The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yahaya Bello

  • Allegation of double registration frivolous – Governor Bello

    Allegation of double registration frivolous – Governor Bello

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Friday dismissed the allegation linking him to double registration in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) voters’ portal.

    INEC’s National Commissioner, Solomon Soyebi, had accused the governor of registering twice as a voter.

    Soyebi said the governor first registered in Abuja in January, 2011 and later registered for the second time on May 23, 2017 at the Government House in Lokoja.

    The governor described the allegation, which was made public during his short break in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate, as frivolous.

    The governor spoke with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He warned INEC to desist from dragging his name into the mud over the matter.

    He said: “I traveled to Dubai for a brief break on May 19 and I saw the press release.  I was taken aback  when I heard the report that I did double registration on May 23.

    “Probably it was my ghost that did the double registration. I think INEC has earned itself a very high reputation and I am very confident that the leadership of INEC will not allow some elements in INEC to drag the name of the Commission into the mud. Surely that’s a falsehood, I did not do double registration of permanent voters’ card.”

    He also replied critics of his administration, especially Senator Dino Melaye.

    The governor said he would not join issues with critics especially when they are seen as distraction to his government.

    Bello added:  “Honestly speaking when a human being is talking, then I will respond. Surely I don’t see anything coming out of that and I don’t think I have to waste my time in responding to whatever I consider as side distraction. Honestly speaking I am too focused to be distracted.

    “Kogi State has suffered for over 25 years before I came on board and the good people of Kogi State are really appreciative of the efforts we are putting forward to make sure that Kogi State is well developed. So any side distraction is not something I should give attention.”

  • Double registration: Kogi APC demands Gov Bello’s resignation

    Double registration: Kogi APC demands Gov Bello’s resignation

    The leadership of the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has demanded the immediate resignation of the Governor, Yahaya Bello for double voter registration.

    The chapter called on the state’s House of Assembly to proceed with impeachment process against the governor if he failed to resign.

    At a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the party declared that the governor’s action has caused an embarrassment to the entire state and has impugned on the party’s image.

    The chairman of the Kogi APC, Alhaji Hadi Ametuo who briefed spoke on behalf of the party’s executive in the state, said the party would not fold its arms and watch the governor destroy its image and integrity.

    Ametuo described double registration as serious electoral crime that must not be allowed to go unchallenged.

    “This is the kind of crime that the state House of Assembly which enjoys the mandate of the people cannot overlook”

    Other party chieftains at the briefing included Mohammed Ohiare, Ocheja Dangana, Abdulrahman Abubakar and Senator Dino Melaye.

    Melaye, who also spoke at the conference, added that what the governor did underscored the fact that he was not a registered voter in Kogi state in the first place.

    He wondered why Governor Bello accepted the gubernatorial candidacy offer of the APC in the first place.

    The controversial senator representing Kogi West district vowed to mobilise the state assembly for impeachment process against the governor should he fail to resign voluntarily.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had through a statement on Tuesday, accused Governor Bello of registering twice as a voter, an action the commission described as an infraction on the nation’s electoral laws.

    Giving details of the governor’s illegal action, the INEC had stated, “It has come to the attention of INEC that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state registered as a voter for the second time on Tuesday May 23, 2017 in Government House, Lokoja, the state capital.

    “First registration was on January 30, 2011 in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. And the Governor’s double registration and doing so outside INEC’s designated centres are both illegal.

    “For the on-going continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise, INEC has designated a centre in each of the 774 local government areas across the federation, including the FCT’s six area council”.

    The electoral commission had stated that although Section 308(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, restrained it from prosecuting the governor, disciplinary action would be taken against its officials that aided the governor’s double registration.

  • Hideouts of kidnappers, armed robbers demolished in Kogi

    Hideouts of kidnappers, armed robbers demolished in Kogi

    At least 18 houses serving as hideouts for kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminals in Kogi State have been demolished.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security,  Commodore Jerry Omodara (retd), said Thursday in Lokoja that the houses were destroyed in line with the provisions of the state’s law on kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes.

    He said 17 of the houses were demolished in Kogi central senatorial district while one, an estate, was demolished in Kogi East senatorial district.

    Omodara said more houses were being identified, adding that any house where arms and ammunition were recovered, would be pulled down.

    He restated Governor Yahaya Bello’s resolve to rid the state of criminals, saying there was no going back on that stance.

    Omodara advised criminals to steer clear of Kogi in their own interest.

    NAN

  • Kogi to employ 3,000 security, tourism personnel

    Mr. Gbenga Olorunpomi, the Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, has said that the State Government would soon employ 3,000 workers, to boost security and tourism.

    Olorunpomi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that for tourism to thrive in the state, proper security had to be in place to secure the visitors.

    “We are taking our step one after the other; the development of the state is going to be built on security, peace and unity; so we take the issue of security seriously.

    “That is why we have deployed so much resources to providing security gadgets for our security officers; we have done all these because we want security.

    “In this regard, we want to develop our different tourism sites- Mount Patti, other sites, and the different festivals in order to attract tourists and investment to the state’’.

    The aide said the government was negotiating with some organisations to develop and manage the different tourist sites in the state through public private partnership.

