PHOTOS: While owing Kogi workers for months, Bello builds new mansion in Okene

Civil servants in Kogi state, both serving and retired, may be grumbling about irregular payment of their entitlements, but Yahaya Bello, the governor, is not building his hopes on their economy.

On Mahmoud Atta street, GRA Okene, the governor is putting finishing touches to his state-of-the-art country home, or mansion rather, which an insider described as “a thing of beauty”.

But there is a snag: residents of the exclusive residential area are complaining about the disruption the 42-year-old governor has brought upon their lives.

“He has converted the main street entrance to his private entrance and is creating another entrance for lesser mortals like us,” a resident complained to TheCable.

“A governor converting a public road to a private and exclusive road for himself. This is a big shame.”

Reacting, Kingsley Fanwo, spokesman of the governor, said his principal has made a better provision for the affected residents.

“Some of these issues are not the way we see them. The point is that if he is building a house and the structure is affecting the road network and he is giving the people a better road, they should be grateful,” he told TheCable.

“It’s not as if he is obstructing the road and he is not doing anything about it. It’s not that he is flexing his power as governor. He has been considerate enough to give them a better road.”