Former political appointees who served under ex-Governor Idris Wada in Kogi State have appealed to Governor Usman Ododo to clear their outstanding three months’ salary arrears, saying the payment would help them meet school fee obligations as schools prepare to resume later this month.
The appeal was made in a statement released to journalists on Wednesday in Lokoja and signed by Austine Medaiyedu, former Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs.
“I write to appeal to you, in the spirit of the Kogi Agenda which you hold dearly, and considering the financial burden of school fees on parents as schools are about to resume, to kindly approve the payment of our outstanding three months’ salaries,” the statement read in part.
The forum noted that political appointees from the Wada administration were initially owed four months’ salaries. Former Governor Yahaya Bello paid one month in January 2024 before leaving office and had assured them that Governor Ododo would continue the payment.
They also emphasized their loyalty and support for Governor Ododo’s governorship bid, highlighting their active involvement in his campaign. “We fully embraced the Ododo/Oyibo project as our own. We registered as a support group under the campaign council, established a campaign office that was commissioned by the deputy governor, and contributed campaign materials such as posters, T-shirts, face caps, and large billboards across the state,” the forum stated.
