Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has exposed his colleagues by saying that the governors of 36 States of Nigeria, including him, have received N1billion each from President Muhammadu Buhari to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The governor, who answered questions at the Channels TV Sunrise Daily programme, said that the Governors also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank to receive additional sum of N1.1billion for the same purpose.
Governor Yahaya Bello said that all the state governors have since received the N1billion from the Federal Government, adding that he was the only state governor who refused to sign an MoU with the World Bank.
Asked why he received the COVID-19 fund from the Federal Government despite not believing in the virus, Governor Yahaya Bello said: “even though we did not have COVID-19 in Kogi State, we are equally affected; because our economy was equally affected and Federal Government released that fund to assist every state and we cannot reject it.”
He said that he refused to sign the World Bank MoU because it was a one-sided agreement or document.
“Go and check records. Kogi State is the only State that refused to sign that document for N1.1bilion because I don’t believe in COVID.
“N500million has been disbursed, Kogi State did not receive and I refused to receive and I rejected it.”
The Kogi Governor debunked allegations that his government hoarded the CA-COVID relief packages in Lokoja or anywhere in the State as being rumoured.
The allegations, he said, were to discredit state governors and the Federal Government.
