Senate approves N10b for Kogi ahead of Guber Election

Senate President, Ahmed Lawal

The senate has approved the sum of N10 billion as a refund for projects executed on behalf of the federal government by Kogi state government.

The approval is coming two days to the governorship election in the state.



President Muhammadu Buhari had requested for the approval of the Senate for the Federal Government to pay Kogi State Government N10.069 billion.

The president explained that the money was to settle contractual obligations by the Kogi State Government from unspecified Federal Government projects it executed on behalf of the Federal Government.

While presenting his report on Wednesday, Clifford Ordia, chairman of the senate committee on local and foreign debts, said the Kogi government carried out repairs on seven federal government roads in the state.




“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.”


But Enyinnaya Abaribe, senate minority leader, spoke against the recommendation by the committee.

“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.”

But Lawan said 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.

Meanwhile, Kogi Elders Assembly (KOESSA), Concerned Kogi Citizens (CKC), Forum of Former Kogi Political Officer Holders (FOKOPO) and Kogi Advancement Project (KAPRO), had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of promoting corruption in Kogi state.

They said that paying N10.069 billion to the Kogi state government close to the governorship election is an attempt to commit electoral fraud in the state.


The groups maintained that the President was merely trying to fuel electoral fraud in the state by seeking to get the money refunded close to gubernatorial election.

The groups demanded details of the federal government projects executed by the state government, wondering if those included the numerous federal and state roads that are in worse condition as had never been in the history of the state.

“We also would like to know if the projects affected the health sector, education, sports, technology, water resources, or if it was to renovate private or public property, as there is no evidence of any construction site in the state where such an amount of money could have been spent,” Bello and Adejoh stated.