COVID-19: FG, W’Bank gave each gov N2.1bn – Yahaya Bello
Yahya Bello
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State says every state governor received N1bn from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
He also said all the 36 state governments except Kogi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank to receive a sum of N1.1bn for the same purpose.
He made the disclosure on Tuesday while featuring on a Channels TV’s morning programme, Sunrise.
According to Gov Bello, all the state governors have since received the N1bn from the Federal Government.
However, Bello said he was the only state governor who refused to sign the MoU with the World Bank.
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 the Federal Government released the funds to assist every state and we cannot reject it.”
He stated that he refused to sign the World Bank MoU because it was a one-sided agreement or document.
“Go and check records. Kogi State is the only State that refused to sign that document for N1.1bn because I don’t believe in COVID. N500m has been disbursed, Kogi State did not receive and I refused to receive and I rejected it,” he said
The Kogi governor debunked allegations that his government hoarded the CA-COVID relief package in Lokoja or anywhere in the state as being rumoured.