From EKE BERNICE, Abuja
Just two days to gubernatorial election, the sum of N10 billion has been approved by the senate for Kogi state as a refund for projects executed on behalf of the federal government by the Kogi state government.
President Muhammadu Buhari had requested through a letter which was read on the floor of the senate by Senate President Ahmad Lawan, on October 15, 2019 that the said fund be released to Kogi state government.
Clifford Ordia, Chairman of the Senate committee on local and foreign debts, while presenting his report said the Kogi government carried out repairs on seven federal government roads in the state.
“Based on our findings, some of the highways were in the state of disrepair before the intervention was carried out,” Ordia said.
“The state government has paid all the contractors that constructed the road.
“Our humble recommendation is that the senate do approve the refund of N10 billion for projects executed on behalf of the federal government”.
While reacting to the development, the senate minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe refuted the recommendation of the committee saying that this is not the right time for the disbursement of the funds.
“What I don’t want is the misuse of these funds because it is for the people of the Kogi state,” Abaribe said.
“This is not the right time, this is the time where the exigencies of the moment may be used.”, he added.
While speaking on the issue, the Senate President Ahmad Lawan said that the senate’s approval of the refund only coincides with election.
“Kogi State applied for this in the last senate meeting, all the other states were paid. Kogi was not approved at that time, we as a senate has seen it as a requisite and it is a coincidence,” he said.
This approval comes barely two days to the governorship election in the state.
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