News Editor
By Olu Balogun
A Civil Society Organization, CSO, the Nigeria Renaissance Group, has apologised to the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ododo of alleged financial misappropriation after further investigations into the matter.
Convener of the group, Comrade Usman Okai Austin, who spoke to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, said the governor was exonerated of the alleged financial crime after receiving more revealing information which indicated that instead of the alleged N13.4 billion, only N3 billion was allocated to the local government.
He said: “Gentlemen of the press, with regards to my February press briefing about Kogi State Government and the sum of 13.4 billion Naira misappropriation, where we demanded under the Nigeria Renaissance Group, where we demanded that the governor should refund the money, we’ve gotten more information about the financial dealing of the state, which contracted the information we had as of then in February.
“And we realized that the money that came to Kogi State was three billion Naira instead of 13 billion Naira, as we earlier alleged. we have gotten more details about the state financial dealing, which is the sum of three billion Naira. And we are able to obtain a document and a financial statement from the state government on how the three billion Naira was distributed from one community to another, the bank account, the coordinators of those who received the money.
“And in line with that, we are convinced that retracting the statement is in order and we regret the inconveniences the press conference may have caused the state or the governor. And at the same time, we did that as part of the opposition in holding the government accountable.”
Austin explained that the group had been provided with documents of how the monies were distributed from one community to another.
He pointed out that the allegations was not out of malice or personal grudges but to ensure that the state government was held accountable.
“It’s not out of malicious or personal grudges, or based on the fact that the governor comes from Igbira as a tribe, or I’m against him, no.
“We did what the opposition was supposed to do, just that the due diligence was not well carried out before the press conference. In line with this, I state that the unity of the state is very, very paramount to all. And I’m not under any duress or any coercion or being forced to do this, not at all.
“It is personal and out of conviction that is professional, even in media, in activism, in opposition, that when fact, I assume, correcting the previous error is permitted. And that is exactly what I’m doing today. It is wisdom that when you attach information that are not correct, and when you obtain the correct information, you have to correct it. And that is exactly what we are doing.
We acted based on information at our disposal. And today the government has responded, which is part of accountability we are talking about. I don’t have any grudges against this person that I maligned him.”
“Just as I said, I am sorry for everything you think that might have caused the public and the personalities of the governor. I am not against him. I don’t hate him,” Austin pleaded.
The group, however, called for sustained peace and unity in the state and urged the government to sustain its efforts in providing dividends of democracy for the people.
