Kogi freezes state, LG accounts

The Kogi State Government has issued a directive to freeze all state and local government accounts, effective immediately.

A Thursday statement signed by the Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, said no form of payment should be made to anyone from the government account henceforth.

According to the statement, all “standing orders and investment instructions are hereby cancelled forthwith”.

However, our correspondent gathered that the decision may be connected with the governor’s concerns regarding the performances of some members of his cabinet.

It was reported that Governor Yahaya Bello last Saturday gave some members of his cabinet, including the local government chairman, a dress down and questioned their loyalty.

According to him, despite being mobilised to provide transportation and other logistics for the electorates during the election, “you have all failed to deliver while the mobilisation funds ended in private pockets.”

The governor went ahead to issue a questionnaire to all 21 local government chairmen, which they were asked to submit last Tuesday.