Kogi State deputy governor, Elder Simon Achuba has described claims by the state government that it has cleared all salary arrears as untrue.
In an interview published by The Cable, Achuba noted aside owing state workers balance of percentage salaries paid in August, September, October, November and December last year, there are still workers owed between 14 and 20 months arrears by the Yahaya Bello-led administration.
“The salary issue has become so muddled up, it is difficult to resolve under his administration. It is going to linger beyond him because the lieutenants he has are even the ones frustrating it. Whether he is part of it or not, I would not know, but as the head, when things are going wrong and you are not correcting it, you are part of it,” he said.
He laughed off his proclaimed suspension by the chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC). He insisted that he is still an active member of the ruling party.
“The issue of my suspension is a laughable one. And as we are talking, I am just laughing. It is of no effect because in Kogi state we have two factions of exco (the party executive) and the issue is before a court of competent jurisdiction. And which faction is the authentic faction?
“Secondly, if you are starting suspension, you start from the person’s ward, and then you move to the local government and then come to the state and all that. And of course, what they have done is like they are saying, ‘this man has given us so much heat. What can we do? Help us at least to hit him back and put him in bad light before the public. That is the reason why they teamed up with the announcement that I have been suspended. I have not been suspended at all.
“Whether the governor is behind it or not, it does not make any sense to me. The fact is that I am not suspended.”
