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Tongues have started wagging in some quarters in Kogi State over plan by the administration of Gov. Yahaya Bello to sell off 10 of the state’s properties to finance the N151 billion 2018 budget of the state.
It was gathered in Lokoja that the properties are all located in highbrow areas of Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Lokoja, the state capital.
The state Commissioner for finance, Mr Asiru Idris who confirmed this said that the plan was not hidden, saying that he made a full disclosure of the government’s intention to dispose off some assets and property before the state house of assembly recently.
He said that the properties were for outright sale and not commercializations, saying that consultants had been engaged to carry out evaluation of the properties.
“When consultants are done with the evaluation of the assets and properties , we will place adverts in newspapers for bidders,” he said.
However, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the government’s plan in totality, calling on the state government to perish the thought of selling off the “legacy properties.”
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Bode Ogunmola, stated this while reacting to the proposal by the government.
“To say the least, we consider the plot to be selfish, devilish and myopic. It is shameful that a government which is saddled with its inability to pay workers’ salary let alone executing people-oriented projects will now scheme to mortgage our collective future,” the statement said.
A cross-section of residents who spoke on the matter also cautioned the state government against selling off the property in the interest of the future of the state.
The residents who refused to disclose their identities urged the government to think out of box and come up with ways of financing of its budget deficit in stead of selling off their collective property.
Idris, however, dismissed the fears raised by the PDP and the residents, saying that the process to sell off the properties outrightly was already in the process.
He listed the properties slated for sale to include the Confluence Beach Hotel, Lokoja, Kogi Hotels, GRA, Lokoja, Kogi State Liaison Office, Ikeja-Lagos GRA, Kogi State Liaison Office, GRA, Kaduna and Lokoja International Market, Lokoja.
Others, according to him are the 12-story Kogi House in Abuja, the vast Commissioners’ quarters in Lokoja and the state house of assembly quarters in Lokoja.
It would be recall that many of the properties being planned for sale were built from 1991 to 1993 and from 1999 to 2003 by the first civilian executive governor of the state, late Alhaji Abuabakar Audu.
The Lokoja International Market and the 12- story Kogi House, Abuja were added by the administrations of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and Capt. Idris Wada.
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