‘Wada to blame over failure to access Kogi’s bail-out funds’

A group of youths of Kogi State under the umbrella of Kogi Liberation Group has said the state Governor Idris Ichala Wada should blame himself for the delay in releasing the bailout funds.

The group in a press statement signed by the National Coordinator, Malami Ibrahim and its Press Secretary, Ogu Idegu in Jos yesterday said, “Governor Wada is to blame for his failure to secure the fund approved for the state just as he has failed in providing dividends of democracy to citizens of the state since assumption of office four years ago.”

According to the statement, “The bail-out fund was approved for all the 36 state governors by the federal government and most of the governors have successfully processed their own and have already taken care of the welfare of their civil servants.

“From our findings at the CBN headquarters, Governor Wada’s explanation has not satisfied CBN on how Kogi State deserved the N50.8 billion, which is the highest amount requested by any state. Meanwhile other governors have been able to justify their need of their funds and they have been given without delay by the same CBN.

“In a manner to prove that Governor Wada has no concern for the welfare of civil servants, the government neglected the process at CBN and chose to concentrate on his campaign for his 2nd term election at the expense of state civil servants.

“But rather than Gov Wada accepting the delay as his own failure just as he has failed in governing the state well, he decided to politicize his own incapability as governor by putting the blame on Audu and the CBN governor.

“We therefore wish to caution Gov Wada to leave former Governor Abubakar Audu and CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele out of this issue and face his own official challenge squarely and use the opportunity to prove his capability. By the failure of governor Wada to access this approved fund and settle his workers, the governor has only proven that he has little concern for welfare of civil servants.”