    “In April, the British Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, was on Mount Patti, to see the tourist site; so we are excited for the future’’.

    He said the executive arm of government had sponsored bills to the State House of Assembly, to ensure the maximum use of natural resources and tourism sites in Kogi.

    The aide said that the State Government was working on the Kogi Hotels, which the previous administration initiated to ensure that tourists and visitors have a good place to lay their heads.

    “We are doing a lot to improve on security, peace, unity as well as promote tourism in the state”.

     

  • Doctors strike, a betrayal of agreement – Gov. Bello

    Doctors strike, a betrayal of agreement – Gov. Bello

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has described the indefinite strike embarked by the state chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) as a “betrayal of mutual agreement and a bridge of trust’’.

    Bello said this on Wednesday in a statement by his Director-General on Media and Strategy, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo.

    The governor assured residents that his administration would continue to protect their rights to quality healthcare service delivery.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association had directed its members to embark on an indefinite strike over government’s failure to pay doctors’ salaries and other issues bordering on the staff verification exercise in the state.

    In a communique jointly signed by its Chairman, Dr Tijani Godwin, and Secretary, Dr Zubair Kabiru, after an emergency congress on Tuesday in Lokoja, directed the doctors to commence the strike on Wednesday.

    However, the governor assured the people of the state that his administration would do everything within the ambit of the law to avert the indefinite strike.

    Bello said that the wisdom behind the inclusion of NMA representative in the screening was for them to give their expert advice that would lead the committee to make informed decisions.

    “The Staff Verification Exercise received the backings of labour; NMA was duly represented in the exercise and they signed the report, which signified their acceptance for the report.

    “For NMA to turn around to condemn the report is a betrayal of agreement and an attempt to condemn the home they joined hands with government in building.

    “The decision to unnecessarily punish the people by going on strike is unfortunate and will be resisted by government.

    “In an era of recession, it is an economic sin against the people to pay workers for doing nothing.

    “We will explore legal and administrative avenues to stop the ill-fated strike.

    “As we explore negotiations and diplomatic settlement; this government will also continue the ongoing recruitment process in the health sector to bridge any gap which may tend to endanger the healthcare of our people.

    “Our doors are always open; we will always listen to unionists. We believe in inclusiveness; but we will not hesitate to take drastic decisions that will help the people of our dear state,’’ Bello said.

    The governor, however, appealed to the association not to declare war on the state, saying their primary responsibility is to save lives and ensure healthcare service delivery for the people of the state.

     

  • U.S. donates $5.5m mosquito nets to Kogi residents

    U.S. donates $5.5m mosquito nets to Kogi residents

    The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has presented over 2.2 million treated mosquito nets to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi for distribution to the residents of the state.

    The U.S. Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the nets, valued at 5.5 million dollars, would be distributed in the 21 local government areas of the state.

    It quoted USAID’s Director for Health, Population and Nutrition, Nancy Lowenthal, as saying that U.S. also provided an additional 1.1 million dollars for logistics, including transportation of the nets, community mobilisation and training.

    Lowenthal said the nets and support for the distribution were a gift from the American people to the people of Kogi.

    The director said that the U.S. was supporting the efforts of the government and people of Kogi to protect the health of all, particularly the young and most vulnerable members of society.

    “I believe that eliminating malaria in Kogi and throughout Nigeria as a whole is possible if we all work together,” she said.

    According to her, malaria is one of the leading killers of children and a leading cause of illness in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season when the mosquito population increases.

    She said sleeping under an insecticide-treated net every night was the best way to prevent malaria.

    “Bed nets put a vital barrier between people and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, particularly during the hours from dusk to dawn.

    “Nightly use of insecticide treated bed nets prevents infections, which in turn prevents the spread of malaria.

    “Since 2011, the U.S. Government has spent more than 420 million dollars to control malaria in Nigeria.

    “Over 50 per cent of U.S. government funding for malaria goes into procuring and distributing insecticide treated bed nets, malaria diagnostic kits and malaria medicines,” she said.

    Lowenthal said that the U.S. government supported advocacy and mobilisation to encourage members of the community to sleep under the bed nets every night, training of health workers, and test for malaria before treatment.

  • Witnesses’ absence stalls Saraki’s false asset declaration trial

    Witnesses’ absence stalls Saraki’s false asset declaration trial

    The absence of prosecution witnesses on Thursday in Abuja at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) again stalled the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    The senate president is standing trial over alleged false assets declaration while serving as governor of Kwara.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trial had suffered similar fate between April 18 and April 25.

    Both adjournments, however, were at the instance of the prosecution team.

    Saraki’s trial which began in September 2015 had suffered numerous setbacks, mostly at the instance of the prosecution.

    NAN recalls that the prosecution shortlisted eight witnesses who would testify against the senate president in the 13- count charge of alleged false assets declaration.

    Those to testify are Yahaya Bello, Michael Wetkas, Mustapha Musa, Nura Bako, Adamu Garba, Samuel Madojemu, Abdulrahaman Dauda and Nwachukwu Amazu.

    Some of the witnesses were said to be DSS operators who investigated the four forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau by Saraki.

