The Yahaya Bello-led government in Kogi State has stopped Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Kogi Central Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party from paying the West Africa Examination Council National Examination Council fees of secondary school students in the senatorial district.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had on December 11, 2022, declared to donate N5million to offset WAEC fees of students in the five local government areas of the Kogi Central senatorial district.
However, the government in a letter asked all schools to obtain permission for any internal or external programme.
“He even called a physical meeting of school principals to warn them against taking the grant,” a source said.
“The letter was sent out to stop the schools from receiving the grant. The grant was to help facelift the education sector in the state but the government is opposing the move.”
Meanwhile, the Natasha Akpoti-Uduagha campaign organisation has condemned the action of the government.
“Natasha H Akpoti -Uduaghan on December 11, 2022, declared to donate five million naira to offset WAEC fees of students in Kogi Central to help parents cushion the burden of paying the WAEC fees of their children in the five local government areas of Kogi Central senatorial distinct.
“With this directive of the state government, the students across Kogi Central who would have been beneficiaries of the PDP senatorial candidate’s largesse are the biggest hit of the state government’s order.
“Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Campaign Organization noted that the decision of Kogi State government to stop the payment of WAEC fees because of security reason is baseless and an attempt to further punish the students whose parents have been denied of their salaries and could not pay their children’s WAEC fees,” the statement read.
In 2022, SaharaReporters reported how thugs loyal to Bello attacked the campaign flag-off of Akpoti-Uduaghan in the state.
One person was shot while two other persons were macheted before the police repelled the attackers.
Recall that Bello had openly threatened to use firepower on members of the opposition political parties in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He also said political opponents in the state that trespasses will never see the sun again, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Thugs loyal to the ruling party in the state also destroyed the campaign billboards of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Bello-led government had earlier asked the PDP to pay millions of Naira before its candidates could be allowed to paste posters or distribute flyers.
The government had in a letter dated October 24 and addressed to the PDP chairman in the state demanded the payment of the fund within 14 days.
However, despite the payment by Natasha, her campaign billboards across the five local government areas were destroyed by hoodlums suspected to be loyal to Governor Bello.
“Despite the fact that Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan paid 11.2 million naira to the Kogi state government as signage fee, her billboards across the 5 local governments were destroyed by APC thugs working for the Governor.
Post credit: Sahara reporter
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