Kogi State Gets A Deputy Governor Finally

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has appointed Hon. Simon Achu­ba, a former Deputy Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly as the new deputy governor of Kogi state.

In a letter to the House of Assembly, Yahaya Bello asked the legislators to confirm Hon. Achu­ba as his deputy following the vac­uum created by the refusal of Hon. James Faleke, the running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, to accept the office handed to him.

Faleke who was the running mate to the late Audu in an election that was inconclusive following the death of Audu in that election declined on the ground that he was rather the one to be sworn in as governor following the death of his boss and not Bello.

For the first time in Nigerian politics,The All Progressives Congress (APC) after an extensive attempt to convince the House of Reps member into accepting the deputy governorship slot went ahead and inaugurated the administration of Bel­lo on January 27 without a deputy governor.

Yahaya Bello’s appointment of Hon Achuba is widely regarded as an attempt to placate the Igala nation which had hitherto been outraged by the death of Prince Abubakar Audu.

More­so, the Igala people of the state had since its creation ruled Kogi, a position it was not willing to relinquish, which had generated bad blood among the various ethnic groups in the state.

Bello wrote: “In line with the provision of Section 186 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended, I have the pleasure to forward herewith, the name of Hon. Simon Achuba for approval of appointment as the deputy governor of Kogi State.

“Hon. Achuba (JP) hails from Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State and was a two-time honourable member of the state House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007 where he was Deputy-Speak­er during his second tenure.

“In view of the above, it will be highly appreciated if the request is treated and approved with utmost speed to pave way for his assump­tion of office,” Bello said.

Following the receipt of the letter, the Assembly has fixed to­morrow for the screening and possible confirmation of Hon. Achu­ba as deputy governor.