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Tag: kogi

  • JUST IN: Faleke rejects offer to run for Kogi governorship race

    JUST IN: Faleke rejects offer to run for Kogi governorship race

    Member of the House of Representatives, Hon James Abiodun Faleke, has declined offer from the people of Kogi West Senatorial district to contest the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forth coming governorship election.

    Instead, he asked the people to choose a candidate with the interest of the area at heart.

    Speaking at a meeting of stakeholders from the area in Abuja on Friday, Faleke told his people that he was back to Lagos where he was trained politically and would support any candidate selected by them, but would no support anyone who helped in truncating the aspiration of the Okun nation.

    He said he had received several calls from his people asking him to contest the party ticket, pointing out that it is better to tell the people the truth, saying they must take their destiny in their hands and negotiate with all the aspirants in the race before selecting one to support.

    He told them that as a result of the suffering of his people, he had to bend backward two years ago to reach out to Governor Yahaya Bello on the need to address the suffering of the people of the state, pointing out that the governor paid deaf ears and never showed any interest in reconciliation.

    He said he told the governor that there was the need for true reconciliation if things were to work out well for him, adding that the people of Kogi West voted for Senator Dino Melaye during the last election as a way of protesting the treatment they suffered from Governor Yahaya Bello.

    Details shortly…

  • Suspected herdsmen invade Kogi community, kill seven

    Suspected herdsmen invade Kogi community, kill seven

    Not less than seven persons have been killed in overnight attacks by suspected herdsmen in Koto-Karfe in Kogi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    It was gathered that the attacks took place in the early hours of Tuesday around 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.

    Sources in Koton-Karfe told newsmen that the suspected herdsmen had hidden in mountains surrounding the communities without the knowledge of the people.

    “However, at about 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday the suspected herdsmen numbering over thirty fully armed with AK 47 and other dangerous weapons invaded the communities and opened fire on residents.”

    According to the source, the suspected Fulani herdsmen divided themselves for the coordinated attack on the two communities.

    It was gathered that three persons died on the spot during the attack which lasted several hours.

    The Administrator of the Kogi Local Government, Barrister Muhammed Tanko who confirmed the attack said that the security agents in the state were on the top of the situation.

    He noted that the attack took them by surprise because the Koton-Karfi community was a peaceful community.

    However, the Kogi State Police Public Relation Officer Mr. William Ayah said that the Command was yet to be briefed about the attacks.

    He promised to get back to our correspondent as soon as he had details of the incident but has yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

  • Ocheje, Kogi APC chieftain, dies at 69

    Ocheje, Kogi APC chieftain, dies at 69

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi, Alhaji Ibrahim Linco Ocheje, has died at the age of 69.

    Ocheje, who until his death, was the chairman of, Kogi East Elders Advisory Council, died after a brief illness at his Ankpa residence on Friday.

    In a statement issued by Mr Onogwu Muhammed, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, in Lokoja on Saturday. Gov. Yahaya Bello described the news of Ocheje’s death as a great shock.

    Bello said Ocheje’s death was a big loss to the people of the state and Nigeria at large.

    “The news of Ocheje’s death is a great loss not only to his family and the state but to Nigeria in general, given his contributions to the political and economic development of Kogi,’’ he said.

    Bello jdescribed the deceased as a `quintessential, astute leader and businessman who devoted his life to the service of God and humanity”.

    While commiserating with members of his immediate family, political associates and friends, the governor urged them to accept the death as an act of God.

    “I urge you to take solace in the life that he lived. I have no doubt that Ocheje’s political and leadership style will continue to be felt by many.

    “I offer you our deep condolences while praying the Almighty God to grant you, the rest of your family, the grace to endure this irreparable loss,” Bello said.

    The state chairman of APC, Mr Abdulahi Bello, in a separate statement described the sudden death of one of the party’s tleaders as devastating.

    He said that Ocheje died I when his services were most needed in the party, adding that his death had created a big vacuum that would be difficult to fill.

    He, however, said that the party would take solace in the positive, impactful successes and attractive times shared with the late Ocheje during his lifetime.

    “Ocheje cannot be forgotten as far as Kogi State history is concerned.

    “We pray that God strengthen the families he left behind and may his soul rest in everlasting peace.’’ He said.

  • PDP orders fresh state congress in Kogi

    The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ordered a fresh congress to elect new officers for its Kogi State Chapter.

    The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, made this known in Lokoja on Friday.

    Ologbondiyan said that the decision to hold the congress was due to the fact that the tenure of the present state officers will come to an end on July 22.

    He, however, said that the congress will not hold at local government and ward levels of the party.

    The PDP spokesman said that a date and guidelines for the Governorship primaries of the congress will be announced in due course.

    He also confirmed that the fee of the Governorship nomination form of the party had been increased from N5 million to N10 million.

