Your Excellency Executive Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
After several letters to your exalted offices on the plight of severred political and appointed office holders on the non-payment of the accumulated severance packages and no response, we may be forgiven for the recourse to an open letter to you. Sir, we believe our letters were not forwarded to you for action because you have a listening ear.
The payment of severance packages is not a political act but welfare for the citizenry of the state who have served deligentlly selflessly and meritoriously thus they should not be denied their entitlements. These were your very words prior to your election for a second term.
We are surprised on the delay on this payment which is a statutory right. We want to also remind you that there is no reason to delay or deny these payments as they are captured and reflected in the state’s yearly budgets.
We implore you, sir, as the creator of the new direction dispensation in the governance of Kogi state, to come to our aid urgently by immediately giving approval for the payment of the former political and appointed office holders to further reaffirm the avowed commitment of your administration to the mission of rebuilding the state for posterity especially at this time that you are vying to be the president of the country come 2023.
We kindly advise you to build on the foundations others have laid as nobody can do it alone. Governors come and governors go by immediately paying severance packages and we are sure history will judge you on its good side by this singular acts of showing you are a leader with a listening ear for all.This is a display of statemanship.
The beneficiaries of your expected goodwill of paying the severance packages as expected cut across party lines and this also would got to show that you are trul7y a benevolent leader who cares about the welfare of your people.
The impact the payments would have in the lives of the affected political office holders would have a multiplier effects on the state and this can only be imagined as the primary reasons for offering severance packages are to soften the blow of involuntary termination in exchange for terminations.
We trust you have heard us clean and clear and you as a leader of conscience would do the needful urgently.
Thank you
Musa Musawa writes from Lokoja, for concerned former political appointees.
