Ekweremadu alleges Bello spent 12m for advertorial against Melaye

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has alleged that the Kogi state government under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello wasted a whopping 12 million naira just to respond to his contributions at the floor of the Senate wherein he advised Kogi people to channel their efforts at recalling Senator Dino Melaye to better venture owing to the tedious nature of the recall process.

The Deputy Senate President, while revealing to the Senate, said the Kogi state government through its Attorney-General, ran an advertorial of two million naira (2,000, 000) each in five national dailies just to counter his opinion at the floor of the Senate even when the state is owing it’s workers many month’s salaries.

He also called for an inquiry into how the money paid for the advertorials were generated so that it could be refunded for the payment of workers’ salaries.

According to him,

“This morning, my attention was drawn to a three-page advertorial by the Attorney-General of Gogi state, pages 20,21 and 22 of Leadership Newspaper. He was responding to my contribution at the floor of this senate when Senator Dino Melaye informed this Senate of the efforts of the people of his constituency to recall him.”

“And I also advised that the people of Kogi state or indeed the constituents should better apply their time to a more useful venture in view of the strict and very difficult conditions for the recall of a parliamentarian.”

“And in reference to the Attorney-General, I did say that i believe that my learned friend the Attorney-General may not have advised the Kogi people or indeed the Kogi government appropriately.”

“So this morning, Kogi state Government took out three page advertorial to respond to me. I understand that every page costs about seven hundred thousand (700, 000) naira. So, that is to say that for this alone, (raising the paper), they spent two million (2000,000). I understand too that this is in about five other papers. So, we are looking at about twelve(12,000, 000) million of Kogi state government spent in responding to my contribution at the floor of this Senate.”

“Meanwhile, what i said here is supposed to be privileged. That’s what the law says. But, I would have ordinarily ignored him. But i would like to point out his final paragraph so that I will put everything in proper perspective. “