Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has announced his intention to pay all the outstanding debt owed the former Deputy Governor of Kogi state, Rt Hon. Simon Achuba with conditions attached.
OBSERVERSTIMES source within the government circle authoritatively confirmed that the desperate move for the reunion between the governor and his former Deputy is top of priorities in Lugard house.
With this move, the All Progressives Congress Candidate Usman Ododo was sent to the former Deputy Governor house where the Governor message was conveyed to Mr Achuba , Achuba who was said to be briefed and precise assure the APC candidate of consideration which some people who followed Ododo believe to be a political statement as Achuba looks demonstrates of a man far from ready to close any ranks or enter negotiations table with Yahaya Bello .
Ododo while with Achuba blamed the current Deputy Governor, then former Chief of staff , Hon Edward Onoja who misled the government against Achuba , Ododo who tendered an apology on behalf of the state government assured Achuba of prompt payment of his backlog salaries only, if he can decamp and announced his support for him.
The source also confirmed that Ododo was able to secure the meeting between Achuba and Yahaya Bello with yet to be announced venue and date, the meeting his followers also believed that Achuba will never honor.
OBSERVERSTIMES report that the like of Hon Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja , Ambassador Isaac Onu are seriously putting Achuba under intense pressure to accept the offer but Achuba looks adamant and not ready to backdown , due to the facts that the government don’t keep to its agreement.
Though, the source said Achuba body language was purely for political reasons, he welcomed Ododo to his house was an act of magnanimity, as he is still bitter the way and manner Yahaya Bello treated him, despite he accepted to be his deputy, when none from Kogi East wanted .
OBSERVERSTIMES recall that the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has later dismissed claims by his former deputy, Simon Achuba, that he is being owed over N800 million.
He, therefore, challenged Mr Achuba to go to court, if he believes he has a case.
The governor in a statement by his spokesperson, Kingsley Fanwo, said the salaries of the deputy governor had been paid up to the same date, as that of the governor and other political office holders in the state.
He, however, admitted that some of the claims of the deputy governor have not been paid, because they were either not approved or there were no funds to pay them.
Mr Achuba had complained that Mr Bello deliberately denied him his accumulated entitlements amounting to N819.7 million. He issued an ultimatum to the state government for the payment of the said amount.
The government once said that the deputy governor’s claims are frivolous, bogus and borne out of mischief and an attempt to embarrass the Kogi State Government.
Yahaya Bello also used the same formula to woo his former loyalist, Mr Friday Makama back to his fold , Makama was the architect of Yahaya Bello’s impunity, he was among the five assembly members who worked against the majority of the members, then, that confirmed the commissioners for Governor Yahaya Bello in the middle of political crisis , Makama later was betrayed by the same government after Supreme Court judgement, the state refused to pay Makama despite garnishee order, Makama was convinced back to work for the government with the hope of paying him his outstanding debt but the source said Makama yet to be paid his debt .
