From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Executive Director of Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Comrade Idris Miliki Abdul on Tuesday charged Kogi State Government to as matter of urgency step up investigation into the report by the Federal Bureau of Statistics, (FBS) rating Kogi as the most corrupt State in the Country.
Comrade Idris Miliki Abdul made this call at the 6th Quarter Review meeting of Media and Cso on Anti Corruption, Transparency and Accountability in partnership with Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua Foundation held at NUJ Press Centre, Lokoja
Abdul explained that the report was embarrassing to the people the state that Kogi State was the most corrupt State in Nigeria while Lokoja is the worst State Capital in the Country .
He added that government should not read meanings into the contents of the said report, saying that the government should look inward and investigate the matter to raise the state’s integrity.
Abdul also lamented that the State government has not deemed it fit to constitute Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission KOSIEC for conduct of Local government election in the State.
For the past four years. Comrade Abdul said local government election was not conducted in the State ,even when the tenure of the Local government administrator expired since march 2019, stressing that State House of Assembly has refused to mandate the executive to conduct election.
The group also identified some lapses in the 2020 especially the N1.8 billion meant for the construction of the Ganaja – Junction over head bridge that was viral, was not contained or accounted for in the 2020 approved budget.
The group, however, appealed to the State government to establish the State own Television for the purpose of educating , entertaining , information and cultural enrichment of the people of the state .
Comrade Abdul said “it is worrisome that after 27 years of the creation of Kogi state, Kogi government is yet to establish a state own Television.”
