By Chinedum Elekwachi
I have just read a congratulatory message to the Executive Governor of Ebonyi state, Rt. Hon. Ogbonna Nwifuru, for his one year in office from Prince Chibueze Agbo, a former Commissioner in Ebonyi state in a WhatsApp platform.
The Governor like any other leader that has held sway of governance for 365 days deserves a congratulatory message from his admirers and those that wants favour from his office. In this context, Prince Agbo has not committed a crime but what got my attention was a paragraph he mentioned that the governor is performing wonders and has not borrowed a dime! I paused in utter shock because that to me is a sophistry and deceit.
Maybe, the erstwhile Commissioner doesn’t know that the governor has since gotten a foreign loan valued at $37.54 million or he is trying to observe a good table manners because “you don’t talk when you are eating”. The accumulated foreign loan is an external debt obtained by Governor Nwifuru himself and not inherited.
Earlier, when the Governor announced that he will be undertaking the repairing of the runway of the newly built Airport in onueke with a total amount of 33 billion naira, I wondered where he will get the money from not until the revelation of this procured loan surfaced. It is saddening that stakeholders that are supposed to ask questions are shying away from it but rather has chosen to be an “alleluia boys”
An Analysis of the 2023 Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) monthly allocations revealed increase in allocations to the three tiers of government.
For Example, it got 627.73 billion in September followed by 610.5b In December. In January 2024, it distributed 1.67 trillion and February, 2.07 trillion. All these was possible because of the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.
Available records showed that Ebonyi state though second to last in the chart got a total of 107. 45 billion in 2023 as FAAC allocations. it is morally worthy to query the level of developments in the state if it is corresponding to the amounts of money the state has enjoyed.
For those that will remind me that the Governor paid arrears of gratitutiies and pension, let me say that I was one of the very first Ebonyians to congratulate the Governor on that. I did that in interviews on National televisions and newspapers but after that what next?
Should governance be strangulated on such altar? Evidently the government of Rt Hon. Ogbonna Nwifuru became a father Christmas that shares money indiscriminately to political patronage groups and stakeholders. I have said it is not sustainable and will backfire soon.
In first one year in office, Governor Nwifuru has tried to govern in atmosphere of stability and peace but his approach to governance is in chasm of meaningful development. Some say there’s no focus while others say the governor is under the control of overbearing godfathers.
The truth many will not tell the Governor in their congratulatory messages today is that Abakaliki has become a shadow of itself because businesses have crippled and no economic opportunities for attractions.
The Airport he is currently expending N33 billion to repair after his predecessor spent over N45 billion to build, it will likely not function optimally when finally fixed because there’s no business in Abakaliki to attract influx in the Airport. That was a misplaced priority by the former Governor!
In construction, the first phase is always the foundation laying phase, then comes the structure settings and others. The foundation of Economic development was not put in place and this was the area I felt Governor Nwifuru would have concentrated.
I recall my interview with a local tabloid, Citizen Advocate in Abakaliki where I advised the government to constitute an Economic Advisory Team to advise the government on the best economic policies to undertake. With an Economic team, we would have been able as a state to escape our current precious situation. It is insulting that the IGR of the state is still below N500-N700 million.
Kudos to the Governor for revitalizing the pipe production company but I am moved to ask what is the production capacity? It will be my considerable opinion that the pipe production company is concessioned for obvious fact that government is not good managers of business.
There are news about plans to build new schools across the thirteen (13) local government areas and that of homes for the traditional rulers. Well, the governor has shown to be benevolent but these projects are not critical to top his priorities now. We have public schools that have all gone comatose that should be revisited instead of building new ones. It is appalling the abdonements our public schools has received today because of poor educational policies. Parents no longer send their wards to public schools because they’re misfits and there’s no guarantee that the proposed new pilot schools will be different because they will still be run with the obnoxious policies.
What is needed is articulating workable policies that will improve Education and not merely building new ones. As the Governor takes the podium today to address Ebonyians, I expect him to announce June 12, 2024 as a town hall meeting with Ebonyians that will be all encompassing to discuss Ebonyi progress and development.
Happy One Year Anniversary, Mr Governor!!!
Engr. Chinedum Elekwachi, is A Public Affairs Analyst, Writes From Abuja.
