The amount is contained in the state’s 2024 appropriation bill of N258,278,501,339.00 signed into law by the immediate past governor of the state, Yahaya Bello.
The Kogi State government will in 2024 spend N500,000,000 for the “production of customised staff of office for graded chiefs” amidst harsh economic conditions facing residents of the state.
The amount is contained in the state’s 2024 appropriation bill of N258,278,501,339.00 signed into law by the immediate past governor of the state, Yahaya Bello.
Bello who is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on 21 December 2023, signed the budget, tagged, “Budget of Consolidation and Continuity for Inclusive Growth” into law.
He handed over to his successor, Usman Ododo, on 27 January, 2024.
A check on the budget by SaharaReporters showed that N600 million was budgeted for the construction of two palaces.
They include Obaro of Kabba palace which is expected to cost the state government N350 million and Agbana of Isanlu palace which will gulp N250 million.
Both communities are in Kabba/Bunu local government areas of the state.
A mosque in the government house in Lokoja will also cost the state N50 million, part of the 2024 appropriation read.
This is coming when residents of the state like other Nigerians are going through a spike in cost of living and hunger.
In 2023, SaharaReporters exclusively reported how the immediate administration spent the sum of N727,818,000 to purchase two Toyota buses for members of the State House of Assembly.
The newspaper also revealed that the Bello-led government spent extra N647.8million without appropriation to make the purchase.
The lawmakers had approved N80million for the purchase of the two Toyota buses in the 2023 budget.
“011200300100 - KOGI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY Members’ 30 Seater two(2) Nos Toyota Bus N80,000,000.00 - N727,818,000.00 - N727,818,000.00,” the state 2023 Q3 budget performance had read.
Also, “Consultancy Expenses on Full Automation of Budget Process/Bello Care Financial Solution” has gulped N360,945,179.00 in the last 9 months. 022000100100 - MINISTRY OF FINANCE, BUDGET AND ECONOMIC PLANNING Consultancy Expenses on Full Automation of Budget Process/Bello Care Financial Solution. N450,000,000.00 - N360,945,179.00 80.2%.”
A further check on the document revealed that N951,493,735.24 was spent on honorarium, refreshment, meals and welfare in the first nine months of 2023.
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.
In 2022, SaharaReporters exclusively reported how Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, EFCC traced no fewer than 147 houses to Bello’s nephews.
Aliyu Bello who is now the current governor’s Chief of Staff and Dauda Suleiman – the two nephews of the governor, were said to have been used to siphon N10.2billion from the state government accounts and were arrested abs detained for many days.
Aliyu and Dauda, alongside one Abdulsalami Hudu, Cashier of Kogi State House Administration (now at large) were arrested and subsequently arraigned before Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja by the EFCC on 10 counts bordering on misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of N10.2 billion.
Aliyu Bello and Dauda Suleiman were accused of fraudulently withdrawing a sum of N10,270,556,800 (Ten Billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand Eight Hundred Naira), from the Kogi State treasury, which they delivered to a Bureau de Change operator, Rabiu Tafada in Abuja to keep or change to foreign currencies for personal gains.
Another source had told SaharaReporters that the 147 houses linked to the governor’s nephews were discovered in Abuja alone.