The gulf separating the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and his deputy, Simon Achuba is getting wider and messier by the day as the deputy governor has disclosed that he has been starved of his allowances by the governor in the last two years.
The enraged deputy spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
While declining to speak on the outcome of the meeting, he said discussions were ongoing to resolve the issue of his allowances stoppage.
He had recently lamented that his statutory allocation amounting to N819, 709 980 had been stopped by Governor Bello in the last two years.
The sum is said to be the accumulated statutory allocations, which include travel allowances, hotel bills, pledges, and outstanding monthly impress and salaries.
Fielding questions on the outcome of the meeting with the Chief of Staff, he said: “Well it is a private discussion in relation to my office.
“From my discussions with him there is hope that all the issues will be resolved.”
Asked whether he has confidence that all the issues will be resolved, he said: “With God all things are possible.”
On how he has been coping in the last two years as a Deputy Governor without allowances and impress, he said: “Well you know in life what sustains a man is God. So if your hope is in God, you will be very much alive.
“If you have money and don’t have God, you will be living like a dead person.
“But if you have God you can live, He is the one who provides to man. So if one source closes, God opens another source for you to live. Supposing I am not a Deputy Governor, won’t I be alive?”
Also asked why the allowances were stopped, he said that the only excuse given to him was that there was no money.
On his relationship with the governor, he said: “For now it is not very smooth, it is not what it is supposed to be and it is not supposed to be like that.”
Also answering question on whether he will support governor Bello in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, he said: “When the time comes. There are issues to be put on table for discussion and these are the issues why I am here.
“When those issues are settled you will see us flying again, politics is like that.”
He however ruled out the possibility of contesting against his boss.
“No, I am not contesting. I won’t contest against him for whatever reason,” adding that once the crisis is resolved he will work with Bello.
