Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Tuesday said he did not approve the introduction of bread tax in the state.
He said an unnamed permanent secretary was being investigated over the development which attracted negative comments to the state government.
Bello disclosed this in an interview with State House correspondents after a meeting he had with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The governor said those behind the purported law would soon be unmasked and punished accordingly.
He said, “The incident of bread tax in Kogi State is the most unfortunate infraction that any right-thinking human being would allow to fly.
“When I assumed office on January 27, 2016, I inherited a decayed civil service and I embarked on massive reform of the civil service.
“Before now, the civil servants in the state don’t follow the public service rules or the financial regulations.
“A similar incident happened within this period of COVID-19 where two permanent secretaries decided to take the laws into their own hands and wrote a letter to worship centres, demanding that fumigation of the worship centres be paid for despite the fact that it was a service that Kogi State rendered free of charge.”
Those permanent secretaries have since been dismissed from service.
“The particular incident of bread tax is being looked into. As I speak, we are investigating those that are behind this. It is evil and it is unaccepted, to say the least.
“I have ordered the Head of Service to issue queries to those that are responsible and they will face the law accordingly.”
Bello said he met with the President to brief him on developments and challenges facing his state.
The governor said, “I made a demand to the President that he should ensure that the pronounced airport to be established in Kogi State be looked into when funds would be released, let Kogi be the first.
“I also drew the President’s attention to the dredging of River Niger form the high sea to Lokoja, up to Baro if actually we want the economy of this country and of the North to prosper.”
Bello said his administration had since launched a post COVID-19 relief package of over N1.56bn for citizens of the state to cushion the effects of the pandemic.
He however maintained that the state is free of the virus.
