THE STATE OF KOGI STATE
SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO OF KOGI STATE AT A STAKEHOLDERS INTERACTIVE SESSION HELD AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE LOKOJA
PROTOCOLS
INTRODUCTION
I welcome you all to this interactive session. It is a timeout for heart to heart talk amongst stakeholders in the Kogi New Direction Agenda. Everyone here is a leader at one level or the other in the State and while the buck stops at my table as the Governor, I choose to govern by only democratic precepts which require that consultations such as this one be frequent and frank. I called for this meeting because there is a need for us to tell ourselves some home truths.Ordinarily, we should be slowing down for Sallah and allowing the muslim ummah to focus on their devotions and last minute preparations. However wisdom and good governance demand that we respond quickly and decisively to some recent events. I am therefore glad you could make this meeting despite the short notice. Your selfless response to this invitation is, in my opinion, a signal of your commitment to the prosperity and progress of Kogi State.Chief among the 'recent events' I referred to above is the fact that our state is under attack from wicked people. Some of them are hiding in plain sight among us while others steal in from outside to wreak their havoc and vanish. Some act personally, others by proxy. In all cases, their main aim is the distortion of the actions of both the government and the governed in order to to cause mischief and disaffection. Their chief weapon has been lies and deliberate falsehoods.We have handed them defeat after defeat and we will not stop. At the polls, they failed, some twice. At the Tribunals and courts, they failed a record 9 times in one week. In their brand of pettypolitics they have failed innumerable times as again and again as their stratagems collapsed. Asyou can all attest, ours is a divine mandate safeguarded by the Hands of the Almighty and our own iron will to contend with anyone or anything that tries to foist on us anything less than the Will of the Almighty. For as many times as they are foolhardy enough to come after us by any way or means at all, for so many times will they continue to lose with ignominy.We have therefore summoned you today assure you that you are on the winning team and to arm you with the weapons of truth. When you leave here your questions will be answered, your worries assuaged and your capability to answer the questions of your constituents strengthened. After this speech, several key functionaries of the Administration will brief you on aspects of our governance that impinge on their portfolios and you can ask questions, any questions.
CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSION REFORMSIn my Inaugural Speech, Civil Service and Pension Reforms were a key promise. We knew the system had become very rotten and criminally bloated. The monthly wage bill was outstripping the monthly Federal allocations at a time Crude Oil dependent economies like ours were suffering from a global crash in prices. We set up the Screening Committee to tackle the menace of ghost workers, clean up the Civil Service and free up valuable funds for the business of governance.We ensured that Labour had a front row seat in that Committee and we have treated them with the requisite respect up till now. At a point they reported problems with the first Chairman of the Committee and after we looked into their complaints, we found reasons to change him and fill his position with another candidate almost unilaterally chosen by Labour. The screening exercise is gradually winding down and I give you my words that it was worth every effort and resource we put into it.There was no way our Civil Service would not have collapsed under the weight of the fraudulent outgoings it was overloaded with in past Administrations. It was only a matter of time before total non-payment of salaries and emoluments or the tiny part-payments which had become the norm in successive past administrationswould have erupted in a massive uprising by suffering Civil Servants that would have crippled this state.Our disappointment is that as we speak, the Labour leaders seem to have turned their backs on the spirit of camaraderie with which we started. There is supposed to be a strike ongoing in Kogi State called by the very same Labour leaders who we placed in the forefront of the screening exercise and who saw firsthand the corruption that was unearthed nearly everywhere by the exercise. I am glad to use the word, 'supposed', to describe the ill-fated strike because our workers turned up for work as usual while those not physically in the offices could be found at the screening centre or the participating banks putting their houses in order.Frankly, we do not frankly understand the motivation of our labour leaders for trying to instigate an industrial action at this critical point, and we have tried really hard to understand their motivesso that we may empathize and perhaps make amends. As at this moment, we still cannot find cogent reasons for it. Maybe they can help us clear that up today. I trust the Labour Delegation who were duly invited to this emergency meeting like everyone else will enlighten us on what we have done wrong as an Administration at any time during the Screening Exercise to provoke their anger.
MATTERS ARISING
1. Tax Rebates: We have been approached to grant tax rebates and reduce the taxes payable across board but we have had to say a firm NO. Taxes are the way forward globally, and more particularly so in the present socioeconomic challenges in Nigeria. It is the the heart of our reinvented Internally Generated Revenue Policy. Anyone who loves the progress of Kogi State will not ask for tax rebates or exemptions of any kind now. Our position has not gone down well with some people and they have it clear. Their displeasure is noted, but the answer is still NO.4. Continuing Strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), KSU Branch: This is very unfortunate to say the least, especially as Tertiary Institutions were the first line charge in the disbursement of the bailout. They have received 4 out of the 5 months of salaries outstanding, but they keep asking for preferential treatment which we cannot accommodate now. Other sections of the service need to be considered too. Happily, we have only accessed only 40% of the bailout funds approved for us. We will continue to proportionatelyrevisit ASUU members' entitlements as we access more, but right now I urge them to return to the classroom. Our children need to be taught. Money can be paid but lost lives and opportunities cannot and our students are in danger of both each day they remain out of the classroom.5. 2015 IMPROMPTU EMPLOYMENTS: The past Administration does not cease to amaze us with her fecklessness in governance. How a government that could not pay her existing workers could find wisdom in further bloating the workforce in the twilight of her tenure is a major puzzle. All employments made in 2015 remain suspended till further notice. We will dispassionatelyreview them in the light of the current realities and decide way forward with compassion.6. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY: We have granted autonomy to the 21 LGAs of Kogi Stateand there is no going back on that. Every lobbying to reverse this should be deemed a failure from inception. We have a firm handle on the Administrators and their Teams and will know if they embrace corrupt practices and we will deal with them appropriately.
CONCLUSIONThis meeting was conceived to bring all participants of goodwill up to speed on the activities of government so they can interpret current happenings in the light of the facts and inform their constituents appropriately. By giving you information today, we expect you will be better positioned to make informed decisions about the programmes and efforts of government and communicate same clearly to your constituents so we can combat the pernicious lies peddled byour detractors together.Thank you once again for coming.God bless Nigeria.God bless Kogi State.God bless you.
HIS EXCELLENCYGOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO 4TH EXECUTIVE GOVERNORKOGI STATE 4TH JULY, 2016.