Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State have slammed the state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello over the continued detention of one of their member, Mr Austin Okai who is also a blogger and alleged harassments of members in the state in the recent time.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the stakeholder meeting in Kogi West Senatorial District held in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government area of the state and made available the news men in Abuja yesterday.
The party condemned the recent clampdown on opposition voice in the state, with particular reference to the continued detention of Austin Okai, a PDP member and blogger.
According to the party, Mr Okai had spent days in detention “over trumped up charges” and later arraigned by security agents only to be rearrested in the court premises shortly after granted bail by a magistrate court.
In the communique signed by the Chairman of the PDP, Kogi West zone, Barrister Taiwo Kola-Ojo, the party alleged that not a few workers and pensioners in Kogi State have lost their lives to hunger and poverty due to alleged refusal by the state government to pay salaries and pensions.
The communiqué reads, “We called for a halt to the rule of tyranny in Kogi State speciffically we called for the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Austin Okai. The leadership also resolved to, henceforth mobilise against persecution of PDP members in the zone and the state as a whole.
“We appraised governance in Kogi State in the 15 months of Governor Yahaya Bello in the saddle. The unending screening exercise, refusal to pay salary and pensions to workers, are making Kogi people to slump and die on daily basis from poverty and hunger.”
“It is observed that a King Pharaoh has reincarnated in Kogi State and the Pharaoh is Governor Yahaya Bello. The mysterious disease that is making people to die untimely death is Governor Yahaya Bello. The Lord will save us from it as he saved the people of Israel from suffering
in the hands of King Pharaoh of Egypt. We called on workers, pensioners and the electorate to rise up to their freedom by voting out the APC from power.
“We viewed the unending screening exercise as a veil to divert public attention from the over N100b accruing from monthly allocations from the federation account, bailout, Paris Club and development refunds which members and agents of the Yahaya Bello government have not been able to account for.
“Our members dismissed the political gimmickry and threats that civil servants, pensioners, former councilors and state appointees who are PDP members would not be paid their salary arrears/entitlement unless they register as APC members. The meeting denounced the APC-led state government for embarking on a “wild goose chase” at best an act of illegality that will not stand the test of time and urged the citizens owed by the state government to demand prompt payment of their wages, remain steadfast and not to be swayed by empty threats.”
The meeting was attended by members of the party from the seven local government areas in Kogi West Senatorial District. Prominent members at the meeting include Kola-Ojo, Hon Sunday Karimi, member, House of Representatives for Yagba Federal Constituency who hosted the meeting, Hon TJ Yusuf, member, House of Representatives for Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, member, Kogi State House of Asembly, Yagba West Constituency, Hon Toyin Lawal, a former member of the House Of Representatives for Yagba Federal Constituency, Hon TJ Faniyi, former PDP State Chairman, Hon Hassan Salau, former state House of Assembly members, former chairmen and councilors and chairmen of the PDP in the seven local government areas, among others.
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