A political group, the Peoples Democratic Party National Youth Frontier (Pdpnyf) has raised the alarm over the way the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, is handling the finances of the state.

The group in a statement signed by its National Co-ordinator, Mr Usman Okai Austin, disclosed that the governor of Kogi has been using several means to divert the state fund.

According to Okai in the statement, a copy of which was made available to News Express, the recent hiring of helicopter by Bello is a part of plans to divert attention from the real issues on ground. He, also, warned against further intimidation of state’s wings of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

According to the Pdpnyf National Co-ordinator, “The so called screening exercise conducted by Yahaya Bello is a charade, the exercise was targeted at a particular category of people, full of irregularities, marred with series of omissions. These were evidenced, as some people were intentionally denied of screening forms and subsequently barred from the screening activities. “We know Bello is aiming at sacking legitimate workers as so many of the workers were denied screening exercise.”

“The labour leaders in Kogi State,” Pdpnyf stated, “were not carried along as they were skimmed out by the Governor’s cronies, who were engaged in campaign of calumny and blackmail against the state labour leaders.

“These culminated to what I called ‘conspiracy of silence’ in the whole game. This is the time for Labour to shut down the state. It is clear from all indication, that there are sinister plans to divert the Kogi State bailout fund.

“The time is now for the NLC and other Labour leaders in Kogi State to rise up to their responsibilities. It is obvious Bello is treating Kogi State workers like slave and we can't allow this to continue. The money so approved is enough to pay every category of workers in Kogi state from cleaner in the Local Government to the highest ranked civil servants in the state.

“Bello has collected more than five months allocation before the arrival of the Bailout Loan applied by the former Governor Wada. We are aware Yahaya Bello is harassing, intimidating and bullying the state chapter of NLC and Other Labour leaders and those he can’t bully into silence they are inducing them with money. This conspiracy of Silence in Kogi State must stop now.

“What we have in Kogi state is existence of Cabal not government. Pdpnyf is calling on ICPC and EFCC to ensure proper monitoring and implementation of this much awaited bailout fund released to Kogi state as the actions of the Governor is questionable.”

•Photo shows Governor Bello.

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