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  • Kogi guber: Miyetti Allah endorses Yahaya Bello

    Kogi guber: Miyetti Allah endorses Yahaya Bello

    The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has adopted Gov. Yahaya Bello as its candidate for the forthcoming Nov. 16 governorship election in the state.

    The National Organising Secretary of the group, Alhaji Aliyu Saleh, who made the declaration at a news conference in Lokoja on Saturday, directed Fulanis in the state to immediately embark on Ruga-to-Ruga campaign for the re-election of Bello.

    Saleh said that the group decided to support the governor for providing a secure environment for Fulanis to operate in the state.

    “We are also supporting the governor for approving free Contagious Bovine Plurol Pheneumonia (CBPP) vaccination for over 23, 000 cows belonging to our members in the state ,” he said.

    The group also commended Bello for putting in place measures which had led to a reduction in clashes between farmers and herders in the state.

    It also stated that the governor had given its members a sense of belonging by appointing one of them into his cabinet and by making their leaders members of the traditional councils at the state and local government levels.

    The national organising secretary, who was flanked by the state Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Umaru Jaido, also said that they decided to endorse Bello’s candidature because of their love for President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Abubakar Ohere, who received the endorsement document on behalf of the governor, thanked the group for adopting Bello as its candidate.

    Ohere described Gov. Bello as a leader with a large heart, saying that his priority had always been to provide security for all, irrespective of tribe and religion.

    He said that Bello decided to include Fulani leaders in the traditional council to reduce communal clash, especially between farmers and herders.

    While thanking the association for the endorsement, the commissioner said the gesture would propel Bello to do more for the people of the state.

  • Pay our 39 months salary arrears, Kogi teachers beg Gov. Bello

    Over 7,000 teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools in Kogi State have appealed to Gov. Yahaya Bello to look into the issue of non-payment of their salary for the past eight to 39 months.

    The Kogi teachers made the appeal in a communique issued at the end an emergency meeting of the Basic Education Staff Association of Nigeria (BASAN) held in Lokoja on Monday .

    The group traced the teachers’ plight to the staff screening exercise the government embarked upon since 2016, lamenting that the affected teachers had turned beggers in order to feed themselves and family members.

    According to BESAN, the affected teachers are among over 23,000 of its members in the state.

    The communique, jointly signed by Mr Onotu Yahaya and Mr Mohammed Sule, Acting Chairman and Secretary of the Kogi State chapter of BESAN, also bemoaned the refusal of the state government to fully implement the N18,000 minimum wage to teachers in the basic education sector.

    Onotu and Sule stated that their counterparts in the senior secondary school cadre and other state government staff had been enjoying the N18,000 minimum wage since Dec. 2011, wondering why teaching and non-teaching staff at the basic education sector were not being fully paid.

    The communique urged the government to put a stop to the payment of 35 to 50 per cent salary to its members, insisting that they deserved full payment of salary like other workers in the state.

    “Several of the basic education staff retirees are yet to access their monthly pensions besides non-payment of their gratuity,” the statement said.

    They expressed worry over what incessant movement of payment of their salary among the State Universal Basic Education Board, local government councils and sometimes, consultants, saying that this had mitigated against efforts to ascertain actual staff strength in the sector.

    It also raised concern over the poor state of basic education infrastructure in schools across the state, warning that the development was an impediment in meeting the desired productive curriculum delivery.

    “We are passionately appealing to Gov. Bello for intervention on the above inflammatory issues for the change mantra of the next level and change of narration of this critical sector of education,” the communique added.

  • Kogi poll: INEC clears Yahaya Bello, Wada, 49 others [Full List]

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 51 candidates and their deputies to contest the Nov. 16 governorship election in Kogi.

    The names of the cleared candidates and their details were on Friday made public in Lokoja by the INEC.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five of those cleared as governorship candidates are women while the rest are men.

    It was also observed that seven women were cleared to contest the election as deputy governors.

    Those cleared to contest the election include the incumbent governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mrs Justina Abanida od the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    Also given the nod to contest tue governorship election are Miss Natadha Akppti of the SDP, Mr Ibrahim Itodo of ZLP, Mr Idris Abegunde of NNPP, Mr Abu Omogani, UPC, Abdulahi Mohammed, Accord Party, Mr Abdulmalik Mohammed, HDP , Mr Shaibu Sani Teidi, YDP and Me Dele Bello-Williams of the GDPN.

