Idris Ahmed, Lokoja.
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has disclosed that it is only Kogi out of the 36 states that rejected the N1.1b from the World Bank in aid of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Governor also said that his colleagues have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank for the said commitment.
Governor Bello who was on Channel’s TV programme, Sun Rise Daily, on Tuesday, revealed that all the state governors have also collected N1billion from the Federal Government as palliative fund.
Bello said in response to a question as to the legitimacy of receiving the Covid-19 fund, “Even though we did not have Covid-19 in Kogi State, we were equally affected; because our economy was affected, Federal Government released that fund to assist every state and we cannot reject it.”
He stated that he refused to sign the World Bank MoU because it was a one-sided agreement or document.
“Go and check records. Kogi state is the only state that refused to sign that document for N1.1bilion because I don’t believe in Covid-19.
N500million has been disbursed, Kogi State did not receive, I refused to receive and I rejected it,” he said.
The Governor however debunked allegations that his government hoarded the CA-COVID relief items sent to Kogi state as being rumoured, pointed out that the allegations, were to discredit the state and Federal Governments.
He exclaimed that his government distributed palliatives to 20 out of 21 local government areas of the state, stressing that the palliative distribution for Lokoja local government was disrupted by hoodlums allegedly imported to cause confusion.
“We as a state have been distributing palliatives to our people long before this COVID-19 era. Our state is prone to flood, so palliative distribution from us is a normal thing.
“Poverty in Nigeria is a result of the maladministration of former governments. From the Federal level to state and local levels, we are doing our best to reduce the poverty rate.
“Looting is not a result of poverty. Looting is also experienced even in wealthy countries like the United States of America during the ” Black lives matter” protest, so looting is not completely a product of poverty. Let us not set ourselves against each other. We must organise ourselves and speak well about our country,” he said.
