Former political appointees who served under ex-Governor Idris Wada in Kogi State have appealed to Governor Usman Ododo to settle their three months’ salary arrears, saying the payment would help them meet school fee obligations as schools resume later this month.
The appeal was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday in Lokoja. It was signed by Austine Medaiyedu, former Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs.
“I write to beg you in the spirit of the Kogi Agenda that you hold in high esteem and in view of the current school fees challenges facing parents as schools are set to resume, to please consider the payment of our three months’ salary arrears,” the statement read in part.
The forum recalled that political appointees under the Wada administration were owed four months’ salaries, out of which former Governor Yahaya Bello paid one month in January 2024 before leaving office, with a promise that Ododo would continue the payment.
They further stressed their loyalty and support for Ododo’s governorship ambition, noting that they campaigned vigorously for the APC candidate. “We took the Ododo/Oyibo governorship project as our own. We registered as a support group with the campaign council, secured a campaign office commissioned by the deputy governor, and supported the council with posters, T-shirts, face caps, and giant billboards across the state,” the forum added.
The group also drew Ododo’s attention to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s approval of salary arrears for appointees who served under former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, urging him to follow suit.
“As one of the critical stakeholders in Kogi politics, we want to assure you of our continued prayers for the success of your administration,” the forum stated.
Recall, on August 28, a forum of former political office holders in Kogi State appealed to Ododo to settle the outstanding N2.7bn salary and allowance arrears owed them, after receiving N2bn out of the N4.7bn initially promised by former Governor Yahaya Bello.
The forum’s chairman, Musa Abdullahi, and secretary, Muhammad Omale, recalled that their ordeal dated back to 2014 when the Kogi High Court dissolved the councils, a decision later nullified by the Court of Appeal.
While lamenting members’ struggles with illness, hunger, and unpaid bills, the group passed a vote of confidence in Ododo, praising his leadership and achievements in security, education, healthcare, and infrastructure, and also extending condolences over his father’s recent passing as well as congratulations on Kogi’s 34th anniversary.
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