Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has revealed that governors of the 36 states received the sum of N1 billion each from President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The governor who disclosed this on Tuesday on Channels TV, said all the Nigerian governors also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank to receive a sum of N1.1billion for the same purpose.
Governor Bello said the Federal Government have since then disbursed the N1 billion to all the state governors, adding that he was the only state governor who refused to sign an MoU with the World Bank for N1.1 billion COVID-19 fund.
Asked why he received the COVID-19 fund from the Federal Government despite not believing in the virus, Bello said:
“Even though we did not have COVID-19 in Kogi State, we are equally affected; because our economy was equally affected and Federal Government released that fund to assist every state and we cannot reject it.”
Governor Bello said that he refused to sign the MoU with World Bank because it was a one-sided agreement or document.
“Go and check records. Kogi State is the only State that refused to sign that document for N1.1bilion because I don’t believe in COVID. N500million has been disbursed, Kogi State did not receive and I refused to receive and I rejected it,” he said
Bello debunked allegations that his government hoarded the CA-COVID relief packages in Lokoja or anywhere in the State as being rumoured. He said the allegations were to discredit state governors and the Federal Government.