    The prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) had asked for short adjournment to enable him produce his witnesses.

    The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar adjourned the matter till May 4 for continuation.

  • APC chieftain urges KOSG to re-open tertiary institutions

    Chief Simeon Ogundele, a chieftain of the All Progressives Party (APC), has appealed to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi to re-open state-owned tertiary institutions shut down in January.

    Ogundele spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) on Wednesday in Lokoja, after meeting with the leadership of the students’ unions.

    NAN reports that lecturers in the state’s five tertiary institutions embarked on strike in January over government’s failure to settle their salaries and arrears of assorted allowances.

    The institutions include the Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, College of Education (Technical) Lokoja, College of Education, Ankpa, and Kogi State School of Engineering, Lokoja.

    The politician said that it was wrong to keep students perpetually at home, and regretted that they had become victims of the lingering feud between lecturers and the state government.

    He wondered why lecturers should be frustrated into embarking on strike over unpaid salaries, and suggested that teachers’ salaries be made a priority in view of their roles in societal growth.

    “In developed societies, the teacher is the first to be considered for such rights. Here, it is a different situation; this is sad,” he said.

    ‎Ogundele advised the governor to “critically look into the lingering disagreement”, stressing that students, parents and even the lecturers were tired of the indolence.

    “The governor should immediately pay what is owed the lecturers in the interest of the state.

    “It is dangerous for the society to keep the youths at home for so long, because they could be tempted to jump into vices which will not help the society,” he said.

    Mr Philip Omepa, President of the Kogi State University chapter of the Students Union Government, who also spoke with NAN, urged the governor to look into the plight of the students and take urgent steps toward re-opening the schools.

    “The youths are the future of the society; the quality of the future depends solely on the way we treat the youths today,” he pointed out.

    Omepa said that the students were tired of staying at home and wanted to go back to their classes.

  • NBA wants Court of Appeal established in Kogi

    NBA wants Court of Appeal established in Kogi

    The four branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Kogi, on Wednesday appealed to the President of the Court of Appeal to establish a division of the court in Lokoja, the state capital.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association has already established a special committee to pursue the matter.

    Mr Emmanuel Haruna, chairman of the committee, which comprises chairmen of Lokoja, Idah, Okene and Kabba branches of NBA, emphasised the need for the court during a visit to the Chief Judge of Kogi, Justice Nasir Ajanah, in Lokoja.

    Haruna held that establishing a division of the appellate court in Kogi was long overdue, pointing out that more than 50 percent of appeals handled by the Abuja division of the court were from Kogi.

    “Kogi has met all the requirements for the establishment of the court. The state was created 26 years, but it is yet to have an appeal court, while states like Ekiti, created five years after, already have a division of the court,” he argued.

    Haruna bemoaned a situation where lawyers and litigants had often traveled to the Appeal Court in Abuja only to discover that their cases had not been listed for mention.

    Responding, Justice Ajanah commended the committee for taking up the matter in the interest of their members and litigants, saying that the need for a division of the Appeal Court in Lokoja had been “on for a very long time”.

    Ajanah said that he had met and discussed extensively with justices of the appeal court on the issue, adding that the state was requested to construct a befitting court building and accommodation for the judges.

    The Chief Judge assured the NBA that he would do everything within his powers to actualise the dream, but challenged lawyers in the state to sit up and minimise incessant appeals for adjournment of cases.

    He promised to take up the issue with Gov. Yahaya Bello to solicit support in meeting the requirements, and urged the committee to also meet the President of the Appeal Court on the matter.

     

  • I won’t share Kogi resources to few elites – Governor

    I won’t share Kogi resources to few elites – Governor

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Friday insisted that he would not share the resources of his state to few elites.

    He said the resources are meant to be used for the benefit of the masses.

    Bello, who spoke with State House correspondents after observing the jumaat prayer with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said he has no apology for the few elites.

    He said: “Yes it can only be so for those who will want the little resources of the state to be shared.

    “And if am not including those who want the little resources to be shared if they term that to be non inclusive then I don’t have apology because the resources of the state is meant for everybody in the state and that’s exactly how I am applying it.

    On development of the State, the governor added: “In the last 13 or 14 months that I took over office, if you have been there you know that Kogi is changing, from the dark days to the present economic prosperity a whole lot has been done.

    “We are following our economic blueprint and things are changing infrastructurally. The civil service is being reformed, pensions too are being reformed and investors are coming in because we have largely secured the state.

    “The state used to be very unsecured, there are kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes in the past but by the grace of God and the good people of the state we have been able to stem the tide. That is why diplomats are flooding my state now, investors from America, Europe, China and all over the world are flooding the state for investment.”

    He thanked the President for forwarding the name of new ministerial nominee from Kogi State to the Senate.

    He said: “I thank the good people of Kogi State today, we have a ministerial nominee, Prof. Steven Ikani Ocheni is a renowned professor, he is versatile, a workaholic and he is never tired. I am very sure he is going to make Mr. President very proud.

    “He is going to make Nigeria and the good people of Kogi State proud. We thank Mr. President for this wonderful nomination.”