Bello sacks cabinet, reverses self few minutes later

There was confusion in Kogi State on Sunday as Governor Yahaya Bello  allegedly ordered the sacking of his commissioners and the 21 local governments’ administrators.


But shortly after he gave this order, he made a U-turn about 10 minutes later, asking the affected officials to continue their work.

Sources close to the state’s Executive Committee Council meeting held on Sunday said that the governor had ordered all commissioners and all the 21 local governments’ administrators to hand over keys to their official cars and property in their care to the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Folasade Ayoade.

Sources close to the cabinet meeting held behind closed door on Sunday told our correspondent that the dissolution was prompted by the arms importation scam last Thursday.

The governor was said to be furious with his cabinet members whom he allegedly accused of leaking the information about the arms importation to the media.

However, just 10 minutes after the pronouncement, the governor reversed his order and demanded “better performance and better relationship” from the sacked officials with the state government.

Responding to inquiry about the development, the Director General, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo, confirmed that the governor had reversed his order of dissolution. Fanwo told our correspondent that the governor had asked them to return to their position.

Our correspondent also gathered that the reversal might be at the instance of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Edward Onoja, who allegedly prevailed on Bello to recall the commissioners.

Onoja, a very powerful and influential member of the governor’s kitchen cabinet, was quoted as arguing against the dissolution especially as the governor would  need them for the realisation of his 2019 re-election bid.

“He told the governor that it would be difficult to build a new set of loyalists that will be used for campaign,” the  source said.