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By Ismail M. Kabir An interim report of the staff verification exercise recently conducted across Kogi State has sparked protest in many local government areas of states. The report is said to have revealed tens of thousands of ghost and illegally employed workers that overbloated the wage bill of the state for the past years. While violent reactions trail the recommendations of the screening exercise that advised the state government to weed out the numerous ghost workers, Governor urged genuine workers affected to forward their complains to the appropriate quarters for review. On her part, the Special Adviser to the governor on electronic media,  Petra Akinti quoted a report by Premium Times that viewed the findings of the exercise as troubling. "Kogi State has a shameful secret that is also an open one: it has one of the highest numbers of ghost workers and as the Kogi State Civil Service screening committee is winding down its exercise, the findings are quite troublin

After Premium Times yesterday reported that the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello allegedly squandered over N260m ‘security votes’ days after assuming office, his office has replied the media outlet saying it is far from the truth. Here’s what they sent in. The use of the word "squander", as far as I am concerned, is a clear abuse of the right to information. Every dime spent by the Governor can be accounted for. He has one of the lowest Security Fund in the nation which has even been underdrawn by his administration. It is a public knowledge that Kogi State has been contending with serious security breach for the past ten years. As a result of the location of the state as gateway to many states of the federation, the state drifted into a criminal hotbed. Also, years of gross maladministration and blinding embezzlement has left the youth bear, exposing them to all sort of criminal activities to survive. Kogi became a haven of robbers and kidnappers. As a responsible g

Published on May 12, 2016 by pmnews. The Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has assured the management team of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and all the people of Kogi State that during his administration, the revival of the steel company would be concluded. The governor said this while receiving the team, who visited him at his office in Government House, Lokoja. He said he was taking the issue of natural resources very seriously and would make concrete demands of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Minister for Mineral Resources, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as it concerns the steel complex. “I will go to Mr. President with practical solutions to the problems,” Governor Bello said. “I want to let him know all that is involved, who started it, where it is now, what is required to complete it, who should complete it, how funds can be sourced to complete it. I want to tell him everything needed and I will follow up on the matter until that place is up and runnin

I  Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has promised to accord the state judiciary the true independence that the arm of government deserves. I made the promise yesterday in Lokoja while receiving members of the State Judiciary Commission led by the State Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah, also tasked judges in the state to be professional in their dealings with people. Accordingly, “the job that you do, the intricacies of which lie beyond the understanding of many a man, demand no less. On an occasion such as this, no two principles will ring louder than Separation of Powers and Independence of the Judiciary. I will settle that dispute very summarily right now: my administration will respect both principles to the letter. “The Judiciary under my tenure will enjoy equity in the allocation of resources; will be autonomous in managing her finances and you will never find me trespassing into your official duties or capacities. Neither will I send or permit any person to do so on my behalf or th

In recognition of the developmental giant strides undertaking by his Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello, the Kogi state Elders' Forum unanimously paid a solidarity visit to Governor Yahaya Bello in order to register their unreserved and unalloyed supports for his Excellency over what most of them described as being unprecedented giant strides ever since the creation of Kogi state. These glowing tributes were made at an event which coincides with his Excellency's 100 days in office. In his Excellency's response to the Elders' words of commendation he thanked them for their unyielding supports and promised to put in more efforts for the upliftment of Kogi state from her current state of quagmire and hopelessness which the previous administrations have subjected the state to in the last 25 years of its creation. He further stressed the fact that, the Elders' visit has further boosted and strengthened his moral to do more for the state as it is also an indication of the

This action is against the resolutions of the House of Representatives, last week, that ordered the governor to send the state budget and other executive bills to the National Assembly for consideration as stipulated in section 11 of the Constitution. The budget comprised N41.71 billion as capital and N58.228 billion as recurrent expenditure. Assenting to the bill in Lokoja, Bello described the bill as budget of change and promised its full implementation. According to him, a budget monitoring implementation committee will be set up to coordinate and monitor its full implementation. He said that government was fully aware of the implication of the drop in the allocation from the Federation Account. Advertisement

WRITTEN BY BALOGUN OMEIZA DAVID. How time flies. Just like yesterday, the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja, the State capital in Kogi State was filled to the brim. Faces of men, women, boys, girls, the handicapped and the aged were seen as they all trooped out in large numbers to usher in a government that was bent on charting "A NEW DIRECTION" for the state. Different bodies were present and also groups to witness this epoch making inauguration. To the glory of God Almighty the inauguration has metamorphosed into a hundred days in office for His Excellency, Alh. Adoza Yahaya Bello (AYB) and I deem it fit to congratulate this man of rare qualities and also to dissect the achievements of some of those he has saddled with responsibilities in his kitchen cabinet. Without mincing words, it is known to all and sundry that His Excellency met Kogi State swimming in the murky waters of backwardness and under development. The administration of Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada from whom our pres

