Since swearing in, His Excellency has taken countless steps to alleviate the plights of the people and improve their standard of living which overall is paying off in positive ways.
That His Excellency facilitated the recruitment of 195 Medical personnel, and 1454 Civil Servants and empowered 500 street hawkers with 2 million naira each to establish their enterprises is no longer news.
To make life more meaningful to the people especially retirees, it would be recalled that His Excellency coughed out a whooping 4 billion naira from which where backlog of gratuities owed pensioners who retired between 1996 to 2022 was cleared in a single swoop.
To further ensure the safety of Ebonyi people who would be travelling for the festivities, the Governor invested 13.7 billion naira to remodel the runway of the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport Onueke to meet International best standards.
At the moment, work has reached an advanced stage in the Airport touted to be one of the best in Black Africa on completion.
Knowing that Ebonyi State at the moment is still regarded as a Civil service-engendered State, His Excellency the Governor graciously approved for payment of the full 13th month salary to the tune of #100, 000 for all Civil Servaa nts as a way of giving them a sense of belonging as the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The members of the State workforce were also aware of other Christmas largesse that altogether will make the celebration yummy in their homes.
Already, the Abakaliki Capital City and environs have been adorned with ornamental Christmas trees and lights to create the needed vibes for fun seekers wishing to cool off during the yuletide.
Abakaliki metropolis has been rewired and illuminated with ultra-bright streetlights to add to the aesthetics of the town and aid city security in the spirit of the season.
The City Centre has also been well policed to guard against any possible civil disobedience by disgruntled elements.
To ensure that all homes in the State feel the positive impact of governance, His Excellency the Governor procured 120, 000 bags of the award-winning Abakaliki rice for distribution to families through the Polling units across the State.
His Excellency desires that all Polling units in the State get at least 120 bags of the Abakaliki Rice to ensure that the poorest of the poor within the society have something to eat during the period.
To further domesticate the People's Charter of Needs blueprint in a time like this, you would recall that His Excellency on Saturday, December 16, 2023, organized a special Christmas party for 2000 Elders and widows as a way of giving them a sense of belonging during the festivities.
His Excellency the Governor at the party danced profusely with the beneficiaries alongside his wife and mother of the State, Her Excellency, Chief Mrs Uzoamaka Maudline Ogbonna Nwifthe uru and the hereafter approved the disbursement of huge sums of money to them as their Christmas hamper.
Behind every successful man, there is a dutiful wife as the saying goes, Her Excellency, the wife of the Governor, Chief Mrs Uzoamaka Mary-Maudline Ogbonna Nwifuru has been complementing the Governor in several ways to improve the lots of less privileged Ebonyians, no wonder some oftemealled "O so di me" by her, admirers!
Just on Monday, December 18, 2023, Her Excellency held a Christmas Party for Children in the Presidential Lodge as a way of jazzing up the vibe of the season in the young lads.
This is in children's Children's of the Children Father Christmas shows in major Media outfits in the State.
She also visited some destitute homes across the State and placed smiles on the faces of the inmates in the spirit of the season.
Her Excellency the wife of the Governor also within the period has facilitated the goal delivery of 53 prison inmates at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre all in a bid to give them reasons to celebrate during this yuletide.
It would be recalled that the freed inmates are those who were fulfilled and could not fulfil their bail conditions.
Her Excellency the wife of the Governor even took her extraordinariness to high heavens by touching the lives of more aged persons through the Renewed Hope Initiative, Elderly Support Scheme in the New Yearf the Christmas and New Year festivities.
In tOn occasion, selected Elders across the State were gifted #100, 000 and one bag of rice as their Christmas largesse.
Going by the happenstances, one would adduce that for this special category of persons and virtually all Ebonyians, this year's Christmas and New Year celebrations under the superintendence of Right Honourable (Dr) Francis Nwifuru is a celebration like never before.
The tranquillity in the air and vibes across the length and breadth of the State are sonorous inklings to the acceptability of the Governor Nwifuru-led administration in the State by all men irrespective of political inclination and leaning.
On the heels of the foregoing therefore, it is hoped that the celestial and Olympic atmosphere already pervading the social ecosystem in the State continues unabated to the eventual and peaceful culmination of the yuletide.
Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year Ebonyians!
This piece was written by Dr. Boniface Nwankwo, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Documentation.
