Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State says his administration has received a fresh N30.8 billion bailout fund from the federal government.
Mr Bello made the disclosure on Monday in Lokoja, the state capital while performing the ground breaking ceremony of a chapel in the Government House.
He said the money was the balance of the N50 billion bailout fund which his administration had earlier requested for.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this brings to N50 billion the total amount received by the state as bailout fund on behalf of the state and local government councils.
Mr Bello said the money would be used to clear the four months of salary arrears being owed workers and pensioners in the state.
“I want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for approving our latest request for bailout.
“I also thank the Attah of Igala for leading our traditional leaders to the president to strongly make our case.
“I thank the CBN Governor and everyone else in the value chain who helped to facilitate the money,” Bello said.
The governor, who highlighted his administration’s efforts to improve the security, health and education sectors in the state, promised to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people.
According to him, the decision to build a chapel was to ensure fairness to all the adherents of Islam and Christianity.
“Today, we are gathered here to flag off the construction of a building which will not just be a house of worship for Christians but also a symbol of access, welcome and inclusion,” he stated.
The governor commended the people for their peaceful co-existence, urging them to sustain it in the overall interest of the state.
Contrary to Bello claimed of requested for the 50 billion naira, OBSERVERS TIMES can authoritatively confirmed that the immediate past governor of the state, Capt Idris Wada, head towards the twilight of his administration applied and got the approval of N50.8 billion to settle arrears of salaries owed to workers and pensioners at the state and local government levels.
But the government of Capt Wada was unable to access any of the funds before the end of that regime.
The present government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello was only able to access N20 billion of the fund leaving the balance of N30.8 billion.
The non-release of the fund has put the workers of Kogi State, most especially local government workers and primary school teachers at a very perilous state where they cannot meet their basic needs as human beings.