    Others are Mr Umar Zekeri ABP, Mr Chinga David, YPP, Mr Ndako Tanko, ADP, Mr Kabir Abdulwasiu, AAC, Mr Abdulhamid Yusuf, AAP, Mrs Anne Oluwaseun , DPC, Mr Danjuma Mohammed, MRDD, Mr Mohammed Dangana, NCP, Mr Alonge Methusela, Mega Party, Mr Niyi Ejibunu, AGAP, Mr Abdulrazak Emeje, UDP, and Mr Godwin Atawodi, DA.

    Me Ephraim Medupin, AD, Mr Musa Sadiq, APP, Mr Victor Akubo, UPP, Mrs Harirat Yakibu, LP, Mr Alfa Oboy, JMPP, Mr Atiku Isah, ANP, Mr Ayodele Ajibola, PRP, , Sheik Ibrahim Jibril, APGA, Mr Samuel Abolarin, ASD, Mr Okpanachi Nichol, KOWA, Rev. Moses Dridu, PPN, Mr Ikwueje Samuel, PDC, and Mr Jimoh Yusuf, MAJA, were also cleared for the election.

    The INEC also cleared Mr Orugun Emmanuel of ANRP, Mrs Grace Adepoju, MMN, Mr Idris Isah, CAP, Mr Sule Daniel, SNG, , Mr Mohammed Aliu, NPC, Mr Noah Abiodun, PPA, Mr Obagaye Raphael, BNPP, Mr Yisuf Dantale, APM, Mr Usman Imam, DP, Mr Victor Akubo, GPN, Mr Ukuwonu Joseph, PPN, Mr Elegbe Amos, PDC, Mr Usman Salifu, ANDP and Mr Yusuf Nagari of APA.

  • You can’t get refund, Oshiomhole tells Kogi APC aspirants who lost to Gov Bello

    You can’t get refund, Oshiomhole tells Kogi APC aspirants who lost to Gov Bello

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Thursday dashed the hope of a possible refund of money to aspirants who lost the party’s governorship ticket in the just-concluded Kogi primary.

    Oshiomhole, who was addressing newsmen after meeting with the 16 aspirants, said the party has a tradition which has to be maintained.

    Out of the 16 aspirants that bought the nomination and expression of interest form at the cost of N22.5 million, seven of them were not cleared to participate in the exercise for various reasons.

    But nine others, including Governor Yahaya Bello, who won the ticket, were cleared.

    Oshiomhole said: “Our party is guided by rules. If there are issues that we need to discuss, those are APC issues and not meant for the Press.

    “We are not doing election for the first time. We have traditions and we don’t have any application before us.”

    He added: “This afternoon, we had extensive conversation as APC family to talk through issues arising from the Kogi state governorship primary which was conducted last week.

    “I am sure that you know some of those who participated or attempted to participate in the process. They are men and women who, by any criteria can be said to be fit and proper persons to govern a state.

    “But as you know, in democracy, if you have 16 angels as we had seeking the mandate of the people to produce just one person as governor, it means that 15 angels will not get it.

    “So, winning or losing a primary is not a statement of your integrity, you capacity, your capability or your intellect. It is simply a fact that once you have more than one candidate and you have only one vacancy, only one person will win.

    “As you already know, Governor Badaru of Jigawa state led the team that conducted the primary in Kogi state and have declared Governor Yahaya Bello as the winner of that exercise.

    “We therefore decided to invite all those who participated in the process or wanted to participate and for one reason or the other, were not able to do so to have a conversation on the need to put the conduct of that process behind us.

    “Usually in every campaign, aspirants tends to bad mouth each other, while trying to project themselves and people could fee injured, people could get angry over statements made. In our own part of the country, there can also be issues of how the exercise was conducted, whether it was free or not free.

    “I want to thank all those who participated in the process and to thank our party members in Kogi state and going forward, to thank the good people of Kogi state who do not belong to any political party and whose future, our party is committed to improving by using the instrument of state in a way that will add value to the lives of the people of Kogi state.”

    The APC chairman announced that all those who lost out in the process have assured the party that will not challenge the outcome of the exercise in court, but will work for the success of the party during the election.

  • Kogi governorship: Bello emergence a walk over victory for us – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Monday that with Gov. Yahaya Bello as the APC flag bearer it would easily win the Nov. 16 governorship election in Kogi. Mr Bode Ogunmola, the PDP spokesman in the state, made the remark in a statement in Lokoja.

    Ogunmola said the poor performance of the governor in the last three and half years and public resentment against his administration would ensure “a sweat-less victory’’ for PDP.

