Yahaya BelloGovernor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has directed the freezing of all the state and local governments’ accounts with immediate effect.
A statement by the Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, made this known on Thursday in Lokoja, the state capital.
The statement read apart: “No imprest or any form of payment should be made to anyone from Government Account henceforth.
“Standing Orders and Investment Instructions are hereby cancelled forthwith.
”All Kogi State and Local Government Accounts are hereby FROZEN with effect from today, Thursday 22nd November 2003.”
This comes barely two weeks after his anointed candidate, Usman Ododo emerged winner of the November 11 governorship election in the state.
He won the election with 446,237 votes, while his closest challenger, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), received 259,052 votes.
The result was, however, rejected by Ajaka and Dino Melaye, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who emerged distant third.
Although, Ajake said he won’t be challenging the result in court, his party is presenting their case at the tribunal.
Meanwhile, the Kogi Off-Cycle Governorship Election Petition Tribunal presided over by the President of the Court of Appeal (COA), Justice Monica Bolna’an-Dongban, is set to convene on Saturday.
Mr David Umar-Mike, Secretary of the Tribunal, confirmed this to newsmen in Lokoja on Thursday.
The tribunal secretary said: “By God’s grace, the tribunal will be sitting this Saturday, Nov. 25. We will take exparte motions.
“This is because all we have at hand right now are the exparte motions that will be taken on that Saturday.
“But the work proper may take a few more days because counsels will have to go and start looking for documents at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the rest of them before they file their various petitions.”
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