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Tag: KOGI

  • Committee identifies communication breakdown as reason for Kogi APC crisis

    Committee identifies communication breakdown as reason for Kogi APC crisis

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Fact-Finding and Reconciliation Committee on Kogi Crisis has blamed acrimony in the state’s chapter on communication breakdown.

    It said that the hitch in communication engendered the ruptured relationship among the party in the state, the government and the governor.

    Chairman of the committee, Chief Tony Momoh, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja, while speaking with newsmen after submitting the committee`s report to the party`s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

    He said that while the committee`s assignment lasted, it met three times with Gov. Yahaya Bello because the bulk of the issues; “ really stopped on his desk“.

    Momoh added that the committee also met with members of the House of Assembly and other relevant stakeholders in the state.

    He said that while everybody in the state accepted that Bello was its chief executive, issues on his style of governance were raised.

    According to him, lots of people testified on what the governor was alleged to have done.

    “We came to the conclusion that the problem of Kogi is absent of communication, miscommunication or even inadequate communication.

    “There was breakdown of communication and everybody was singing his own song and telling his own story, “ the Momoh said.

    He added that while the committee pleaded with all aggrieved party members in the state to be calm, it ensured that everybody that had a case was heard.

    He, however, said that while most aggrieved party members had their grouse against the governor, he also came up with his own defence.

    Momoh said that some of the identified problems in the state were skewed appointment against the party, non-payment of workers’ salaries and political reconciliation with late Abubakar Audu and James Faleki’s group.

    He said the exclusive membership registration which the governor was said to be doing without relating to the party`s leadership was also identified as a problem.

    Momoh said that also identified was poor state’s House of Assembly relations, dictatorial governance and corruption allegations and not to give anti-party activities during the elections.

    The committee chairman said that the party`s national headquarters complicity and poor stakeholders` consultations was also identified as an issue.

    He stressed that all identified issues were comprehensively discussed, adding that the committed had submitted its recommendations to the party`s leadership for scrutiny.

    This, he said, included five pages of executive briefs which summarised the recommendations and 300 pages of presentations.

    He maintained that the recommendation was a win win consensus and would be acceptable by all parties.

    “I can assure you that the recommendations we gave will be acceptable to all parties.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Momoh, was the former National Peter Chairman of the dissolved Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

    Members of the committee which was inaugurated on April 12, were earlier charged by the party`s leadership to carry on their personal prestige and integrity and undertake the assignment without fear or favour.

  • Kidnap suspects arrested in Kogi

    Kidnap suspects arrested in Kogi

    Two suspected members of a kidnap gang in Kogi State have been arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

    Suleiman Isah (24) and Musa Mohammed (31), both natives of Ankpa, were arrested on May 29 at Ninth Mile, Enugu State, and Ayinba in Kogi.

    They were said to be among the criminals who kidnapped an Islamic Scholar, Alhaji Jibrin Idris, on February 21.

    The suspects allegedly confessed to be four in the gang, giving the names of others as Bashir and Mangal.

    The police said efforts are on to arrest the two members at large.

     

  • Kogi West poll: Senator demands probe of judge, Melaye

    Kogi West poll: Senator demands probe of judge, Melaye

    Senator Smart Adeyemi, who represented Kogi West for two terms, yesterday demanded a probe of the alleged telephone conversation between Justice Akon Ikpeme and Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) – his successor.

    Adeyemi said he sensed a foul play in the way his election petition was struck out by Justice Ikpeme-led Election Petition Tribunal.

    Adeyemi, who made the demands at a briefing in Abuja, pleaded with the Chief Justice of the Federation and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to probe the alleged audio tape of the conversation.

    He said: “I hereby call for a thorough investigation by the appropriate authorities – that is, the Chief Justice of the Federation, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, the National Judicial Council( NJC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Commission( ICPC) and the Directorate for State Security Service( DSS).

    “Like I mentioned earlier, I am of the opinion that we have people of high integrity in the Judiciary. However, just like there is a Judas in every 12, some people of questionable character may want to infiltrate the ranks of our incorruptible judges and ministers in the hallowed temple of Justice.

