AGAIN, PRESIDENCY BARS KOGI GOVERNOR, BELLO FROM TRAVELING ABROAD, ORDERED TO RETURN HOME

Austin Usman Okai

Security agents have again last week Saturday prevented Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello from boarding an airline for a planned trip to United Kingdom to pay a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari who is on a ten- day annual leave.

It was gathered that when Bello went to the office of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to get clearance for his trip to London, his request was turned down by the Vice President who advised him to go back to his state and settle workers unpaid salaries and to settle the lingering crisis rocking his party, (APC) in the state.

But he turned deaf ears to the vice president’s advice, and headed to the airport where he was prevented from traveling.

According to an airport source, security men stationed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja seized Bello’s traveling documents and told him they would not allow him to travel abroad unless they received clearance from the presidency.

The action of the men however, appears to be an instruction from the presidency.
The source said the governor had arrived the Abuja airport for the 11:10 a.m. London flight.
But after Bello had been checked in by the airline and was about to complete immigration formalities, his documents were confiscated by the Security men at the immigration cubicle where he was told that he could not travel.

“The security men were shown relevant traveling documents, by the governor, but the officers said they have no choice in the documents and that they were only acting on instruction from above that they should not allow him to travel.”

The development caused confusion at the airport and delayed the flight.
Bello’s luggage was however later unloaded to allow the flight proceed on its journey without the governor.

Recollect that, last week, a member of House of Representative and deputy Running mate to Late prince Abubakar Audu,in November 2015 Governorship election Hon James Abiodu Faleke , led the delegation of APC leaders and stakeholders from Kogi State to Vice President Yomi Osibajo

Faleke, who led the group comprising former ministers, former ambassadors, former National Assembly members and other critical stakeholders from the State to the office of the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, said that the State has stopped working since Bello assumed office.

Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the closed door meeting, Faleke said that the Governor’s unsavory actions were inimical to the future of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

According to him, the people are dying of hunger as a result of the leadership style being adopted by Governor Bello.

He said: “We came to the presidency to let federal government know what is happening in Kogi state as regards the fortunes of the party.

The way it is dwindling day by day as regards the civil servants, the welfare of the people and their relationship with the state government.

“We have come to let the presidency know so that when elections come and the party losses, no one is to be blamed.

We want intervention from the federal government to find a way forward in this situation.

“The governor of the state should recognize those who work for the party and make the party to be successful. It is one thing to be victorious at the court level and another thing to carry the people along. I want to use this opportunity to urge the governor to carry the people along

He said that the delegation was satisfied with the response of the Acting President during the meeting.