The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, has warned the Abiodun Faleke Group of the dire consequences of blackmailing the Judiciary ahead of the Supreme Court judgement on the legal propriety of Alhaji Yahaya Bello’s emergence as the Executive Governor of Kogi State. Addressing newsmen in Lokoja, Wednesday, Fanwo said that the report credited to the Faleke Group in which it alleged that the state will not snowball into chaos if the Supreme Court removes the Governor from office, smacks of “reckless prejudice” and an attempt at blackmailing the judiciary.
He said, “I consider the statement credited to the Faleke Group to the effect that there will be jubilation on the streets of Lokoja if Governor Yahaya Bello is removed by the Supreme Court as ridiculous and prejudicial.
“Governor Yahaya Bello is building a state that will be devoid of violence, a united state where our potentials are translated to opportunities for all. We are not envisaging any form of violence in the state. Anyone planning to wage violence on the people of Kogi State should desist from doing so as government has put structures in place to guarantee the safety of the people.
“Since the Faleke Group members operate diaspora, they are probably underestimating the acceptance of Governor Yahaya Bello in Kogi State. Contrary to what Faleke is telling the world, especially his Lagos brothers, the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello is working hard to reposition the state and take it to higher heights.
“We know the pains our Civil Service reforms have caused the workers, especially genuine workers. But the action is necessary to reposition the State and save her from the over 1.6 billion naira she was wasting on ghost workers every month.”
Fanwo said that the state government has no subsisting contract with the company detractors alleged was awarded a multi-million dollar contract to supply vehicles for political office holders, saying the allegations were cooked up to tarnish the image of the government.
According to him, Bello has always considered the salaries of workers as priorities, saying the administration of Governor Bello remains the most transparent in the annals of the state’s financial management.
His words: “Faleke should stop overheating the political temperature of the state. Raising frivolous allegations ahead the Supreme Court judgement cannot change the already established judicial facts. The Supreme Court is a respectable and responsible institution and will surely do justice to the case before it.”
He said that the state would remain peaceful and prosperous under the New Direction Agenda of the Governor Yahaya Bello administration.
“We are not oblivious of the fact that some miscreants were brought into the State to foment trouble in order to create a wrong impression of chaos. The present administration in the State has the capacity to ensure peace and tranquility in order to protect lives and property.
“Kogi is marching forward. We have procured enough facilities for effective security. Projects are ongoing across the state and programs are ongoing for the youth and women. Having met the condition to access Kogi State fund for SDG projects, unprecedented development will be witnessed in the coming months. The administration of Governor Yahaya Bello is also working to ensure due process in conducting government businesses to ensure probity and accountability. We do not expect opponents to be comfortable with our progress,” he said.