– state lawmakers hold legislative meetings in hotel
The Kogi State Government may have revealed the state of finances at Lugard House, as the fate of the razed state House of Assembly complex hangs on some of the state assets placed on sale by the government, without any buyer yet.
The House of Assembly complex got burnt in the early hours of last week Monday, with the hallowed chamber completely razed in what the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Matthew Kolawole described as an act of sabotage.
The Speaker did not mention where the suspected sabotage emanated from, but alleged threats to his life, even as the people of the state have awaited reports of investigations by the security agencies.
Since the inferno, the lawmakers have been holding hearings at a hotel in Lokoja, the state capital.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Idris Asiru on Wednesday said that the rebuilding of the Assembly complex will have to wait for repair until government sells state assets to fund it.
The Commissioner noted this while speaking on Wednesday at the citizens engagement on 2023 budget organised by the Sate Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning.
“Until we get buyers for some of the state assets which have already been put up for sale, like the Kogi hotel and other assets, would have to be sold for us to have more liquid to undertake many of our pending projects which include Kogi State House of assembly complex,” he said.
The commissioner called on citizens to help the state look for buyers so that the state can have more money to embark on the reconstruction of the building including the access road which is in a very bad shape.
Asiru decried the global downturn in economy, stating that it has not been the best times of nations of the world.
“The last six years or thereabout have been very challenging nationally and globally. From recession in 2016 to covid-19 in 2020 to Russia-Ukranian war in 2022 to a multiplicity of domestic issues,we can safely say that this not the best of times for all nations of the world,” he said.
He said that the last decades have been spent fighting insecurities which grew to a major crisis level.
“Cumulatively, insecurity has incrementally dwarfed our productive capacity, which in effect, further escalated poverty, agitations and general Instability in all facets of our national life”the commissioner noted.
He said that strategic conversation like one organised by the ministry was therefore important to find solutions to our teeming problems.
