APDA Chairman Chides Gov. Bello Over Percentage Salaries, Sack Of Directors

The Chairman of Advanced People’s Democratic Alliance (APDA), Kogi State chapter, Honourable Abdulmumini Ibrahim has described the unceremonious sack of top civil servants in the state as an unpleasant New Year gift.

Ibrahim, while addressing newsmen in Lokoja on Monday, berated Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for inflicting unnecessary pains on civil servants in the state.

He said Governor Bello is not living up to his claims that he is a protegé of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Governor Yahaya Bello recently announced that he is a replica of President Buhari in Kogi State. However, his actions are not similar to that of Mr. President. His new found love for percentage salaries and arbitrary dismissal of directors in the civil services is not a semblance of the person of President Buhari.

“On the 1st January, 2018, we saw and listened to the nation-wide broadcast of Mr President outlining areas of intervention Nigerians should expect in the new year. President Buhari acknowledged the needless pains Nigerians had to endure, particularly the unfortunate fuel crisis. He used the opportunity to roll out what we should expect in 2018. Well, some persons in some quarters felt his broadcast didn’t touch some of their expectations, but at least, he gave us insight in what 2018 will look like.

“The people of Kogi state were expecting similar broadcast by the Governor highlighting how the state government will address issues that borders on our contemporary challenges. Since our Governor said he is a replica of President Buhari, we waited to hear of interventions, policies and programmes that will change the lives of our people in 2018. But our Governor, in his chat, chose to break our hearts by giving the state civil service a shocking blow. He came up with an alarming sack of 1, 774 workers!

“We sympathise with our people as we embark on this painful, needless and vision-less political sojourn. It is obvious, the path taken by this current administration in Kogi State will lead us nowhere. The state government’s resort to payment of percentage pensions and salaries to Kogi state workers in unfortunate. This is coming on the heels of about six billion Naira Paris Club Refund adding up to November and December allocations from the Federation account.

“APDA shares the pain of our people, considering the torture and agony they are going through. We call on the governor to retrace his steps. It is not too late. He is not making us proud at all,” he said.

He called on striking doctors in the state to consider re-opening negotiations with the state government in the interest of the masses. He appealed to government to return to negotiation table with the striking doctors as the impoverished masses in the state cannot afford the cost of medical services in private hospitals.

Read More »

Attack on Governor Bello, Youth Group Berates Kogi East Elders

 

Hundreds of youths from the eastern flank of Kogi state has berated Kogi East Elders Council (KEEC) over its recent allegations of maladministration and bad governance leveled against Governor Yahaya Bello.

Addressing newsmen at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Lokoja today, the youths who are members of the Kogi East Coalition of Youths for Good Governance passed a vote of confidence on Governor Bello for providing adequate security of lives and property as well as provision of infrastructure development and road construction in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Comrade Ishaq Onuh Alfred said the self acclaimed elders council lack the moral grounds to criticize Governor Yahaya Bello, stressing that the same set of people who inflicted underdevelopment and socio-economic backwardness on the state for 13 years cannot turn around to be standing for good governance in the state.

According to the youths, the allegations raised by Kogi East Elders, which include insecurity, unpaid salaries, the stalemate at the Kogi State University, Anyigba among others were deliberate attempt to orchestrate conflict between the zone and the government.
Ishaq explained that the elders, many of whom live outside the state raised the allegations because they were disconnected with the development in the state, adding that the state had witnessed unprecedented development in the last two years.

“All KEEC’s allegations as mentioned in their statement were lies and a politically motivated attempt to distract the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello that has been striving to correct the ills in the governance of the state by the previous administrations.

“It is now obvious that the Kogi East Elders Council is a self serving group having neither the mandate nor the support of the traditional institutions and the people of Kogi East Senatorial District. They must be ignored because they are not fighting for us.

