No fewer than two days to gubernatorial election in Kogi state, the sum of N10 billion has been approved by the senate for Kogi state.
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the sum is a refund for projects executed by the state government on behalf of the Federal Government.
Recall that the Senate President Ahmad Lawan read the request for the funds of President Muhammadu Buhari on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on October 15, 2019.
Shortly, the funds have been finally approved by the senate barely two days to the governorship election in the state.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign debts, Senator Clifford Ordia disclosed that Kogi government carried out repairs on seven federal government roads in the state while presenting his report on Wednesday.
“Based on our findings, some of the highways were in the state of disrepair before the intervention was carried out,” Ordia said.
“The state government has paid all the contractors that constructed the road.
“Our humble recommendation is that the senate do approve the refund of N10 billion for projects executed on behalf of the federal government.”
While reacting to the development, the senate minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe refuted the recommendation of the committee saying that this is not the right time for that release of the funds.
“What I don’t want is the misuse of these funds because it is for the people of the Kogi state,” Abaribe said.
“This is not the right time, this is the time where the exigencies of the moment may be used.”, he added.
While speaking on the issue, the Senate President Ahmad Lawan said that the senate’s approval of the refund only coincides with election.
“Kogi state applied for this in the last senate, all the other states were paid. Kogi was not approved at that time, we as a senate has seen it as a necessity and it is a coincidence,” he said.