Juliet Jacob Ochenje
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, spent over N950 million on refreshment and welfare packages and another N700 million to purchase vehicles for members of the state assembly in nine months.
This is coming as state workers are being owed salaries and pensions for months and counting.
The breakdown of the expenditure was contained in a quarterly report published on the state’s website.
Titled “Kogi State Government Budget Performance Report Quarter 3, 2023,” it highlighted details of the state’s 2023 budget performance.
The report revealed that almost a billion naira, N951,493,735.24, was spent on honorarium, refreshment, meals and welfare in the first nine months of 2023.
It further revealed that Bello’s government spent additional N647.8million without appropriation to make the purchase of two cars for the legislators.
The governor also spent N360,945,179.00 on “Consultancy expenses on full automation of budget process and Bello Care Financial Solution” in the last 9 months under the Ministry of Finance, Budget And Economic Planning.
A total N11, 281, 497.52 was also spent between January and September on burial expenses. The state lawmakers had allocated N64.5 million for such expenses in the budget.
