Bello ‘ll use N30bn bailout fund for vote buying aspirants

Two governorship aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) for the November 26 Kogi State governorship election have
expressed fears that the N30.8 billion bailout fund released by the
federal government to the state will be used by Governor Yahaya
Bello for vote-buying.

The fund, which was released to the state government earlier
this month, was meant for payment of workers’ salaries and
pensions.

The two aspirants, Dr. Victor Adoji and AVM Salihu Attawodi
recalled that the federal government refused to release such funds
to the immediate past Kogi governor, Idris Wada shortly before the
2015 election for fears that he might use it for his
re-election.

The two aspirants who spoke to newsmen at separate interviews at
the Abuja secretariat of the PDP on Wednesday, said the timing of
the release of the fund to Governor Bello was wrong.

Adoji said, “I don’t see that money going to be used for what it
is allotted for in the first place. It is ill timed, it is improper
and it is immoral”

AVM Attawodi also expressed the same fears, promising however
that if elected, he would ensure security in the state as well as
ensure human capital development.

Attawodi said, “The human capital development of the state is
laughable because without the people, you will not have a state. I
will also tackle education because education is power”.

Another aspirant for the Kogi election, Mohammed Shaibu Tette
pledged to bring his over 20 years experience in the private sector
to bear in his mission to tun the economy of the state around.

Attawodi said he would clear the over 30-month salary arrears
owed to workers by Governor Bello within 90 days of his assumption
of office if elected.

In a related development, a PDP governorship aspirant from
Bayelsa State, Tobin Ziperedein Igiri was also at the party’s
secretariat to obtain his nomination documents.

Igiri said he would end youth restiveness in Bayelsa by
empowering the youth population through employment generation and
skill acquisition.

Another Bayelsa aspirant, Fred Agbedi, who came to return his
nomination documents pledged to accelerate infrastructure
development in the state if elected.

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