COVID-19: Governors received N1billion each from Buhari, N1.1billion from World Bank – Yahaya Bello

Governors of the 36 states were said to have received N1billion each from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Governors were also said to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank to receive a sum of N1.1billion for the same purpose.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State made this revelation on Tuesday while featuring on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily.

According to Gov Bello, all the state governors have since received the N1billion from the Federal Government.

However, Yahaya Bello said he was the only state governor who refused to sign an MoU with the World Bank.

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.”

He stated that he refused to sign the World Bank MoU 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.

The Kogi Governor debunked allegations that his government hoarded the CA-COVID relief packages in Lokoja or anywhere in the State as being rumoured.

The allegations, he said, were to discredit state governors and the Federal Government.