Governor Bello of Kogi State barred from Travelling out until salaries are paid.

Following the ongoing strike in Kogi State over unpaid salaries, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State Barred from travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform Lesser Hajj.

Security agents last weekend prevented Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello from boarding a Turkish airline flight for a planned trip to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj. It was gathered that when Bello went to the office of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to get clearance for his trip to Saudi Arabia, his request was turned down by the Vice President who advised him to go back to his state and settle workers unpaid salaries. But he turned deaf ears to thevice president’s advice, and headed to the airport where he was prevented from traveling.

According to an airport source, security men stationed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja seized Bello’s traveling documents and told him they would not allow him to travel abroad unless they received clearance from the presidency. The action of the men however, appears to be an instruction from the presidency.The source said the governor had arrived the Abuja airport for the 11:10 a.m. Turkish Airlines flight to Turkey where he would have connected another flight to Saudi Arabia. But after Bello had been checked in by the airline and was about to complete immigration formalities, his documents were confiscated by the Security men at the immigration cubicle where he was told that he could not travel.“The security men were shown relevant traveling documents,by the governor, but the officers said they have no choice in the documents and that they were only acting on instruction from above that they should not allow him to travel.”The development caused confusion at the airport and delayed the Turkish Airline flight. Bello’s luggage was however later unloaded to allow the flight proceed on its journey without the governor.

Recall that the Organized labor on Monday started a strike tocompel the Kogi State Government to pay outstanding salaries owed to workers in the State as the governor threatened to invoke the “no work, no pay” rule. Labor directed all workers to remain at home following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum issued to the State government to pay all outstanding salaries and allowances.