The Kogi State Government has issued a directive to freeze all state and local government accounts, with immediate effect. A government statement signed by the Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Asiru Idris and made available to journalists in Lokoja recently, said no form of payment should be made to anyone from the government account henceforth.
According to the statement, all “standing orders and investment instructions are hereby cancelled forthwith” However, our correspondent gathered that the decision may be connected with the governor’s concern regarding the performances of some members of his cabinet.
Our correspondent reports that Governor Yahaya Bello last Saturday fumed over betrayal of some of his cabinet members at the just concluded off-cycle governorship election in the state. According to him, despite being mobilised to provide transportation and other logistics for the electorate during the election, “you have all failed to deliver while the mobilisation funds ended in private pockets.”
The governor went ahead to issue a questionnaire to all 21 local government chairmen, which they were asked to submit last Tuesday.
