Amadin Ogbewe
The Governor of Kogi state Yahaya Bello, has stated that he rejected 1.1 billion Naira, from the world bank as part of COVID-19 palliatives as he does not believe in the disease.
Governors of the 36 states were said to have received N1billion each from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic which Bello admitted he accepted as his state was affected economically even though he claimed there were no official cases.
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. This Mr Bello said he refused to sign.
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 an 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 Federal Government released that fund 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 N1.1bilion 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 said
READ: Another stash of COVID-19 palliatives allegedly discovered in church in Ogun state
