Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is treating workers of the State like slaves, a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party, Usman Okai has said.
Okai , in a statement, claimed that local government workers, secondary school teachers, and other employees of the state government are receiving mere stipends from the state and local government authority without any explanation; lamenting that officers on salary grade level 13 in the State are receiving between N26k to N30k per month; with so many unpaid outstanding salaries to other category of workers, insisting nothing justify the Governor action considering the fact that he is receiving complete allocation .
He alleged that ever since the ambition of the governor for the presidency came on board, Yahaya Bello has permanently relocated to Abuja and along with his Chief of Staff where top state government functionaries come to prostrate before getting some stipends to run the affairs of their offices.
Okai stated that, there is nothing like governmenance in Kogi State; and unfortunately every body is living under fear, hence majority of people and organized labour unions have decided to remain mute for the fear of the unknown. Speaking further, he said the State is in comatose as nothing works rather than eye services at its peak.
Even the state assembly member that were supposed to represent the third arm of the government in the State is not functioning as the governor has blantantly refused to provide members with official vehicles. The so-called “elected” local government chairmen are being compelled to sign cheques for projects that are not in existence; all in an effort to cover up funds being wasted on daily basis.
“So, Governor Yahaya Bello should stop treating Kogi workers like slaves. He should know that the State runs a full-fledged monolithic economy; resting primarily on civil service architecture for survival and whatever affects that arm of government will permeate to all sectors. This is the major reason Kogi people are currently groaning with hardship under the reign of terror as typified by Governor Yahaya Bello.”
“I want to plead with Nigerians to ignore Bello’s ranting and perceive him as being grossly infantile and callous to be a governor in an ideal society, except in a degenerated society like Nigeria,” he added.