Kogi State House of Assembly has described as ruse the claim by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) that the State government deposited twenty billion naira in a fixed deposit account with Sterling Bank Plc.
The Assembly also passed a vote of confidence on the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello for prudent disbursement of the bailout funds.
Speaker of the House, Right Honourable Matthew Kolawole who raised the motion which was read by the Deputy Speaker Ahmed Ahmed at the floor of the House during a plenary on Tuesday, condemned the recent allegations of twenty billion naira fraud leveled against the state government by the EFCC.
Kolawale explained that the bailout funds released to the state has been judiciously used in the payment of salaries to the state civil servants, noting that even the office of the Accountant General of the federation has applauded the Governor of Kogi State on financial prudence.
He called on the EFCC to tender an unreserved apology to Governor Yahaya Bello and the people of the state for the fatal error that has soiled the name of Kogi State.
The chairman House Committee on finance, Honourable Collins Musa commenting on the motion , said his committee has investigated the matter noting that both the office of the Accountant General of the state and sterling Bank had stated clearly that no twenty billion naira bail out account existed in their bank.
He added that Sterling Bank had on September 1, 2021 written publicly stating that no twenty billion naira account for Kogi state ever existed in their organization.
The motion was then put into vote and all the members passed a vote of confidence on the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration.
The House also called on EFCC to tender an unreserved apology to Kogi State government and the good people of the State.