“No administration has ever prioritize issues of security like this present administration. The governor has made concerted effort in providing peaceful environment for the citizens. In the past kidnapping and other heinous crimes took over the State. This crop of elders were in the state but did not complain but remained silent”, he noted.

The Kogi east youths also noted that the present administration had been fair to the senatorial district in terms of distribution of projects and appointments as the zone had the highest number of appointments.

He said, “At least 60 percent of Governor Yahaya Bello’s appointees are from Kogi east senatorial district, including the deputy governor. Similarly, the list of projects in the region is practically endless and constitutes a similar percentage of the aggregate number of projects and monies spent by the administration”.

It would be recalled that the KEEC in a statement by Senator Ahmadu Ali last week had described the Bello led administration in the state as an “unmitigated disaster”.

The group noted that the state had not witnessed any meaningful development since the coming on board of Bello, decrying the state of insecurity, crime, non-payment of salaries of workers among others.

Read More »

Gov. Yahaya Bello Commended for Commitment to Peace, Unity

 

By Alex Adeiza.

The fourth Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alh. Yahaya Bello has been applauded for his untiring dedication to upholding unity and tranquility in Kogi State through his sustained security network.

The Governor, adjudged to be the most security conscious in Nigeria, received the commendation in Okene his hometown over the weekend at the 40th Day Fidau Prayer of the Late Father of Alh. Abubakar Yahaya Karaku, a former chairman of Okene Local Government Area and PDP Chieftain from the Central Senatorial Zone.

Gov. Yahaya Bello who was on a national assignment in Anambra state was represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Local Govt and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. (Dr.) Abubakar Ohere.

In his goodwill message, Dr. Ohere noted that the Gov. Bello’s avowed resolution to ensuring safety of lives and properties of the good people of Kogi state has provided the enabling environment for key investments in mining and agro-allied ventures which, according to him, was a fulfillment of job creation as one of the five thematic areas of the New Direction Blueprint.

Dr. Ohere affirmed that job creation was receiving overwhelming attention  as over 5000 youths have been empowered through various entrepreneurial and vocational training conducted by the state government.

The Special Adviser further reiterated that Governor Bello’s infrastructural development was evidently robust and unique due to the principle of fairness, equity and justice the governor always adopts in distribution of our resources to Kogi citizens.

He listed road constructions, provision of potable water, primary health care service delivery among other social amenities equitably distributed by the governor across the state.

Hon. Ohere extended the Governor’s goodwill message to the family of the deceased and urged them to immortalise the good legacies of late Alh Jimoh Karaku who he described as a father to all.

Speaking with newsmen at the event, the former Governor of Kogi state,  Alh. Ibrahim Idris with former Deputy governor of the state, Arc. Yomi Awoniyi both commended Governor Bello’s outstanding performance in addressing insecurity in the state and urged the good people of Kogi state to be more united and peaceful. He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the late patriarch.

Speaking earlier, the Paramount Ruler of Ebira Kingdom and Vice President, Kogi Council of Chiefs, HRM Dr. Ado Ibrahim, CON; appreciated the Governor for the security relief his administration has brought the citizens of Kogi state which made it possible for an event of such magnitude to hold peacefully in Okene.

He urged the people and appealed to the critical stakeholders across political divides to continue to pray for, and support Governor Yahaya Bello to complete his eight years in office, as his quest to reposition Kogi state better, is attaining a deserved height.

Gov. Bello received commendation for honouring the opposition (PDP) dominated event with top members of his cabinet, an unprecedented display of political maturity that attests to his distaste for politics of bitterness.

Read More »

Matter of the Heart; Cute Photo Of Falz And DJ Cupp

This adorable photo of DJ cuppy and falz the bad guy is redirecting our minds to the matters of the heart.

They will be cool together.

Read More »

Jude Okoye Admires His Wife's Backside At Banky W & Adesua Etomi's Wedding

Psquare's elder brother Jude Okoye admires his wife backside as they pose at the venue of Banky W and Etomi Adesua traditional wedding.

