From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Gov Bello
The Kogi State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has debunked some Online Publication that Directors of Local Government(DLGs), in the state were in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged illegal remittance of N630million from the allocation of council areas to Governor Yahaya Bello.
The Ministry in a statement signed by Akpata Jordan, the Ministry’s public relations officer and made available to journalists in Lokoja, maintained that no DLGs is in the custody of EFCC.
The statement described the purported publication as the hand work of mischief makers who are bent on smearing the good reputation built by the Ministry under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello and the Special Adviser of the Ministry, Engr. Abubakar Ohere.
The statement pointed out that there was never a meeting called by the governor to meet with DLGS as was alleged for such remittance describing it as lies targeted at tarnishing the good image of the governor.
It noted that the present government has made transparency and accountability in the affairs of Local Government administration a priority through the granting of autonomy and direct control of their finances by the Local Councils.
The ministry also described the news online report as a figment of the imagination of those who concocted the story, pointing out that the governor is too decent , civil, having fought corruption head long since he assumed office and could not have descended so low to force, coerce and asked Directors of Local Government to hand over N30 million each to him.
The statement attributed the allegation to gross ignorance on the part of the mischief makers who think that a Director of Local Government can single handedly withdraw N30million in cash and hand over same to a governor.
It cautioned online bloggers to always cross-check their facts, with a sense of balance from the Ministry before publication.
The statement therefore urged the public to disregard the said online publication as no meeting was ever called by Governor Bello with the DLGs and that no DLG from the State has ever been invited by the EFCC for allegedly given out the sum of N30million each and N630 million cumulatively as was alleged in the ill-fated publication.