    “I hold the view that members of the Justice Akon Ikpeme-led panel have the burden to come out and prove their innocence to the world, especially as touching on the recent leaked telephone conversation between Justice Ikpeme and a litigant in her tribunal in the person of Dino Melaye. Nigerians are watching and waiting.”

    He added: “I am not in doubt that money and other extraneous unethical considerations played an active role in the various rulings of the Justice Ikpeme-led panel in favour of Dino Melaye. If my brother Dino denies the audio clip, let him look at the mirror before him, the person will appear. For two years, I kept praying to God to make a show of shame of all conspirators against me at the tribunal. By the power of God, more revelations will still come!”

    Adeyemi said he was demanding for the probe to avert a recurrence of abuse of the judicial process in the future.

    He added: “Whether the audio recording was genuine or not.  Let the communication firms be involved to track this conversation. We need forensic experts to get to the roots of this alleged bribe saga.

    “For two years, I kept mute because I had no evidence to prove but I know God will intervene and expose those behind the electoral fraud in Kogi West Senatorial District. The release of the audio clip has shown that a lot went wrong.

    “The redress is to make sure that tomorrow nobody will be thinking of bribing a judge. It is not about winning this case; it is about helping Nigerian judiciary. If this thing can happen to me as a senator, what is the hope for the common man.”

    Asked if the judiciary decided not to probe the audio tape, Adeyemi said: “I have the assurance of God that we have not heard the last word. I know there will be more revelations.

    “You don’t have to be a judge to know that the results have been tampered. Can any judge accept mutilated results? I swallowed the bitter.

    “Though, we know that there is an end to litigation and this particular petition has been decided one way or the other yet, the following are pertinent factual and moral records of what transpired at the tribunal, which are now questions for Justice Ikpeme and her team to answer, in order to erase the misconception (if any) of corruption, which hovers around them and to save the image and integrity of the judiciary.

    “The tribunal ordered a recount of the ballot papers and it was discovered that 2500 void votes were counted for Dino Melaye to be declared winner of the election. Why was no action taken on this finding?

    “That there were mutilation /cancellation on the faces of all the results sheets delivered by INEC.

    “That there are many wards of the senatorial district, whose results the INEC officials deliberately refused to collate and enter on the final result sheet. These wards are spread across the four local government areas of Kabba-Bunu Local Government, Ijumu Local Government, Kogi Local Government and Lokoja Local Government.

    “That the Justice Ikpeme-led panel accepted a sheet of paper, as report of primaries in the face of an authentic report of primaries brought and tendered during the hearing of the petition by INEC officials.

    “That Justice Ikpeme gave probative value to a sheet of paper as reports of primaries tendered by a youth corps member allegedly coming from INEC office Abuja without an identity card.”

    But Melaye had also said he won his election in a free and fair manner and will defeat Adeyemi any day.

    He said: “This is not a matter of boast, I have defeated him and I will also defeat him, even if election is conducted 100 times, provided the election is free and fair.”

    One of Melaye’s ardent supporters said Adeyemi was chasing shadows.

    He said: “Adeyemi lost to Melaye because he failed to follow due process in pursuing his petition.

    “Justice Ikpeme said Adeyemi ran foul of the Electoral Act in filing reply to the 1st respondent’s response out of time

    “Ikpeme also held that for failing to apply for Form TF001 for pre-hearing session within the stipulated seven days, the tribunal was of the view that the petitioner had failed to apply for the issuance of the form.

    “She said pursuance of other issues relating to Adeyemi’s  petition could only amount to ‘mere academic exercise’.”

  • Kogi forum meets over National Assembly seats

    Stakeholders in Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi State, under the aegis of Yagba Political Forum, a non-partisan group, have met in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area, “to chart an all-inclusive political roadmap” for the constituency ahead of the 2019 elections.

    At the end of the meeting held in Isanlu Town hall, and attended by political gladiators from the area, the forum resolved to unite and mobilise Yagba people to ensure that the federal constituency produces the next senator of Kogi West Senatorial District. The meeting recalled that based on the existing rotation principle in Kogi West zone involving the three federal constituencies of Lokoja/Kotonkarfe, Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu and Yagba,” it is the turn of Yagba to produce the senator in 2019″.

    The forum also debated on the next election into the House of Representatives for Yagba Federal Constituency, comprising of Yagba West, Yagba East and Mopamuro local government areas.

