Yahaya Bello refutes deputy’s claim on N800 million entitlement debt

Last week the deputy governor of Kogi state, Simon Achuba made claims of being owed his entitlements for two years while speaking with newsmen after a meeting with the Chief of Staff Abba Kyari. The Governor of the state, Yahaya Bello has refuted the claims made by Deputy Governor.

The Kogi State Governor in a statement by his spokesperson Kingsley Fanwo expressed readiness to meet his deputy in court over the alleged non-payment of his entitlements of over N800 million. He described the claims as ‘bogus claims’.  Yahaya Bello further stated that Achuba’s salaries had been paid up to the same date as his and other political office holders in the state.

“It is our belief that the claim for salaries at paragraph 4 of the letter of Demand was done to generate sensational headlines in the news as there is no stated salary arrears in the prepared breakdown of claimed entitlements attached to the letter of demand.

“The sum of N786, 427,480 of the outrageous N819, 709,980 claimed by the Deputy Governor have not been approved let alone processed for payment by the Government.

“The deputy governor is aware that by virtue of extant financial regulations, even where expenditures are provided for in the budget, they are still subject to approvals based on an estimation that funds to defray will be available; and where they are approved, the release of such funds still depends on the availability of funds,” he said.