PDP Kicks Against Planned Sales Of State Assets By Kogi Government

Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kogi state, have expressed dissatisfaction with the alleged plans by the Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration to sell off some of the state’s properties to finance the 2018 state budget .

The choice properties are reportedly located in highbrow areas of Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Lokoja, the state capital.

However, the state Commissioner for Finance, Ashiru Idris, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria  that the plan to sell the properties was not hidden.

He listed the properties slated for sale to include: the Confluence Beach Hotel, Lokoja; Kogi Hotels, GRA, Lokoja; Kogi State Liaison Office, Ikeja-Lagos GRA; Kogi State Liaison Office, GRA, Kaduna; and Lokoja International Market, Lokoja.

Others are the 12-storey Kogi House in Abuja, the vast Commissioners’ quarters in Lokoja and the state House of Assembly quarters along Hassan Usman Katsina road in Lokoja.

Mr. Idris noted the plans to dispose the identified properties have been made known to the state House of Assembly and consultants have already been engaged to carry out the evaluation of the properties.

“When the consultants are done with the evaluation of the assets and properties, we will place adverts in newspapers for bidders,” he said.

However, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement by its publicity secretary, Bode Ogunmola has called on the state government to jettison plans to sell off the properties.

The party urged the government to look into other sources of raising fund.

“To say the least, we consider the plot to be selfish, devilish and myopic.

“It is shameful that a government which is saddled with the inability to pay workers’ salaries let alone executing people-oriented projects will now scheme to mortgage our collective future,” the statement said.