When asked about his views on the information from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), listing Kogi State as the most corrupt state in the country, the governor said, “You have to look and read the details of that report before you can judge. We shouldn’t just listen to somebody and quote him out of context. Like I said, Kogi State before now, with regard to civil servants, before you become a permanent secretary, you must pay through your nose. But this time around, it has been merit-based.
“Before you become local government chairman, or let’s take it from the political aspect, I am the leader of the APC in Kogi State, no single person obtains form or becomes whatever and will claim or claiming to have paid one dime to any political leader. “It is out of blocking the loopholes and leakages that we have been able to raise the revenue of Kogi State from pittance of N300 million to over N1 billion on monthly basis.
If you look at the percentage, then you can be the judge. So, if anybody is saying Kogi State is the most corrupt state, then that person must have his facts wrong. “Kogi state is the most prized state in the country and it is out of fighting corruption as well. The little resources we have, we are managing it such that we are developing the state and fighting insecurity. If corruption is that prevalent, then that wouldn’t have happened.”
He said the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), must have been quoted out of context for purportedly scoring the conduct of the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states low with his saying that the “unthinkable happened”.