Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has debunked rumours he was leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join Accord Party. Besides, he has no problems with workers as he has paid salaries for 38 months since his government came into office in January 2016.
The Director General of Media and Publicity to the Governor of Kogi State, Kingsley Fanwo, conveyed the governor’s position when he spoke in Takete Ide Amuro in Mopamuro Local Government.
He was 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 of 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 the 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. The 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 rumor failed to “rehearse their falsehood properly.”
According to him, “such rumors 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 rumors are political comedians with lazy minds. They are conceding defeats with such cheap jokes.”