Faleke drags Kogi governor before Presidency

JAMES Faleke, running mate to Abubukar Audu, late former governor of Kogi State, on Tuesday dragged Governor Yahaya Bello, before acting President Yemi Osinbajo, warning that his actions have endangered the All Progressive Congress (APC) fortunes in the state.

Leading a delegation of Kogi politicians to the Presidential Villa, Abuja he told correspondents after the meeting that the ruling party would lose the next election in the state because of the attitude of the governor.

Falake, who is a member of the House of Representatives, alleged that Bello has put the state workers through untold hardship by constantly inviting them to the state capital for screening.

He also said the governor has ignored those who assisted the APC to clinch the position of the state governor, noting that he would therefore have himself to blame if the party loses the next election in the state.

The lawmaker called for the intervention of the Federal Government to save the situation.

Faleke said: “We came to the presidency to let Federal Government know what is happening in Kogi State as regards the fortunes of the party, the way it is dwindling day by day as regards the civil servants, the welfare of the people and their relationship with the state government.

“We have come to let them know so when elections come and the party losses, no one is blamed.

“We want intervention from the federal government to find a way forward in this situation.”

On Osinbajo’s response to the delegation’s position, Faleke noted that it was positive saying that the delegation was satisfied.

He advised that in order to get the APC back on track in the state, Governor Bello must recognise all those who worked for the victory of the party.

He added: “The governor of the state should recognize those who work for the party and make the party to be successful. It is one thing to be victorious at the court level and another thing to carry the people along.

“I want to use this opportunity to urge the governor to carry the people along. This is the fifth time he is setting up a committee to review staff strength with so many screening every day, people are dying.

“You ask people to come from the entire 21 local governments to Lokoja to present their documents, some of them are dying in road accidents.

“My concern is that if he is so sure he should set up a better frame rather than this recurrent approach. For all the committees that sent report to him, he has condemned their reports and he is the one that set up these committees. Now another committee has been set up again for the same purpose.

“We get calls every day for welfare from civil servants, school children that their parents have not been paid for months.

“So, we want him to stop this because this is not the only way to stop ghost workers and it shouldn’t be the last.

“I’m not against eradication of ghost workers but it shouldn’t be done to the detriment of the people.”