The Chairman, Kogi State Chapter of Advanced Peoples
Democratic Alliance (APDA), Hon. Abdulmumini Ibrahim
has berated the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello for being
economical with the truth on why it is not paying workers’
salaries.
Reacting to claims by Kogi state government that huge loan
servicing is responsible for its inability to pay the salaries of
its workers regularly, Abdulmumini said the excuse is not
tenable.
In a chat with newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday, the opposition
party chieftain said citizens of the state are aware of most of
the loans accessed by previous administrations in the state.
He stated that it is appalling to hear that the state government
is giving lame excuses despite the N20billion bailout, first and
second tranches of Paris Club refund accessed by the
government.
“Kogi people are not intellectually bankrupt. We know about
some of these loans and what they were meant for. The
N20billion bond secured by the immediate past government of
Captain Idris Wada was meant for the construction of the
main road in Lokoja, a new road from Ganaja to Otokiti, the
Kogi House in Abuja, Kogi Hotels and other infrastructures.
We are also aware that the past government accessed less than
fifty percent of the bond before expiration of the tenure. The
funds released in two tranches was around N8.6billion. Work
started on these projects but the current government has
abandoned all.
“As a state lawmaker when the bond was applied for, I knew
about the facility. I objected to the concentration of utilization
of the fund in a single local government without taking other
local governments into consideration.
“Wada applied for N50.8billion bail-out fund to defray salary
arrears but could not access a dime before he left office.
Rather, the current government have accessed N20billion out
of the N50.8billion applied for.
“All governments inherit debts and are paying workers their
entitlements. Take Plateau state for example, the APC
government of Governor Lalong inherited uncompleted
projects and about 7 months backlogs of salary arrears from
the PDP-led government of Senator Jonah Jang. As we speak,
Plateau state government has cleared all salary arrears and
now paying workers as at when due. This is verifiable. How
did he achieve this despite inheriting about a hundred billion
Naira debts? Lalong did not abandon inherited uncompleted
projects, rather, he has completed about ninety percent of
these projects.
“It is unwise to say the state’s debt burden is an excuse for not
paying salaries. It is appalling. Kogi State government should
take advantage of the youthfulness and energy that youths are
normally blessed with. Members of the executive and
legislature in the state are largely youths, we should not be
where we are today. They should deploy this energy in pulling
the state out of doldrums and desist from giving lame excuses.
“Unlike Plateau, Kogi inherited three months salary arrears.
Past governments paid Kogi state workers hundred percent
salaries unlike what is obtainable now.
“Kogi state government must come out clean on its true
financial status,” he said.
Abdulmumini called on the State House of Assembly to pass a
Bill that will ensure future aspirants get to know the debt
profile of the state to avoid another regime of excuses in the
future.
He commended the two factions of the All Progressive
Congress (APC) in the state for conducting their parallel
congresses without rancour and violence.
The APDA chairman said the party should have employed
crisis management mechanisms to organise a single and united
congress. He said shows leadership deficiencies in the APC.
“We commend the different APC factions for not allowing the
parallel congresses to snowball into violence. We don’t know
which faction to congratulate but wish the two factional
chairmen, Haddy Ametuo and Abdullahi Bello best of luck.”

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