    “PDP has long been praying for the APC to make the mistake of re-presenting Bello for the governorship poll. “It is a well known fact that the governor cannot win any local government in Kogi due to his poor performance, and the way and manner the resources of the state is being massively looted.

    “His desperation to return is to save himself from going to prison over looted funds. That was why he had to spend hugely to get strong contenders disqualified. “If he succeeds in fooling the leadership of his party and the delegates, we are confident that he cannot fool Kogi electorate who are victims of his monumental misgovernance,’’ Ogunmola said.

    However, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the Director-General of Media and Publicity of the governor, assured that Bello would continue to concentrate on governance in spite of preparations for the Nov. 16 poll. Reacting to the PDP’s statement, Fanwo told newsmen that the governor would not bandy words as he had responded adequately to the PDP in February and March (general elections) with unprecedented defeat.

    “We are even stronger going into the November Governorship election. The governor won’t talk. He believes in allowing his results speak for him,” Fanwo said. He stressed that delivering democracy dividends to the people would continue to remain “on the front burner of the present administration”. “Gov. Bello will not remove his feet from the pedals of governance and in his drive to deliver democracy dividends to the people of the state”.

    Fanwo said the governor had remained “humble in victory”, saying the best way to react to the ‘stupendous victory’ at the primaries was to continue to give his best to the people. According to him, the governor will campaign with the work he has done since taking over the mantle of leadership in the confluence state.

    “GYB is gradually redefining governance and politics. While others talk, he works and his work speaks for him. “The naysayers said he was not popular and he defeated the opposition in the general elections like never before in the political history of our dear state. “The Aug. 29 governorship primaries in the state have again made a resounding attestation to his political credentials. ‘“In victory, he has remained humble.

    He has stretched an olive branch to all contestants in the primaries to join hands with him to deliver victory to the APC on Nov. 16. “As we continue our electioneering, our projects will continue and those completed will be commissioned. ‘“Gov. Bello was elected to serve and he will continue to serve even into his second term in office,’’ he said. The director-general urged the people to remain steadfast in supporting Bello’s administration, assuring that they would never be disappointed.

  • Kogi: Presidency wades in as Gov Bello denies deputy entitlements worth N819m in two years

    The Presidency on Friday summoned Kogi Deputy Governor Simon Achuba to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, over the ongoing misunderstanding between him and the Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
    Achuba had complained that Bello deliberately denied him his accumulated entitlements amounting to N819.7million, and issued an ultimatum to the state government for the payment of the said amount.
    According to him, the amount comprises travel allowances, hotel bills, outstanding monthly imprest, as well as allowances and salaries.
    The deputy governor, who met with the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, behind closed doors, did not reveal details of the deliberation when asked by anxious State House correspondents.
    He, however, revealed that discussions were ongoing to resolve the `problems’ between him and the state governor who, he said, was responsible for the stoppage of his allowances for the past two years.
    “Well, it is a private discussion in relation to my office. From my discussions with him, there is hope that all the issues will be resolved. With God, all things are possible,’’ he said.
    On how he has been `coping’ as deputy governor without allowances and imprest in the past two years, Achuba said: “Well, you know in life what sustains a man is God. So if your hope is in God, you will be very much alive.
    “If you have money and don’t have God, you will be living like a dead person. But if you have God you can live, He is the one who provides to man.
    “So, if one source closes, God opens another source for you to live. Supposing I was not a Deputy Governor, won’t I be alive?”
    On whether he will support or contest against Gov. Bello, who has since indicated interest in the governorship election slated for November, the deputy governor ruled out the possibility of doing that in spite of what he described as `unfair treatment’ being meted against him by his boss.

  • Kogi guber: Bello picks APC nomination form, says those accusing him of nonperformance are strangers

    Kogi guber: Bello picks APC nomination form, says those accusing him of nonperformance are strangers

    Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, on Wednesday, became the first aspirant to pick the governorship nomination and expression of interest form to contest the APC governorship primary, saying that those accusing him of non-performance are diaspora Kogites.
    Bello also said his accusers will be shocked when President Muhammadu Buhari come to commission a number of projects in the state within the next few weeks.
    Speaking with journalists shortly after collecting his nomination form at the APC secretariat, Bello said those accusing him of not delivering on his campaign promises are those who never visit the state.
    Bello said his developmental projects are quite visible for the people of the state to see, saying “my developmental footprints can be felt, seen, touched and smelt by all”.
    The governor also dismissed the position of some 20 aspirants of the APC in the state to the effect that the party has been broken into factions, saying the APC under him remained one.
    Gov. Bello said it was criminal for anyone to have gone to court to depose to an affidavit to continue a case that had been withdrawn by the former party chairman.
    “Hadi Ametuo was the leader of his own group, I don’t want to call it a faction because there were never factions in Kogi APC. But his own group felt aggrieved that they were never carried along in the scheme of things. For us, as a party to go into the elections and win overwhelmingly, we have to bring everybody on board.
    “The issue of Kogi state APC being in court has been withdrawn. Anybody that is parading himself to say that there is a case in court, I will rather advise such person not to tow the path of criminality because you cannot depose to an affidavit in the absence of the right person who is supposed to do so. Kogi state is not known for criminality. APC is not known for criminality”.
    He advised those who are aggrieved with him to close ranks and join him to deliver the state to the APC during the governorship elections.
    He said; “When you talk of anybody accusing me of not delivering on our mandate or dividends of democracy to the people of Kogi state, they are probably those who are living outside Kogi state. If they are actually living in Kogi state, if they cannot see it, they will feel it, because if I start to list all that I have achieved in Kogi state, I do not think 24 hours will be enough for me. But I can say it that Kogi state used to be a haven for criminality, kidnapping, armed robbery, thuggery and the rest – these things are becoming things of the past. That is number one.
    “Number two, if you talk of infrastructure, it litters everywhere across the three Senatorial Districts and in weeks ahead, Mr. President will be in Kogi state to commission projects and commission projects and commission projects. Again, one other very important achievement is the unity that you see today. The issue of marginalization has become a thing of the past because we are running an all-inclusive government. Any person that is parading that we did nothing, that person is a diaspora person”.
    Former Chairman of the party in the state whose faction went to court to challenge the emergence of the present leadership in the state, Alhaji Hadi Ametuo faulted other aspirants who had kicked against the use of indirect method of primaries, accusing them of impersonation.
    Ametuo said he had personally deposed to an affidavit and instituted a case against the governor’s recognized Alhaji Abdullahi Bello-led Kogi state APC, adding that he has withdrawn the case from court to allow for a landslide victory for the party in the coming elections.
    He said; “I am the immediate past state chairman of APC. I am a bonafide member of APC. I built the party in the state. I distanced myself when I felt that I and my people were not carried along. The former national chairman initiated a lot of reconciliation moves but there was no headway. Gov. Bello took it upon himself to initiate peace moves. We met him when he called us on June 26. I and my team met him and he said he is ready to reconcile with us. The next day we met with the stakeholders of the party and explained our position to them.
    “I was the one that took the party to court and I said what next after reconciliation? So, I withdrew because I cannot destroy my own party. I single-handedly went to the court to file the suit and depose to an affidavit. How can those who did not initiate the case say the case is still in court?”, he said.

  • I’ll get second term easily, Yahaya Bello boasts

    I’ll get second term easily, Yahaya Bello boasts

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Friday declared that he is losing no sleep over winning his reelection in November.

    According to him, he will easily win the election with wide margin.

    He spoke with State House journalists after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said “I am the Governor today and Insha Allah, l will return back as the Governor for another four years, after the November 16 election.

    “As for the ticket, the analogy is that the tenant cannot send the landlord out of his house. So, APC in Kogi state was rebuilt by me, after the good job done by our late leader, His Excellency, Prince Abubakar Audu.

    “After his demise, l came, rebuilt it from the scratch to what it is today. That is evident in the last outing of the party where we had 25/25, in the State House of Assembly.

    “We also won 7 out of the 9 contested positions in the House of Representatives and two out of the three Senators representing Kogi state in the Senate.

    “So, anybody that is making such noise, does not disturb me, because, in the market place, noise is allowed. You know, in Kogi politics is the loudest, so people must make noise and you can’t stop that.

    “But surely, l am very good with my party from the local government to the national level. They know that l am the leader of the party in my state. I have built it and it is very strong. Anytime, any day, we will win elections in landslide.

    “That l am going to win in the primaries is given by the grace of God, by whichever means, direct or indirect,” he said

    The governor added “Secondly, in the November Governorship election, we are not just talking of winning, we are looking at the margins. The margin is going to be such that whoever comes far second, will be discouraged to go to court.”

    On the significance of declaration of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, he said that Nigerians cannot thank President Buhari enough for the masterstroke of recognizing an icon synonymous with democracy, the late Chief MKO Abiola.