    Consequently, it was resolved that the next representative should come from one of Yagba East and Mopamuro local government areas, exempting Yagba West local government area alleged to have done three terms since 2007. However, the senate seat was declared open for contest among the three local government areas with a caveat that no single local government shall produce both senate and Rep at the same time.

    Convener of Yagba Political Forum, Chief Frank Aiyedun, who read the communiqué at the end of the summit, said the forum which had been moribund was resuscitated to ensure that Yagba attained its rightful place in Okun, Kogi and the country as a whole.

  • Kogi, Enugu inaugurate committee to resolve boundary dispute

    Kogi, Enugu inaugurate committee to resolve boundary dispute

    The Kogi and Enugu Governments have inaugurated a 10-man technical committee to resolve the lingering boundary disputes between the two states.

    The committee, which has five members from each state, is to be co-chaired by the Surveyors General of both states – Michael Abolorin, Kogi and Ishiwu Godwin of Enugu.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Kogi Deputy Governor, Sylvester Akor, said that the committee would look into issues in the dispute and work out some meeting points toward a final resolution.

    “The committee will explore areas of common agreement and present same to the National Boundary Commission (NBC),” the statement, made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lokoja, said.

    It quoted Kogi Deputy Governor Simon Achuba as advising members of the committee to imbibe the spirit of ‘give and take’, so as to reach common grounds and sustain the existing peace and harmony between the two states.

    Achuba emphasised the need for compromise from both sides so as to speed up amicable settlement and eliminate areas of mutual suspicion among the border communities.

    He also called for honesty in the discussions, and counseled members on the need for mutual fairness.

    Enugu State Deputy Governor Cecilia Ezeilo, on her part, said that Kogi and Enugu States had many things in common and had every reason to agree after any disagreement.

    She expressed optimism that the committee would come out with workable and acceptable resolutions that would sustain peace and unity.

  • Gov Bello reinforces Kogi tragedy

    Gov Bello reinforces Kogi tragedy

    WHEN the top hats of the All Progressives Congress (APC) plotted furiously to impose Yahaya Bello on Kogi State as governor in place of Abubakar Audu, the deceased winner of the 2015 governorship poll, the party and those who supported him were warned that they were about to foist a disaster upon the state. The warnings were ignored. Prince Audu’s running mate, Abiodun James Faleke, was the right and proper person constitutionally to inherit the mandate. But the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, introduced a legal sleight of hand to undermine justice and help emplace the vile anomaly now blighting the state. To complete the conspiracy, Mr Bello’s supporters, many of them from his ethnic stock, jumped enthusiastically on the usurper governor’s bandwagon by describing the Abuja concocted mandate as a divine mandate, one that supposedly came from God.

    Now, all the conspirators have since moved on and abandoned Kogi to its tragedy. Some of them are party officials from the Southwest who schemed to, in their opinion, checkmate what they saw as the ‘expansionist’ plans of former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu. Others are governors from the Northwest and North Central who ignored the constitution and arrogantly swore that no Kogi Yoruba or Christian would govern the state. And others simply suggested that Kogi had a North Central identity to maintain, not  a Southwest identity to acquire. The plots and intrigues did not make sense, but their authors were determined to thwart democracy, subvert the constitution, and annihilate the principles of justice. The plotters eventually triumphed, for most of them were in any case not Kogites who would suffer the consequences of imposing a total misfit upon the state.

    Mr Bello is not just a misfit, he presides over a cabinet of grovelling and deluded misfits. The state is so horrendously misgoverned that all three tertiary institutions are shut, workers are not paid in harmonised fashion, with some being owed more than one year salary, elementary exercises like staff screening and verification came to a tortured end after three false and incompetent starts, and nothing properly described as elevated and visionary projects are being undertaken. It was in the midst of this retrogression, when workers and pensioners were dying of hunger, when the state was pining in agony sickened by the ineptitude inflicted on them by both Mr Bello and the APC in Abuja, that the Neanderthals in Daily Times, apparently marking their 91 years anniversary, conferred on Mr Bello a ‘good governance’ award. The paper, now a shadow of itself, claimed to be celebrating what they improperly called the ‘Times Hero Awards’.

