The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State over his recently unveiled multi-million personal mansion in his Okene country home, describing it as height of insensitivity to plight of the people.

The party in a statement issued on Monday in Lokoja by its State Publicity Secretary, Mr Bode Ogunmola, said the party was shocked by the governor’s sheer display of affluence in the midst of poverty and underdevelopment ravaging the land.

“Our great party is indeed taken aback by the display of affluence in the midst of poverty by Yahaya Bello, whose government is owing its workers’ salaries ranging from four to 22 months.

“By this act, the governor has once again showed to the world that his personal comfort is of more importance to him than the welfare of the people of the state.

“We wonder why a government which has continued to under-develop the state by its actions will be so insensitive to the extent of building private estates at the detriment of the welfare of the people of the state.

“The present administration in the state is not only a monumental failure but also a great disappointment to the people of the state. We wish to call on Yahaya Bello to pay workers their salary instead of using the resources of the state to feather his nests.”

Meanwhile, the Kogi State government has justified the ‘multi-million naira personal mansion’ built by Bello’s in his Okene country home, saying the governor did not violate any known law for having such an edifice in his birthplace.

The Director General on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo, said: “They (critics) know the governor was a successful businessman before his foray into politics. There is no correlation between the salary payment situation in the state and the governor’s recently completed house at Okene. We have spoken severally about the salary situation in the state. We have paid genuine workers up to July 2017 and we are working on the arrears.” (Daily Trust)

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