Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, on Monday, insisted that his administration remained transparent and accountable in managing the state’s resources.

The governor stated this when he received members of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji Study Group, at the Government House, Lokoja.

Mr Bello said he remained transparent in managing the state’s resources by opening up the books of income and expenditure to the people.

According to him, people can trace government expenditure to his activities through the transparent allocation of state resources, making them better informed of the happenings.

Meanwhile, EFCC had said it discovered N19.3 billion belonging to the Kogi State government in a fixed deposit account with Sterling Bank.

The funds in account 0073572696 with the name Kogi State Salary Bail Out Account were meant for the payment of salaries in the state and were allegedly not used for its purpose.

The governor repeatedly denied this, claiming his administration did not open any account of such, but corporate documents seen by Peoples Gazette showed that Mr Bello’s administration opened the account in 2019.

However, Mr Bello insisted that he had managed the state resources equitably, the reason for his administration’s giant strides.

The governor said he had reduced youths’ restiveness by bringing in a large poll of the younger generation of youths and women into his administration, which significantly helped reduce tension and acrimony.

He reaffirmed his commitment to be sincere in leadership, with no financial interest other than the people, and assured that his administration would leave the state better than he met it in 2016.

He noted that he inherited a state largely divided along ethnic and other mundane lines, but the people were now more united than ever.

He said his administration had dealt a heavy blow on insecurity and other maladministration associated with governance.

The governor described the team’s visit to Kogi as timely and very important, saying it was a better place to learn, particularly with many natural human resources that abound in the state.

Earlier, Air Vice Marshall Oluwarotimi Tuwase, commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, said the team was in Kogi to have first hand information about the state.

He said the team wanted to know about the state’s economic growth, income, employment status, poverty, inequality, riches, agriculture and overall transformation.

The commandant commended the governor’s efforts toward the advancement of the socioeconomic development of the people.

(NAN)