Governors of the 36 states were paid N1billion each by the federal government to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the concomitant lockdowns.
The Governors were also said to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank to receive a sum of N1.1billion for the same purpose, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State revealed while featuring on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily.
According to Gov Bello, all the state governors have since received the N1billion from the Federal Government.
However, Yahaya Bello said he was the only state governor who refused to sign MoU with the World Bank for the N1.1 billion because it was a one-sided agreement or document.
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Asked why he received the COVID-19 fund from the Federal Government despite not believing in the virus, Bello said,“even though we did not have COVID-19 in Kogi State, we are equally affected; because our economy was equally affected and Federal Government released that fund to assist every state and we cannot reject it.”
“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. N500million has been disbursed, Kogi State did not receive and I refused to receive and I rejected it”, he stated.
The Kogi Governor debunked allegations that his government hoarded the CA-COVID relief packages in Lokoja or anywhere in the State as being rumoured.
The allegations, he said, were to discredit state governors and the Federal Government.