverty. The hardship became intense to the extent that some people committed suicide and many became poorer due to unpaid salaries, which is currently an epidemic issue.
“Governor Yahaya Bello is playing politics with the precious lives of the people of Kogi State by claiming that the Local Government polls cannot be conducted due to paucity of funds and sought for another six months extension to keep his administrators who are his ‘Boys’ for the sole purpose of the 2019 election.
“Similarly, the people of Kogi State are disappointed in the state House of Assembly for agreeing to Bello’s extension, and undermining the progress and the democratic system of the state with this development. This is not the kind of governance the people of Kogi State bargained for, and the actions of the governor are sabotage to both Kogi State and the Nigerian democratic system. God Help us,” he said.