By Rekiya O. Sanni A hundred days ago, the Governor of Kogi state was sworn in. Our people and the whole country marvelled at what has been variously characterised as a miracle and an epoch-making event. The Bello Support Group (BSO) wishes to thank God for the victory of having Change instilled in our beloved State; we are grateful to God for giving us a Governor of our dreams. Indefatigable, detribalised, focused and highly motivated towards excellence. In the light of this, and the many landmark and impact feats ongoing, we congratulate His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on his one hundred days in Office, as the Executive Governor of Kogi State. We have seen the delight in the faces of the entire workforce in the state – both Local Government services, State Government services – as you have taken up the Augean task of sanitizing the Civil Service; plus the recent gesture geared towards ameliorating the working conditions of the Labour union at large state-wide. We are also a

 Member representing Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency, Hon. Kabir Ajanah has empowered over 450 youths through the first phase of his empowerment scheme. The programme, which was held today at his Obangede hometown in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, had its beneficiaries from the 22 wards in the Adavi/Okehi constituency. In his speech, Ajanah noted that most of the beneficiaries had been trained by his scheme on small and medium scale enterprises, while others are faithfuls of his party, All Progressives Congress. "We have successfully trained people to be computer literates and they shall be empowered as graduants with a Computer Machine. "We have also trained people to be specialist in tailoring work and today they shall be empowered with Tailoring Machine as graduants. "We have trained people in Vulkanizing work and today they shall be empowered as graduants to stand on their own. "There are these beneficiaries of a motorcycles to which most part

BEING TEXT OF AN ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO OF KOGI STATE TO THE STATE’S WORKERS ON MONDAY, MAY 1 (MAYDAY), 2016. The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Honourable Simeon Achuba. The Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Honourable Umar Imam The Chief Judge of Kogi State, My Lord Justice Nasir Ajanah Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Her Honour Mrs. Ayoade Folashade Arike The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Honourable Edward Onoja The Head of Service (Acting), Kogi State Civil Service, Political Appointees and Members of Government. Leaders and Members of the Nigerian Labour Congress Leaders and Members of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria Great Nigerian Workers! Ladies and Gentlemen, May 1st every year is a testimonial to the indomitable spirits of men and women, the Workers, who play the most invaluable roles in the Development of any Society. It is a day set aside by the World to pay deserved tribute to the people who cons

By Muhammed D. Adano The late sir Ahmed Bello,  Premier of the northern Nigeria once said that " If we do not blow our own Trumpet no one would do so for us -for they are too busy blowing theirs". I was privileged to attend Governor Yahaya Bello inauguration January 27th, 2016 at Lokoja. One of the speakers, a bonafide Kogites, a distinguished senator representing the good people of Kogi West senatorial district  spoke on 'How God win'. Senator Dino Melaye began by saying that the vote of Almighty God has won. He went further to say that the people of Kogi state from Central, East and to the West casted their votes for Prince Abubakar Audu but God voted for Alhaji Yahaya Bello  and returned elected". #Godwin-Ohomorihi Ohun. God has spoken why some people contesting with the word of God. The stadium witness reverberated with ovation and my Governor Yahaya Bello wept openly during his inaugural speech presentation. Before leaving the podium, the Governor posited

The menace of ghost workers has taken a dangerous dimension in Kogi state over the years. Today in the state; there exist ghost workers and ghost ministries, ghost schools and ghost staff, ghost contractors and ghost contracts, ghost pensioners and retirees all of which continue to drain the state's coffers thereby renders it incapable of carrying out its basic responsibility of providing infrastructure, maintenance of law and order and so on. No doubt the astronomical unemployment rate in Kogi state and In the country today is in part exacerbated by the widespread incidence of ghost employees in both State and Local governments’ administration. As a direct consequence of this fraud, qualified kogites and Nigerians often find it difficult to get a space in both government and private establishments whose nominal rolls are brimming with fictitious characters but who nonetheless monthly cream out humongous pay checks from their victim establishment. According to the May/June 2001 e

Mary Amodu- Lokoja The Kogi State, Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello expressed shock in the demise of the Oba of Benin, HRM Omo N'oba Erediuawa as loss of the nation's gourd of history and tradition "one of the nation's most revered royal fathers,  a monumental loss to the Benin Kingdom, Edo State and the nation. The departed royal father is one of Africa's finest cultural Ambassadors and a pragmatic leader with a chemistry of ancient values and modern leadership. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kingsley Fanwo, Governor Bello described the late Oba as a promoter of Afro-centric solutions to challenges confronting Africa and father to all who believes in a united and prosperous Nigeria. Bello express his heart-felt sympathies to the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole over the loss of an invaluable father, adviser and an inestimable companion in the advancement of Edo values and development." I pray for the repose soul of the departed ro