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Palpable fears has enveloped political appointees from Kogi east in the current administration of APC,Yahaya Bello ,as the governor is bent on implementing ‘Operation Deliver Your Ward’ to retain your job handed down by the governor.
Reliable sources confirmed that over to THE OBSERVERS TIMES that
90% political office holders got money to prosecute the re-election of Governor,as most of them diverted the funds into private pockets and also lost their various Units and Wards .
The first approach by the state government was for the appointees to return monies collected for mobilisation as over 95% could not account for the allocated funds,hence the desire of the governor to pay them back in their own coins.
While some expended the monies judiciously but could not attract the attention of the voters who shunned vote buying and currying for Bellos support in most towns and villages of Kogi east .
It was strongly and reliably confirmed that the Deputy Governor of the state,Chief Edward Onoja, from reports monitored in the early hours of the election,lost his polling unit,but was manipulated at gun point forcing INEC to sign doctored results to favour the APC, all over his local government in Olamaboro .
Some vocal members of the party across the eastern flank of Kogi state, including a renowned University lecturer and governor Bello’s supporter lost his Ward and polling unit,that led to people of his community, displayed a jest corpse of the University Don, conspicuously in the community.
Kogi east Senator,Jibrin Isa also lost out after the entire election materials were hijacked and kept in his residence and that of Auditor General for local government,Okala ,but was later rejected by INEC in Dekina,even though he was escorted by Kogi police Commissioner,Busari Hakeem dead in the night to the collation office in Dekina.
Reports monitored across Kogi east revealed that all the political appointees from Dekina,Ankpa,Idah,Igalamela,Ofu,Omala and Ibaji lost out,including the Commissioner’s in governor Bello’s cabinet.
According to the reports,the only saving grace was the forged results that emanated from the central consisting of Okene, Okehi,Adavi,as the West was attracted with heavily armed thugs,ballot stuffing and various malpractices on the election day.
This has justified the earlier statement by Kogi governor before the election, that most of his appointees are not known or popular in their various constituencies,hence giving the present administration sleepless night towards the last election .
Kogi governor has concluded plans to relieve all appointees from Kogi East, West and replace them with virtually least portfolios in the coming administration of Yahaya Bello .
It is also a known fact,that those occupying juicy position in the current administration, were either recommended by the deputy governor,or as the case may be,as most of the appointment from the area,were second class carried out to fill the vacant positions, from the Commissioner’s to Board appointements and other agencies and parastatals in the state .
With his re-election,the current administration is determined and focussed to install cabal leadership in the state, based on the position of the goverrment and it’s interests,but not that of the generalty of the people of the state.