Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State

By Richard Elesho

The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, has described as puerile ithe defense of the Kogi state government over its inability to pay the state workers arrears of salaries ranging from 4-22 months.

The PDP also said the state Government and her agents had “descended into a new low” for justifying Governor Yahaya Bello’s recent procurement and launching of a private castle in Okene, his ancestral home, when civil servants are suffering due to unpaid salary arrears.

The governor’s spokesman, Kingsley Fanwo had over the weekend in defense of his boss said the PDP was clutching to the irrelevant. “When has it become a sin to own a house? He queried in disbelief. “The issue of salaries have been the only item on the tray of the opposition. We have done very well in paying salaries and it will get better.” Fanwo declared.

Fanwo further accused the two previous PDP administration’s in the state of using public funds for ‘building’ and ‘remodeling’ hotels in Abuja and owing Four months salaries.

Reacting yesterday, the PDP through its Director of Research and Documentation, Achadu Dickson said, “The PDP under former Governor Ibrahim Idris, and his successor, Capt. Idris Wada ran the most responsible and responsive administrations ever known in the State. Ibro’s landmark achievements in the construction of over 1,500 housing units, Confluence Stadium, establishment of the International market, Specialist Hospital and Referral Centre, 24-hour water supply through greater Lokoja water scheme, and dualization of all major roads in the state capital among others are legacies that stand him head over shoulder above his peers.

“More importantly, the Nine years Ibro spent in government has remained the golden era of peace, welfare and development in the state till date. Salaries and allowances were paid as and when due, not a single month was owed all through the period, Bursaries and scholarships were paid to all deserving students in tertiary institutions and WAEC/ NECO fees were paid for all final year secondary school students without prejudice. Not a single case of kidnapping was reported in the state at that time.

“Fanwo’s allusion to hotels in Abuja is an ungodly and cowardly diversion. This is most unfortunate. It is a known fact that Alhaji Ibrahim Idris has been a successful businessman for decades before his foray into partisan politics and governorship. His ‘Ibro Hotels’ in Abuja (whose seed was planted in 1982) was the first Five-star hotel in the nation’s capital and has remained one of the most successful names in Nigeria’s hospitality industry till date. Like his hotel, Ibro had private houses in many towns across the country long before he became governor. It is instructive however, to note that Ibro houses are modest duplexes of about Four rooms, each.

“No one begrudges Bello his inalienable right to own a palace, especially in his home town. What we frown at, is the pompous and insensitive display of opulence while inflicting pains on the masses through unpaid salaries. We also consider the grandeur of the Okene edifice as a rude throwback to the castle of Mobutu Tsetsetseko, the late despised dictator of Zaire. Worse still, Bello degraded our humanity when he perched on the pent house of his palace and amused himself by randomly throwing crumbs of Naira notes on a famished crowd in his compound.

“This is where Bello and his praise singers miss the point. Our religions, customs and consciences condemn not paying a laborer, his wages. Nothing is more relevant in today’s Kogi State than hunger and government’s Satanic refusal to honour its obligations to workers. As long as salaries are not paid and bad governance remains the order of the day, they will continue to dominate public discussions in the state. This cannot be swept under the carpet by any impulsive charade. Indeed, the government cannot gag our mouth.”

On Bello’s immediate predecessor, Dickson said, “Fanwo is the one eager to rewrite history. He has serially accused the last PDP government under Capt. Wada of frittering away allocations that accrued to the state during the last Four months of the tenure. How untrue! Allocations for January 2016 was not received by Wada, but Bello. He was therefore effectively owing 3-month when his administration came to a close in January, 2016.

“We advise Bello to come off his high horse of self illusion that his so far disastrous days in power are open-ended and akin to immortality. Like all things timeous, he should be guided that his days of sojourn in Lugard House are numbered. He should thread softly, tamper his madcap escapades and begin to work in order to earn a better place in history. His infantile style of attacking PDP leaders will not deliver him when the chips are down.”