    Kogi State is probably the worst governed state in Nigeria. Its governor and cabinet have no idea what governance is all about. The cabinet is inexperienced, without ambition, has no design for the present or the future, is totally devoid of any feelings for dying, unpaid workers and shut tertiary institutions, and is incapable of conceiving even modest plans for the state as a whole. How Mr Bello, presiding over this mediocre cabinet and dysfunctional ministries, can be conferred an award by anyone beggars belief. That he received the award and celebrated it in his usual newspaper propaganda flourish is an indication of his relentless clowning and just how things have declined and decayed in Kogi.

    Who will help Kogi after the APC in Abuja and scores of conspirators have betrayed the state? The anomaly of 2015 cannot be reversed until Mr Bello has spent his four years in office. He will of course not return in the 2020 election; but surviving till then is almost practically impossible for the tormented people of Kogi. But survive they must, even if thousands die. They were betrayed by the APC and Nigeria’s feckless and fickle judiciary, as the supposedly ethical and reformist government in Abuja turned a blind eye to the disaster plotted in late 2015. After surviving two incompetent governments before Mr Bello’s ascendancy, Kogi now lies prostrate. Only Abuja can call Mr Bello to order, assuming all the big political players in that scheming city are not seized by pangs of conscience and guilt. They can lean on him substantially to compel him to pay workers, reopen schools, fund hospitals, and reverse many of his silly and immature policies enthroned in a little over one year after he managed to stir himself from deep slumber.

    Nobody else can help Kogi. Not the workers who are underfed and helpless; not the governor and his cabinet who lack ideas and imagination; not the House of Assembly which has been castrated and rendered voiceless and soulless; and not even the people themselves, given their initial inexcusable connivance at the enthronement of the spineless wonder, Mr Bello. If the APC should openly denounce Mr Bello, and President Muhammadu Buhari will return to Nigeria and, among other pressing matters, remember the tragedy his party has inflicted on Kogi and decide to call the governor to order, perhaps the state can be salvaged. For now, Kogi is in steep decline, unheeded and unaided.

  • Kogi’s ‘New Direction’ to Golgotha

    SIR: “The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonourably, foolishly, viciously” – Julian Barnes.

    It is with the above declarations in mind that I am calling on the presidency to save us from the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

    This call has become imperative and exigent owing to the lack of focus and directionless approach to governance by the governor of Kogi State and his retinue of “New Direction” team.

    Today, Kogi is worse off under Bello’s administration; one can only imagine and wonder the real direction in this “new direction” especially when one considers the billions of naira that had been released to his administration and the non-payment of workers’ salaries for more than 12 months.

    Schools have been closed for over four months, due to the ongoing strike action embarked upon by workers of all the tertiary institutions in Kogi State.

    If it could take the governor, an accountant by profession, a year to conclude the staff verification exercise in just 21 local government areas of the state, and yet the people couldn’t receive their pay, something is either wrong with him or he is wrong with something.

    The people of Kogi State, especially the workers, are having hard times to survive due to the non-payment of salaries of workers and retirees.

    This is becoming increasingly unbearable and most of them are dying because there was no way they could take care of themselves despite serving the state dedicatedly and dutifully.

    If non-payment of salaries and arresting of critics is what the Kogi State government meant by his “New Direction” agenda, then it’s a direction to nowhere and I urge the acting President to call the governor to order because this new direction has brought agonies, pains and death to the good people of Kogi State and in all honesty, the new direction is a road to Golgotha which needs urgent redirection to relieve the people of the state from the suffering and pains they are currently going through under the “White lion” in Lugard’s house.

    There is no better time to save the good people of Kogi State from the harsh situation than now.

    Though “The truth is inconvertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it but in the end there it is” — with due respect to Winston Churchill.

     

    • Sheyi Babaeko,

    Leeds, UK.

  • Kogi sacks 200 varsity workers, ASUU alleges

    Kogi State University (KSU) in Anyigba, chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said about 200 of its members were screened out of service during the recent staff verification by the government.

    Its Chairman, Dr Daniel Aina, disclosed this while speaking to journalists in Lokoja, the state capital. He said the ongoing strike would only be suspended if all issues relating to arrears of salaries, 2015 employment, contract and sabbatical staff were resolved.

