Gov Yahaya Bello ‘Starves’ Deputy Of Salary, Other Benefits, Kogi Senator Alleges

Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, has been accused of not paying his deputy’s salaries and other allowances for more than one year.

A Kogi State senator, Attai Idoko, who made the claim on the floor of the Senate, on Wednesday, hinted that all the entitlements of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Simon Achuba, have not been paid for over a year.

Idoko made the claim while contributing to a motion raised by a colleague from Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye.

Coming under Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate’s Standing Rule, Melaye raised alarm that the Government of Bello was in talks to sign a $500 million (about N180 billion) loan from the United Arab Emirates.

According Idoko, Kogi State cannot sustain the current loan the State Government is about to take.

Idoko said that it is unacceptable for the Kogi State people to accept an illegal borrowing.

He added that it is equally unacceptable for the Senate to allow the alleged borrowing.

“There are no capital projects going on in Kogi State now. For a long time now, civil servants have not been paid their salaries.

“As we speak, the impress of the Deputy Governor, his salaries and other entitlements have not been paid for over a year. Kogi State cannot sustain this loan,” Idoko stated.

Earlier, Melaye alleged that Kogi State government has approached the East–West Capital Cooperation of United Arab Emirate owned by a certain Arab called Mr. Mahmud for the loan.

Melaye, who claimed that the loan, which has been christened loan refinancing in order to avoid going to the National Assembly for approval, added that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, has guaranteed the same loan and has since signed alongside the government of Kogi State without recourse to the National Assembly as required by law.

He claimed that the loan is a plan to defraud the people of Kogi State to fund the elections in Kogi State and Presidential.

“Further disturbed that the loan is about 15 years tenure and for a two-year moratorium, while the Governor has just one year to complete his tenure is very disturbing.

“The loan is about 10 percent interest. Since the State House of Assembly is not aware, and did not approve such a fraud, it makes this loan under the table deal.

“The Senate is concerned that after three Paris Club refund to the State Government, and two Federal Government bailout funds to the State, the Governor is yet to clear or pay outstanding salaries of over one year and over two years of outstanding pension arrears.

“This money, if allowed to pass through, will go the way these other funds in the past have gone,” Melaye said.

He urged the Senate to direct the Ministry of Finance to put a stop on the illegal transaction, pending the outcome of an investigation by an ad hoc committee to be constituted by the Senate.

“The import of my motion is that while the government of Kogi State is owing N40 billion local debt he is seeking for loan of N180 billion to finance local debt. He wants to borrow to pay borrowed money.

“Even if he wants to consolidate our debt and pay, he should be borrowing exactly what we are owing. How can the State be owing N40 billion and you want to borrow N180 billion for 15 years?” he queried.

In his ruling, the Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, assigned the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts to investigate and establish, if the loan has been taken.

Saraki also told the Committee to establish the approach being used to access the loan.

Consequently, the Committee was given 48 hours to report its findings to the Senate.