    Ologbondiyan urged all aspirants to guard against misconduct and utterances that are capable of negatively affecting the chances of the party in the Nov. 16 Governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.

  • Bello’s endorsement by Kogi monarchs is a display of poverty – Audu’s son

    The son of the former Governor of Kogi State, the late Abubakar Audu, Prince Mustapha Audu, has said the endorsement of Governor Yahaya Bello by members of Kogi State Council of Traditional Rulers is a reflection of poverty in the state.

    Audu, who is also a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, alleged that the monarchs endorsed the governor in return for financial gains.

    Recall that the traditional rulers led by Attah Igala and President, Kogi State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Majesty, Dr Idakwo Ameh Oboni Il, had on Wednesday, met President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja and presented the governor for second term.

    But addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Audu said that the monarch’s position was not a reflection of the people’s will.

    He said, “To be honest, what we saw yesterday (Wednesday) was a display of the level of poverty that is going on in Kogi State today. The traditional rulers have no business in the presidency, in support or seeking to reintroduce a governor that is supposedly the first son of the President.

    “We do not believe that the traditional rulers that were at the Villa yesterday are representatives of Kogi State. That is the truth, we have to be honest with ourselves. These rulers are setting a bad example, these rulers are showing us that their pockets are more important than the lives of our people.

    “Kogi State is a state where civil servants are committing suicide, just a week and a half ago, a lady, a civil servant got an alert on her phone, she went to the bank thinking the alert was real, it was a fake alert and she dropped dead. People are putting ropes around their necks and jumping from trees.”

  • Second Term Saga: Yahaya Bello leads Kogi traditional rulers to Buhari for endorsement

    Second Term Saga: Yahaya Bello leads Kogi traditional rulers to Buhari for endorsement

    Kogi State Traditional Rulers Council on Wednesday presented Governor Yahaya Bello to President Muhammadu Buhari for support towards his second term election in November.

    The Monarchs were led to the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by the Attah Igala, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Michael Idakwo Ameh Oboni.

    They also pleaded with the President to appoint one of their subjects as a substantive minister in his cabinet and not a minister of state.

    Briefing State House correspondents after meeting with the President, spokesman of Kogi traditional rulers, Solomon Dele Owoniyi, the Obaru of Kabba and chairman of Okun Council of Obas, said that their meeting with the President was to seek the support of the President in his second term election.

    According to him, Bello had been endorsed by the people of the state.

    He said: “We came for three basic things, one to felicitate with and congratulate him for winning the last general elections.

    “We congratulated him because the election was so hectic and so many Nigerians were confused, they didn’t know what to do.

    “But to God be the glory at the end of the day the president came back for the second term and his mandate was revalidated by most Nigerians especially in Kogi state.

    “Secondly, we came to pray for him that this last lap is very critical in the checkered history of Nigeria and it is our wish and prayer that all the aspirations of Mr. President will come to fruition without much rancour.

    “Thirdly, like the chairman of the traditional rulers said, the Attah of Igala said, he had come to upgrade what the president called the shopping list.

    “Since we voted for the president and as usual like Oliver Twist we must demand for our rights, we decided to upgrade the list of our demands from Kogi state.

    “I am pleased to inform you, ladies and gentlemen that Mr. President has graciously alluded to most of our requests and has told us to come home and tell our people that he has us at the back of his mind and that he was going to approach most of these issues as they come.

    “Fourthly, we had to reintroduce our governor to the president.

    “Some people in the social media are already saying we are playing politics, we are not playing politics we are being realistic. When you are realistic you say things as there.

    “We came to reintroduce our governor to the president and demanded for normal support since they belong to the same party, the issue of endorsement is not here, the people at home have already endorsed His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for second term, so we don’t need to re-endorsed him in Abuja here.”

  • Kogi gets new NYSC Coordinator

    Kogi gets new NYSC Coordinator

    Mr Olayiwola Lasaki has been appointed as the new Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kogi.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the former NYSC Coordinator, Mrs.Oludolapo Ahile, died on May 17, in a road accident on Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway in Nassarawa State.

    Mr Adedapo Tayo, the Assistant Director, Public Relations Unit of NYSC, in a statement on Saturday in Lokoja, said that the new coordinator assumed duty on June 6.

    Lasaki, an Assistant Director, was in NYSC office, Akure, Ondo State, until his appointment.

    Tayo said Lasaki had met with the NYSC management in the state, where he extolled the virtues of Ahile, describing her as ”an upright officer that was passionate about achieving the goals and objectives of the scheme.”

    He said that the state coordinator noted that the legacies of Ahile would long be remembered.

    Tayo added that the management of NYSC in the state, assured Lasaki of their support and promised to work with him as a team.

    He said that the state coordinator had equally paid courtesy visits to some NYSC stakeholders in Kogi, where he commended them for their support and collaborations.

