The Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, has said that his seemingly unhealthy grouse with the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, had to do with Bello’s penchant for owing workers’ salaries and pension.
According to Melaye, his fight was for Kogi workers and pensioners, who were suffering and dying, following what he described as governor Bello’s non-payment of 15-month salaries and pensions.
He disclosed this in Abuja during a chat with the media on Thursday.
The Senator also disclosed that he was fighting the governor because all the tertiary institutions, including the State Polytechnic, College of Education and the University have been under lock and key for five months following the strike embarked on by the lecturers.
He added that doctors in the state have also been on strike, because of the governor’s adamancies towards the payment of salaries and pensions.
Melaye further alleged that the governor was siphoning the State’s money under the guise of Caretaker Committees and had refused to conduct local government elections in the state.
He said: “Yahaya Bello collected N20bn from the Federal Government as bailout fund. Still, he refused to settle workers.
“He also collected N11bn from the Paris Club fund. Still, he refused to pay workers and pensioners.”
“All I am asking for is good governance.
“Children can no longer go to school. Tenants can no longer pay their house rent. Enough is enough! The people of Kogi State are tired of this government
“The advent of Yahaya Bello as governor and Taofiq Isah as local government administrator in the political history of Kogi State has brought this unfortunate socio-political paradigm shift.”