    The union also said government must resume the monthly instalmental payment of the 2009-2014 arrears of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). According to Aina, the KSU management must pay the outstanding balance before ASUU can call of the strike.

    The union, however, hailed the government for reconstituting the Governing Council of the university, saying the government must also address payment of salaries to all categories of its members.

    Aina said: “Payment of salary arrears of the KSU teaching staff is the pathway for the amicable resolution of all outstanding issues. This is because our salary arrears of February and March 2017 have been left out, while the government pays the employees of other tertiary institutions in  the state, who have been on strike.

    “Since 2014, the government has never paid the staff monthly salary in full. The university administration has had to augment the recurrent short falls from its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Even this uncompleted salary has become erratic.

    “The government must be told that the propaganda on salary payment is a ruse because artisans, traders and the business environment of the state do not enjoy the patronage that naturally flourishes when workers are paid.

    “It is pathetic that economic activities have been seriously hampered in the state due to the non-payment of salaries occasioned by the long-drawn and tortuous staff screening exercises. Many parents whose children and wards have been at home since the strike started, are yet to be paid their salaries.

    “Till date, several of our members have not received salary since June 2016. All employees of Kogi State University have not received their February and March 2017 salaries. Neither the government nor the university administration has paid anyone.”

    Aina expressed concerns over the consistently deteriorating working conditions among the academic staff in the university, saying it had led to mass exodus of staff. ASUU also said there had been sharp reduction in funds released to the institution by government, regretting that infrastructure and staff development in the school were for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

    The union also condemned the disruption of the protest by students and their arrests by security agents, saying the use of force would not yield any fruit.

  • GYB’s ruinous “New Direction” in Kogi

    SIR: It’s no longer news that Kogi State has recently been ranked first among states of the federation where examination malpractice is prevalent. In its 2016 report released a couple of day back, the West African Examination Council  (WAEC)) placed the confluence state on top of states tagged as notorious for examination malpractices. This is coming at a time when the states owned university, polytechnic and colleges of education have been closed since four months as a result of the striking academic and non-academic staff who are protesting non-payment of their 15 months salaries and allowances.

    Kogi State under the so-called “new direction” has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. It is leading among the states that are notorious for non-payment of salaries and allowances. Recently, houses and properties of certain individuals were demolished and destroyed even though the alleged criminals were never convicted by any court. Now, guns have been found in the houses of some of the alleged assassins who allegedly made an attempt on the life of a senator, which have been displayed by the Nigerian police, yet the state government hasn’t deemed fit to extend the same gesture of demolition.

    The show of shame by the state government in the past few days during which medical doctors under the aegis of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) who are currently on strike were threatened with sack and a no-work-no-pay policy instead of urgently engaging them in a dialogue is to say the least an embarrassment and an open display of immaturity by the state government. It’s now obvious that the “new direction” blueprint of the Yahaya Bello government is set to further ruin the state rather than bringing any positive change and development.

    It is high time the state government began to think  outside the box and consult widely for wise counsel and proper guidance on how best to resolve and tackle the myriad of problems militating against the state. The state is blessed with men and women with vast experience in all sectors of life; the time to bring them in is now.

     

    • Hussain Obaro,

    Lokoja, Kogi State.

  • Doctors in Kogi suspend 10-day old strike

    Doctors in Kogi suspend 10-day old strike

    The Kogi chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has suspended its 10-day old strike to give room for dialogue with State Government.

    In a statement issued after its Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) in Lokoja on Saturday, signed by its Chairman, Dr. Godwin Tijani, the association said the decision to suspend the strike was unanimously taken to honour the Kogi paramount ruler, Attah Igala, and other imminent stakeholders, for their intervention.

    “NMA has agreed to suspend its strike for two weeks to enable prominent personalities and stakeholders, mediate.

    “Since the Attah of Igala, NMA National President and our honourable members of the House of Assembly have requested the association to suspend the action and give them time to intervene, we have no choice than to honour them.

    “We will reconvene in a forth night to decide on the way forward if no positive progress is made and our demands are not met.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kogi chapter of NMA had directed its members to embark on indefinite strike from May 3, alleging government’s failure to pay doctors’ salaries and arrears, among other demands. (NAN)