By James Ndubuisi Nwakpa
When I was navigating through Afikpo road, close to Vanco junction this morning, I sighted a signpost which was mounted by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Security Consultant in Ebonyi State, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, with an inscription boldly written "It is time to build", I was lonely taken down the memory lane where I beamed my torchlight on the salt of the nation in human form, only to discover that before the emergence of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, that it was wearing a skeletal image, having been bruised and battered by hunger and untold economic hardship, leaving behind the scenes of sorrow, regrets, anguish, and melancholy in the minds of the common man in the streets.
When I realized that the story of my life then was not different from every other average Ebonyian who was struggling to keep body and soul together, my heart became so heavy, as tears rolled down my cheeks which abruptly changed my feelings to an unpalatable mood. However, after a while, I was relieved of the bad mood when I realized that the present government under Governor Nwifuru's led administration is building on human beings.
But before then, I was poised to remember the plights of the students in those days during my undergraduate level, specifically in my second year when the school fee was hiked beyond 100% by the power that is and all attempts to reduce the burden proved abortive, as the students were rather compelled to pay additional #10,000 as a "fuck-up fee" for protesting against the increment, and later demanded that parents of the already suffocated students be made to sign undertaking as a deterring factor to forestall any form of future protests by the students. A helpless situation that made many to drop out of the school. Those who thought they could make it through hustling were made to pay through their teeth, as those of us who were operating motorcycles within the capital city as the only reliable source of paying our fees were forced to experience hell on earth, due to the ban placed on motorcycles, prohibiting okada riders from plying dual carriage roads within the state capital, with the use of touts who did not only impounded the motorcycles but as well inflicted injuries on the so-called defaulters in the course of enforcing the order. A precarious and hapless situation that spelled doom for those who could not live to tell the story. As if that was not enough, men of the Federal Road Safety Corps who ought to be on the federal roads were also planted at the corners within the streets to enforce the use of helmets by motorcycle operators. To aggravate the situation, the government went further to increase the yearly tax of the okada and keke riders and as well imposed daily tolls on them, and to add to our injuries, banned motorcycles from operating any moment from 7 pm, making use of the police and other law enforcement agents in the state to ensure that the order was implemented to the core.
As time progressed, those who defiled the odds and excelled in their academic pursuit even with the brunts of the oppressors in the streets, were not only neglected but were also abandoned, as many of the students who made first class in their respective disciplines that were supposed to be rewarded for their academic excellence were allowed to go home without any benefit. Instead of giving automatic employment or scholarships to deserving students as a means of encouraging hard work, integrity, and excellence, chose to withdraw those who were already considered worthy of such recognitions, thereby popularizing the slogan 'school is a scam'. Instead of showing love to law-abiding citizens, especially those who had sacrificed their time, energy, and resources, the government then chose to give a welcoming hand to cultists and deviants by empowering them in the name of "Repented cultists", thereby promoting evil instead of punishing same.
The mishmash and misplaced priorities, unfortunately, ly left society with bad scars, as our communities were torn apart in communal wars and political upheavals due to unnecessary squabbles for supremacy among the political bigwigs in the state.
To the greatest surprise of analysts and even the spectators, there was nothing like employment or empowerment of any sort, not even meager jobs from the industrial sector, as none existed, and there was no other possible means that the poor residents could lay their hands on to assuage their financial predicaments. The people relied solely on God, while those who could not be patient enough to await God's intervention resorted to crimes to make their ends meet, thereby posing a security threat to society This ugly situation continued unabated until God provided the state with a leader who came not just to solve societal problems but to also meet every Ebonyian at his or her point of need, under the people's Charter of Needs mantra.
Ever since the emergence of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru as the fourth democratically elected Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, he has continued to wear the shoes of the less privileged in the society, not only by identifying their basic needs but also by meeting those demands in their order of priorities. Little wonder the administration is anchored on people's charter of needs.
It is not arguable that the dignity of labor under Governor Nwifuru is keenly observed, as civil servants who were living with debts have been made free. Not only that their salaries paid as at w due, but their promotions were coming as supposed, while the backlog of pensions and gratuities of retired civil servants was also cleared. Surprisingly, apart from the normal bonuses that the governor used to add to their salaries, the God's fearing leader has remained hell-bent on ensuring that the welfare of the workers is highly promoted. The payment of an additional #100,000 to all the civil servants in the state for their Christmas bonus during the 2023 Christmas celebration when the people were in dare need of help as a result of economic difficulty, actually proved that the workers' friendly governor has come to restore the hope of the hopeless. The governor also gave a waiver for the employment of people into the state civil service, as a means of reducing the high rate of unemployment rocking the state since time immemorial.
