By Peter Omopo
Former political appointees who served under ex-Governor Idris Wada in Kogi State have appealed to Governor Usman Ododo to pay their outstanding three months’ salary arrears, saying the funds would help them cope with school fee obligations as schools resume later this month.
The appeal was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lokoja and signed by Austine Medaiyedu, former Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs.
“I write to beg you in the spirit of the Kogi Agenda that you hold in high esteem, and in view of the current school fees challenges facing parents as schools are set to resume, to please consider the payment of our three months’ salary arrears,” the statement read in part.
The forum recalled that political appointees under the Wada administration were initially owed four months’ salaries. Former Governor Yahaya Bello cleared one month in January 2024 before leaving office, assuring them that Ododo would continue with the payments.
Highlighting their support during Ododo’s campaign, the group stressed their loyalty to his administration. “We took the Ododo/Oyibo governorship project as our own. We registered as a support group with the campaign council, secured a campaign office commissioned by the deputy governor, and supported the council with posters, T-shirts, face caps, and giant billboards across the state,” the forum noted.
They urged Ododo to emulate Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who recently approved the payment of arrears owed to appointees of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
Meanwhile, on August 28, another forum of former political office holders in the state appealed to Ododo to settle outstanding ₦2.7 billion in salaries and allowances after receiving ₦2 billion out of the ₦4.7 billion initially promised by Bello.
That group, led by Musa Abdullahi and Muhammad Omale, lamented the hardship faced by its members, including illness, unpaid bills, and hunger. Despite their grievances, they passed a vote of confidence in Ododo, commending his leadership strides in security, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. They also offered condolences over his father’s passing and congratulated him on Kogi’s 34th anniversary.
The former appointees assured Ododo of their continued prayers and support as he steers the affairs of the state.