Read More »

Customs Intercepts Trailer Loads Of Tramadol, Viagra In Kogi

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operation Unit, FOU, Zone B has announced that it intercepted a trailer conveying illicit drugs along Lokoja expressway in Kogi.

The Area Controller of the zone, Usman Dakingari, said that the information about the illicit drugs was gotten from the service intelligence unit and concerned individuals.

“The seizures were made by roving patrol officers; we accosted the trailer conveying the illicit drugs along Lokoja expressway and our suspicion became right.

“We saw some cartons of tramadol and Viagra in the other trailer, but we have not yet verified the total number and the efficacy and production method of the enhancers.’’

The controller stated that the intercepted drugs would be handed over to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation.

Read More »

Disclaimer: All Cleared Staff of Igalamela-Odolu LGA Have Been Paid Till August 2017

My attention has just been drawn to a purported post credited to me, Comrade Tahirudeen Yunusa Abdullahi (NULGE CHAIRMAN IGALAMELA/ODOLU LGA) that “all the cleared staff of Igalamela/Odolu Local Government have been paid till August 2017”.

Please, I enjoin all the esteem staff of Igalamela Odolu LGA to disregard that particular portion of the post as there was never anytime I made such statement credited to me.

There are some of my genuine staff whom the Governor had granted clemency and pardon now on the cleared list but are yet to be paid their salaries in my Local Government. And that:

1. It is true that the Union NULGE under my leadership paid a courtesy visit to the Administrator in his office on the 13th Nov. 2017 with my entire Exco.

2. The Union congratulated the Administrator on the extension of his office by 6 months and thanked his Excellency for the kind gesture.

3. We thanked and appreciated the Administrator for footing the transport cost of to and fro of over 300 staff of Igalamela Odolu LGA to Lokoja for screening exercise.

4. The Union applauded the Administrator and his Administrative team for their efforts to embarked on the ongoing gigantic and a befitting Local Government Secretariat for the Local Government which is one of what the staff of the Local Government have been yearning for, for a conducive working environment.

5. Equally, the Union appreciated the Administrator for renovating and upgrading the Local Government Guest House to a National Hotel status.

6. We seriously pleaded the Administrator and his team to kindly help to ensure our staff who have been cleared on prerogative powers of His Excellency (Clemency and Pardon) list to be paid along with the Staff that are already receiving salaries in the month of September, 2017 salary to be paid.

7. The Union NULGE under my leadership promised the Administrator, Hon. Baron Okwoli of our total support any day any time.

8. We assured him of the  staff regularity to the office from 8am to 4pm normal working hours of the working days.

Reacting, the Administrator Hon. Joseph Baron Okwoli thanked the leadership of NULGE, Comrade Alh. Tahirudeen Abdullahi for visit and commended them for always standing up to protect the interest and the welfare of workers.

He assured and promised that all the staff cleared on the clemency and pardon list will be paid along with existing cleared staff. And assured the leadership of NULGE of the readiness of his  administration to rebrand and protect the image of the local government.

He greatly commended the branch Chairman Comrade Alh. Tahirudeen Abdullahi whom he described as “a dogged fighter and an ardent protector of the rights of his workers at all time. He noted Comrade Tahirudeen is human and has his faults but I rate him very high”. At least, I score him 70%.

“I am greatly honoured that you have come here today to congratulate and strengthen ties with the present administration. Our mission is to elevate the standard  of the local government and place Igalamela/Odolu on the map of successful local government areas in the state. We are here to add value,” he added.

Hon. Baron also pledged to work with the Union as partners in progress as his doors are always open for the Union to meet and discuss with him on issues as affects the staff welfare.

The staff of Igalamela Odolu LGA and the general public should please disregard any additional information outside this as might be credited to my person, please. Aluta continua!

Comrade Tahirudeen Abdullahi, 

Igalamela/Odolu Local Government NULGE Chairman.

Read More »