Moreso, the governor apart from the appointment of the youths into enviable positions, has also been walking around the clock to industrialize the state, while no energy has been spared to revive the education and health sectors in the state that were in deplorable conditions. Remarkably, a good number of government-owned primary and secondary schools across the communities of the state have been selected to be renovated and equipped to the international standard, while the state general hospitals have also been renovated, equipped, and staffed, whereas the medical doctors working in those hospitals have been given expensive jeeps and monthly stipends for their fuels, to ease their movement in the course of discharging their duties. The tertiary institutions in the state, including Ebonyi State University Abakaliki and Ebonyi State College of Education Ikwo are not left out in this direction, as the monthly subventions of the schools have been increased beyond ordinary.
In the area of empowerment, the governor is second to none, as he has made many people millionaires including street hawkers, poetry-traders, and the less privileged in society. He has also declared tax-free for peasant farmers and small business owners in the state. Presently, the wonder-working governor has been pleased to express his readiness to empower one thousand three hundred youths in the state with one million naira (#1,000,000) each. One hundred youths per local government across the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi State for boycotting the 10 days recently concluded nationwide hunger protest, as his mark of appreciation to the youths, even as he warned political actors in the state against leakages and diversion of the empowerment.
However, the youths of Ebonyi State decided not to join the "end bad governance" nationwide protest not because they were not feeling the scourge of the economic downturn in Nigeria but because the governor is not just a leader, but also a father who truly understands the problems of his people and is very passionate about solving them.
In the area of peace, the governor is not resting on his oars to ensure that he restores peace and normalcy in those communities that have been unfortunately engulfed with communal wars. Worthy of mention is the Governor's renewed commitment to bring lasting peace to the Effium community of Ohaukwu Local Government Area which has witnessed blood bath and wanton destruction of properties since January 21st, 2021 when the community was thrown into communal war between the people of Effium and Ezza Effium. The ongoing construction of 140 housing units for the people of Izo and Amanze in Ishielu Local Government Area as parts of the government's intervention to restore normalcy and peaceful coexistence between the two communities that were in dagger-drawn battle, is another bold step that will never be forgotten in the history of rebuilding Ebonyi State.
Furthermore, the gloomy political atmosphere of the state, hitherto characterized by bitterness, rancor, and acrimony among the political elites in the state has been changed by the peace-loving governor, bringing everybody together as one big united progressive family, devoid of bickering and skirmishes. Presently there is nothing like the Abuja group and opposition party members, as all the political juggernauts in the state have collapsed their structures to join the governor and other progressive-minded individuals to take the state to the global map of recognition.
The governor through his inclusive style of governance has also continued to preach the gospel of love and unity among the entire Ebonyians without attaching relevance to clannish and political interests. In his usual manner of humility, the governor recognized the need to give the founding fathers, the elders, royal fathers, and other stakeholders of the state their place of pride in his administration. Given this, he was moved to confer honorary awards on some of the distinguished personalities who had contributed a lot to the development of the state, among whom include the former Governors of the state, His Excellency, Dr. Sam Ominyi Egwu and His Excellency, Chief Martin Nwancho Elechi and the former Senate President of Nigeria, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, who were honored with the highest state award equivalent to that of the sitting governor, as Great Grand Commander (GGC), Ebonyi Hall of Fame (2022) honors law of Ebonyi State, as amended, while the award of Grand Commander was bestowed on Senator Christopher Chukwuma Nwankwo and Senator Andrew Nwankwo, whereas posthumous award of Commander, Ebonyi Hall of Fame was conferred on Spera In-Deo and Chief Benson Egede.
The governor has also left an indelible footprint in the area of infrastructural development. The ongoing construction of flyover with underground tunnels at Vanco junction, the ongoing construction of ultramodern palace for all the recognized traditional rulers in the state, with two kilometers of road each, in honor of the royal fathers, the ongoing construction of rural roads, the ongoing reconstruction of Dr. Chuba Okadigbo International Airport Onueke, among other laudable projects that are currently going on, have no doubt spoken much volume of Governor Nwifuru's leadership ingenuity and political acumen.
In summary, the people's oriented Governor has been able to achieve all these and many more in less than two years in office. Hence, the need to give the Builder like no other all the needed support to fully restore the lost glory of the state.
James Ndubuisi Nwakpa is an analyst and member of the fourth estate of the realm, specializing majorly in public relations and multimedia journalism.
