Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secret Reporter
When one would have thought that the relationship between the governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello and President Muhammadu Buhari would transmit into massive development and leadership which will in turn better the lot of the people of Kogi State, it appears that the reverse is the case.
Information made available to SecretReporters reveals that after the controversial inauguration of Yahaya Bello as governor of Kogi State following the death of the original victor at the polls, one would have expected that the position of Deputy Governor would be heavily lobbied for due to the lucrative nature of the position of the number two citizen of the State.
However, this was not the case as sources reveal that the post of the Deputy Governor became detested as no ethnic group in the state was ready to occupy the position.
“Everyone already knows that anyone who eventually emerges will not be reckoned with, and will be more or less sidelined by the government and the people. So what is the need of holding a position that high and nobody will even value you?” a political source stated.
It was gathered that in the midst of the whole quagmire, Elder Simeon Achuba was cajoled into becoming the Deputy Governor amidst several insinuations that he would soon be neglected and sidelined.
As though confirming these insinuations, it was alleged that the Deputy Governor upon resumption of office became a mere figure head occupying the position of the Deputy Governor, as Gov. Bello and his Chief Of Staff, Edward Onoja visibly took over running of the state affairs.
Interestingly, it was also gathered that Gov. Bello has allegedly refused paying the Deputy Governor his salaries and allowances for thirteen months like other workers in the state which according to insider sources has made Achuba began considering decamping to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in other to restore his relevance; an allegation which was blatantly refuted by the governor who practically boasted that the Deputy Governor is comfortable with his position even though he is been owed for thirteen months.
Another source revealed that due to the shame of been considered insignificant as the Deputy Governor, Elder Simeon Achuba has gone on exile preferring to be incommunicado and has also declined appearing in public or government meetings as his duty demands.
Regrettably, despite several bailout from the Federal Government as well as the Paris Club funds released to the state running into Billions of Naira for the purpose of stabilizing the state’s economy viz a viz payment of outstanding salaries being owed workers, it is alleged that workers’ salaries have formed a pile as they are still been owed over thirteen months while some luckily received their December salaries in June 2019.
