Kogi state Governor Yahaya Bello has said he turned down the World Bank’s N1.1billion offer to mitigate the dreaded COVID-19 because he never believes in the pandemic.
He, however, admitted receiving similar support from the federal government because the state’s economy was affected by the global pandemic.
Governor Bello revealed this Tuesday while featuring on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, monitored by our reporter in Lokoja, the state capital.
On why he refused the World Bank offer, he said the Memorandum of Understanding was a one-sided agreement or document.
“I warned then that the pandemic was a creation to promote poverty, stifle our national growth and breed hunger. They want us to be locked down in hunger. They were not happy that we were getting closer to sufficiency in food production. And we bought the unfortunate market.
“What we are seeing today is the product of hunger. People are hungry and angry. We must find quick solution to that. I never believed in the hype around COVID-19. I rejected the international fund to support states affected by the pandemic because my state wasn’t affected. I was the only governor that refused to sign that document.
“Go and check records, Kogi state is the only state that refused to sign that document for N1.1bilion because I don’t believe in COVID-19. N500 million has been disbursed, Kogi state did not receive, I refused to receive and I rejected it,” he said.
Asked why he got similar support from the federal government, the governor said: “Even though we did not have COVID-19 in Kogi state, we were equally affected because our economy was affected, federal government released that fund to assist every state and we cannot reject it.”
Speaking on the attack on warehouses across the country, Governor Bello exonerated his colleagues, saying some of the palliatives came late and others had gone bad.
Bello said: “Some of the food items came late and we even raised eyebrow over the supplies. You are bringing rice for me when I have built the second largest Rice Mill in Northern Nigeria in my state.
“What is the economic sense in it? Why didn’t they allow us to buy these products in our respective states and stimulate our local economy? Some people really benefitted from the unfortunate situation.”
On the allegations that his government hoarded the CA-COVID relief packages, the governor said this was only meant to discredit state governors and the federal government.
He said the state government had distributed palliatives to 20 out of 21 local governments in the state, noting that the palliative distribution for Lokoja local government was on until imported hoodlums tried to interfere.
“We, as a state, have been distributing palliatives to our people long before this COVID-19 era. Our state is prone to flood, so palliative distribution from us is a normal thing.
“Poverty in Nigeria is a result of the maladministration of former governments. From the federal level to state and local levels, we are doing our best to reduce the poverty rate.
“Looting is not a result of poverty. Looting is also experienced even in wealthy countries like the United States of America during the Black lives matter protest. So, looting is not completely a product of poverty. Let us not set ourselves against each other. We must organise ourselves and speak well about our country,” he said.
“When they started, their agitation was genuine. We supported them then and joined our voices to support their agitation against police brutality. As the youngest governor in Nigeria and being the poster boy of youth in governance, I am duty bound to support their agitations that are genuine, legal and legitimate.
“But I was disappointed when I noticed the agitation to a large extent, has some political undertones. I see 2023 in some of the things they were doing. It got hijacked by criminals who began to destroy even things and institutions that benefitted the poor. As young people, we have to act responsibly.
“Hoodlums began to loot from people and even our fertiliser warehouse here was burgled. Is it still an agitation against police brutality? Mr. President did what was right. The IG announced the disbandment of SARS. And in its place, SWAT was to come in.
“What we need is the reform of our entire security architecture. We must work on their recruitment, training and the consciousness that the people employed them to protect them, not to kill them. We will not lose hope. We have to keep talking to our youth to do what is right,” the governor further said.
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