Two workers of the Omala local government area [LGA], according to information received by 247ureports.com through sources at the LGA, were shot dead following protests for the LGA to pay six [6] months salary.
As gathered, the workers of the LGA – which is also home to the former governor of Kogi State, Malam Idris – had gone without salaries for 6 months – from June 2012 when the liason officer of the LGA, Aminu Atabor took to the realm of administrating the affairs of the LGA. As the workers of the LGA organized and presented their concerns to the liason officer for the LGA, Aminu Atabor, the meeting failed to yeild fruitful result. Rather, Aminu Atabor told the workers that the governor has yet to release monies for the payment of their salaries. But a meeting with the Governor proved otherwise.
The Governor, Captain Idris Wada, told the workers that the monies for their salaries had been released to the respective LGA liason officers – and that all salaries should have been paid. This revelation caused the aggrieved workers to return to the LGA headquarters located at Abejula – where they met the liason officer [Aminu Atabor] arriving to his office.
As he exited his vehicle with his security aide, the workers were said to pounce on him – and proceeded with beating up Aminu Atabor. The security aide was said to have taken on his heels. The beating occurred on Tuesday November 13, 2012.
Following the beating incident at the LGA headquaters, the liason officer [Aminu Atabor] took precautionary actions to employ armed security men to gaurd the office and his movement.
Yesterday, as the LGA workers organized to do a protest walk to the LGA headquaters, the security men which Aminu Atabor employed were already staged at the headquaters in-wait for the protesting workers. When the protesting workers arrived the venue, the security men – which comprised of a mix of police officers and local vigilante men – opened fire. They began shooting initially to ward-off the protesting workers – but as the workers showed no signs of turning back – the security men changed tactics.
The LGA office immediately turned dangerously violent as the security men began shooting directly at the workers – in full view of the LGA liason officer. Two workers were immediately shot down while 19 others suffered injuries. Four workers were arrested. But Aminu Atabor denied to 247ureports.com that any of his security men shot and killed any LGA worker.
Meanwhile cursory investigation conducted by our correspondent in Kogi State revealed that there is more than meets the eye over the violent developments in Kogi.
It was understood that the reason for the lack of salary payment to LGA workers has to do with a more criminal intent. Available information reveals that the liason officers of each LGA – who act as transitional chairmen of the various LGA – make monthky deductions of the LGA joint account. The deductions are said to be the principal reason for the lack of salary paynent.
A source who is attached to the governor of Kogi State reveal that the former governor, Malam Idris in tandum with the current governor, Captain Wada have been engaged in “criminal” deductions from the LGA accounts of the 21 LGA. There are three persons used for the deductions – Mohammed Ali of Betina LGA, Aminu Atabor of Omala LGA and Faruk Adejo. Alhaji Jibril of Kogi State Primary School Education Board is also used for the extortion.
The trio of Ali, Adejo and Atabor collect deductions from the each LGA at N2million per month – which is remitted every quarterly to the former governor of the State through his step-son, Hon Mohammed Idris – in the amount of N1billion.
Alhaji Jibril is reported to be the first cousin of Governor Idris Wada – he is said to receive deductions from the various LGA accounts for the Kogi State Primary School Education Board in the amount of N1.33billion for the payment of salaries for primary teachers. But the actual primary school salary load is reported to be considerably lower than the collected sum. A large percentage of the collected sum is transfered to the Governor, Captain Wada – this is according to our source who explained that the primary school teachers are paid below minimum wages.
247ureports.com also gathered that Aminu Atabor recently completed the erection of a luxurious hotel at the heart of Lokoja – by the name Miami Hotel. The hotel took seven [7] months to complete the construction. It is located between federal inland waterway and Zenith Bank building.
