The sum of N400 million spent by the Kogi state government to renovate the Deputy Governor’s Lodge and Office will provide water for 133 communities at the sum of N300k per borehole.
A visit to the state website shows that the state had in its 2020 budget, allocated the sum of N200 million for Deputy Governor’s Lodge and office renovation respectively.
Worse still, the state continues to pay its civil servants’ percentage salaries while some do not get at all, a decision its officials say arose as a result of lack of finance accruing to the state.
In the budget, the state did not give details expenditure of what to be done in the renovation that will gulp such a huge amount of money.
However, a senior state official while speaking to MAWA Foundation, said often the budget is designed for the governor, top government officials, and his friends without considering projects that will benefit the poor.
Mr. James Rufus, a civil engineer told MAWA official, that amount is enough to build quality edifices from the scratch and furnish them.
This is even as Kogi State has a huge infrastructural deficit, with a total collapse of it’s education and health sector.
Analysis of the money by MAWA-Foundation shows that amount can provide water for 133 communities through borehole construction.
A borehole drilling company told MAWA, that amount is enough to provide water for 133 communities in the state at N300k per borehole.
This is even as many communities in Kogi including Lokoja residents in the state capital do not have portable water, while a huge number of the local residents drink from well and contaminated stream.