    He said “I think something would have been wrong if he had not done this. For effectively doing it well, we can’t thank him enough. It is so significant for us and the future generation to know that this man paid the supreme price for the democracy we are enjoying today.

    “We continue to pray for him to do more for the country. He has blazed the trail. It’s significance for politics and politicians

    “It politics, we have to be real we are in this politics to serve. Chief MKO Abiola was out to serve us. He was denied. President Muhammadu Buhari is serving us and he has also recognized the man who paid the supreme sacrifice and what this means is that we must remain real and have the interest of the masses at heart and serve them to the best of our ability.” he said

    On what Nigerians should expect from the party as it is now heading the National Assembly leadership, he said that programs and projects will now be quickly and easily implemented.

    He said “You are going to see government at ease in the next level. Programs, projects and every policies of government, you are going to see them implemented with ease unlike what we saw in the eight National Assembly.

    “You can see now that the atmosphere is very calm and everybody is happy. It shows that APC got it right this time around. So, kudos to Mr. President, leadership of our great party and leadership of the National Assembly and all the members of the National Assembly.” he said

  • Bello pays December, January salaries to Kogi workers

    Bello pays December, January salaries to Kogi workers

    The organised labour has commended the Kogi State government for the payment of December 2018 and January 2019 salaries and pensions to its workers and pensioners.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) gave the comendation in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday.

    The statement, signed by the state Chairman of the NLC, Mr Onu Edoka and his TUC counterpart, Mr Ranti Ojo,
    described the payment of the two month salaries and pensions as a huge relief.

    ” The payment of the two months salary arrears to workers and pensions would go a long way to reduce the suffering of the workers and pensioners,” the statement said.

    The labour leaders applauded government for keeping to its promise to defray the outstanding salary and pensions being owed workers and retirees.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with the payment of the two months salaries, the workers are now being owed between six and 37 months salary arrears.

    ” We appeal to the state government to sustain the current tempo of payment to enable it settle all outstanding salary arrears in due course,” Edoka and Ojo said in the statement.

    They, however, called for an improvement in the percentage of salary being paid to teachers and local government workers.

    ” Any percentage short of what was agreed with Labour will not be acceptable,” the statement added.

    The organised labour pledged its unequivocal loyalty to the government, but stressed that its main concern remained the welfare and well- being of workers and pensioners.

    Both the state chapters of the NLC and the TUC also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his successful inauguration for a second term in office.

    They also appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the release of the N30.8billion balance of the bailout fund to the state government.

    ” Its quick release will enable the state government to meet its obligations to workers and pensioners in the State,” they said.

    The unions directed workers to continue to be law abiding and to support government policies and programmes to the fullest.

  • Gov Bello collaborating with Kogi Speaker to sack Chief Judge – Judiciary alleges

    Gov Bello collaborating with Kogi Speaker to sack Chief Judge – Judiciary alleges

    The judicial arm of the Kogi State government has alleged plans by Governor Yahaya Bello to sack Justice Nasir Ajanah from office.

    The judicial service in a statement issued on Tuesday, which was signed by Saqeeb Saeed, Senior Information Officer, Kogi State Judiciary, alleged that the plot being hatched by the governor to remove Ajanah as the state’s chief judge, is to use the speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly to illegally remove the chief law officer in the state.

    The statement read: “Events in the last few days have made it necessary for the Kogi State Judiciary to issue this press statement. The Kogi State Judiciary is aware of clandestine moves by His Excellency, the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to use the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly to illegally remove the Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Nasiru Ajanah, from office over some trumped up allegations.

    “This dangerous and ill-advised move is coming from the executive inspite of the fact that the matter is now before the National Judicial Council (NJC), and there is a subsisting court order restraining the governor from doing so.

    “The governor is advised not to do anything that will plunge the state into an unnecessary constitutional crisis. Rather, he should obey the rule of law and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he swore to uphold.

    “Meanwhile workers of the judiciary should remain calm, as the rule of law shall prevail at the end.”

    As at the time of filing the report, activities at the state assembly indicate there are moves in the offing to ease Ajanah out from office as the Kogi CJ.

    It would be recalled that judicial staff members in the state had on Monday marched through some major streets of the capital, Lokoja, protesting the alleged plan to sack Ajanah as CJ.

    The speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole, had however denied knowledge of such plan.

    Kolawole who was at the government house on Monday, responded to reporters’ enquiry on the issue in the negative, saying he was unaware of the name(s) of such person(s) making the allegations.