    Tayo said those visited include the Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Busari, Maj. Gen. Elvis Njoku, the Commander, Command Army Records (CAR), at Chari-Maigumeri barracks.

    He said Lasaki also visited the Director of Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mr Dashwep Joseph.

    Tayo said that the heads of security agencies promised to continue to give the needed support to the scheme and corps members in the state.

    NAN reports that the new Coordinator assumed office exactly 20 days after the death of the former coordinator.

  • 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.

  • Its Official! Melaye declares to run for Kogi governorship race

    Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, has confirmed that he is interested in the State governorship election.

    The Senator reportedly made his intention known in a meeting of the People Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in his Ayetoro-Gbede constituency.

    Melaye posted a cryptic message on his official twitter handle after report of his intention to contest for the November 16 Kogi governorship election surfaced online.

    If he emerges as PDP candidate, the senator will go head-to-head with his bitter rival and current governor of the state, Yahaya Bello. This also depends on if the ruling APC decides to field the governor as its candidate.

    Gideon Ayodele, an aide to Melaye said the senator was responding to the call from PDP leaders present at the meeting, asking anyone interested in contesting to signify intention within two weeks.

    “At this point, Senator Dino Melaye stood up and informed the meeting of his intention to join the race to Lugard House, the seat of Kogi State government come November,” Ayodele said.

    The Kogi governorship election holds on November 16.

  • Kogi guber: Yahaya Belllo reacts to reports of ‘dumping’ APC for Accord Party

    …denies owing 38 months salary arrears
    The Kogi state government has said it has paid salaries for 38 months since it came into office in January 2016.
    The Director General of Media and Publicity to the Governor of Kogi State, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, stated this in Takete Ide Amuro in Mopamuro Local Government while briefing newsmen after an APC Stakeholders Meeting in the Ward.
    “One of the questions our party members asked during the meeting was about the claim by labour that we are owing workers 38 months salaries.
    “As far as government is concerned, we have paid 38 months salaries starting from September 2015. We have been in office for just 39 months. But we are still owing four months salaries because we started paying from the period we are yet to assume power.
    “We are not in any power play with labour. We will continue to appreciate their understanding and we pledge to clear all arrears as soon as possible.”
    Fanwo said government has struggled to bridge the gap inherited because of the dwindling revenue and contending needs of the people of Kogi State.
    “We know how pivotal salaries are to microeconomics and we also know we owe other sectors of the public a good number of social amenities. Government will continue to manage the contending interests to serve a good number of the population.”
    On the rumored decamping of the Governor to Accord Party, Fanwo said the promoters of the rumour failed to “rehearse their falsehood properly.”
    According to him, “such rumours will fail a major logic lab test.”
    In his words, “It is laughable to insinuate that a Governor that just led our party to landslide and historic victory in the 2019 general elections is about to abandon his bungalow to rent a hut.
    “If this is the kind of propaganda opposition wants to fly with, then they are not ready for the November 2nd electoral battle in the state.
    “Governor Yahaya Bello is the landlord of Kogi APC. Anyone coming is a tenant. Where were those opponents when he built the party into what dwarfed others in the 2019 elections?
    “The people spreading those rumours are political comedians with lazy minds. They are conceding defeats with such cheap jokes.”
    Fanwo challenged Sen. Dino Melaye to go ahead to publish the expenditures of government between 2016 to 2019, saying, “a good student of accounting and common sense will do good by publishing both income and expenditure.”
    He said the Kogi people have seen the Rice Mill the Governor is building and the roads under construction, saying any form of “illogical incitement will be counterproductive.”
    His words: “You can see the executives with me here. These are the people who will determine who flies our party ticket in November. The person they know is GYB and they will go all out to give him a second term.
    “All the people dancing around Abuja are not known to the people. We also thank the Federal Government for giving us 3 boreholes in my ward. No Senator should claim the glory of the APC Federal Government project. Our people are well informed now more than ever,” he said.
    He thanked the people of the community and indeed the State for their solidarity during the assassination attempt on him, saying the action of the “cowards is a mark of their impending loss in 2019.”
    “They could not stand the truth. But we shall show them our security architecture is capable of exposing their evil plans against government officials in the state.
    “We have not even started yet and they are fidgety. Their mouthpiece Senator should know that the people who are candidates of prison are the fraudsters that led the state in the past.”
    Fanwo added that the spinners of the fake news and falsehood about the Governor are people well known to members of the public.
    “We know the promoters of these fake news and propaganda against the person of the Governor and the Government of Kogi State. They are discredited individuals who have been fingered for inducing Judges with dollars; those who threatened to commit suicide in order to implicate others; those who coordinated the killing of our students and innocent citizens and those who turned themselves to monkeys and stayed on the tree for 12 hours.
    “All these ignoble theatrics are well profiled in the minds of our people. They work against their people for political gains. But today, they have been dumbfounded by the success of the Governor at the polls. He has shown the world that the people are solidly with him.”