Kogi State Governor, Yahya Bello has made several startling revelations while speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday including how governors of the 36 states were said to have received N1billion each from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Governors according to Gov Bello were also said to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank to receive a sum of N1.1billion for the same purpose. Hence, the total sum package for for the COVID-19 relief fund collected by the governors was N2.1billion.
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Gov Bello claimed that all the state governors have received the N1billion from the Federal Government while he quickly clarified that hr was the only state governor who refused to sign an MoU with the World Bank.
When probed further why he had received the COVID-19 relief fund from the Federal Government despite not believing in the existence of the virus, 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.”
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On his refusal to sign the World Bank MoU, Bello stated that his decision was based on the fact that the World Bank MoU was a one-sided agreement.
“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,” he said
Also, the Kogi Governor debunked reports that his government hoarded the CA-COVID relief packages in Lokoja or anywhere in the State as being alleged.
The rumours, he insisted were to discredit state governors and the Federal Government.
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