Gov Ogbonanya Nwifuru Profligacy Is Leading Ebonyi To The Golgotha: Ebonyi State In Endangered [PART 1]
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Ebonyi State has the highest poverty ratio in Southern Nigeria with a staggering 80% of its close to 4 million estimated population calcified as living in poverty.
According to data sourced from the office of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Abuja as published on their website, Ebonyi State is one highest indebted state in Nigeria.
According to DMO data, as at June 30, 2024 Ebonyi State is owing external debt of $92, 655,060.01 or N157 billion.
Ebonyi State cumulative internal debt stands at over N70 billion that is aside from various commitments to some other domestic financial institution.
In a June 6, 2023 published by Punch newspaper, of the 10 poorest states in Nigeria, Ebonyi State is the second most indebted state internally with its debt standing at a whopping N76.5 billion second only to Bayelsa State, an oil producing state.
Yet between May 29, 2023 and today more people in Ebonyi State have since dropped deeper in excruciating poverty.
In fact, a walk on the now dirty and unkept streets of Abakaliki clearly shows countless evidenced of the grim reality facing Ndi Ebonyi today.
An unfortunate fact is that Ebonyi State under the command of Hon. Ogbonnaya Nwifuru is currently bleeding, hemorrhaging and lives of the people are thinning out in droves due to hunger and poverty. Ebonyi State today is seemingly directionless.
Since May 29, 2023 when Mr. Nwifuru took over office as the governor, the state has suddenly taken a nose-dive in all possible parameters of assessment.
From the economy, infrastructure, education, health services, environment, human capital development and sanitation there is hardly any visible plan to extricate the people of the state from the stranglehold of poverty, disease, ignorance and mass starvation.
THE SANTA CLAUS OF EBONYI
Just when a strategic thinking and innovative planning are required to save the state from the deep abyss it has been thrown over the years, Governor Ogbonnaya Nwifuru has rather become a Santa Claus with Ebonyi State’s meagre resources.
In the last one year, Governor Nwifuru has been on a spending spree with Ebonyi State public funds and these funds are being spent on things that have zero effect in improving the lives of the people and residents of the state.
Upon assumption of office, Governor Ogbonnaya Nwifuru embarked on the most bizarre spending spree, splashing over N10 billion to purchase bullet-proof vehicles for himself, his wife, the Chief Judge of the state and the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
In a widely published, though laughable justification for such a wasteful spending, Governor Nwifuru in November 2023 while hosting the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi in Abakaliki said that he made the spent the humongous amounts to buy bullet-proof vehicles because he wants to show that the three arms of the government were equals!
Here him:
“The legislature and judiciary deliver dividends of democracy to the people more than the executive arm, though people might say this view is because I come from the legislative arm.
“I cannot remember, as a governor, when last I reached my local government area chairman or village head, but legislators are in steady contact with these people,” he said.
“These criminals work for politicians, and judges have sleepless nights trying to sentence them on conviction.
“When these criminals regain freedom through the prerogative of mercy, you will discover that the judges are at risk when these criminals meet them on the road.”
Whereas, there is the only the three arms of the government can be equal is only when all the arms are allowed function in line with their constitutional powers including allowing their fiscal autonomy. The constitution does in any way give power to head of one arm to become a “boss” or benefactor of other arms of the government. The constitution provides that head of the three arms of the government take proper charge of the affairs of each arm in line with laid down rules.
EBONYI SUV BAZAAR
On Saturday July 6, 2024, Governor Nwifuru in an unprecedented practice announced the donation of 14 brand new SUVs to newly ordained Catholic priests at St John’s Catholic Church, Ogoja Road, Abakaliki. The cost of the SUVs runs into billions of taxpayers’ money. Earlier in 2023, the governor had donated another set of five brand new cars to another set of Catholic Priests.
As if the profligate bazaar with Ebonyi State Public meagre allocation is not enough, just recently, in October 2024, Governor Nwifuru doled out Prado Jeeps to members of the National Assembly from Ebonyi State, the jeeps are valued at over N2 billion. This is despite the fact that all Federal Lawmakers already received their vehicle allocations from National Assembly management. Even very rich states like Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Edo, Oyo, Kano etc. have never engaged in such wasteful spending of their state allocation.
Governor Nwifuru donates cars at will to individuals at the expense of the people of Ebonyi State. Our governor is now ‘Oji Moto eme ogo’ at the expense of the suffering people of the state.
CHUBA OKADIGBO CARGO AIRPORT, ONUEKE
Perhaps the most astonishing show of profligacy amidst excruciating poverty and hunger is the wasteful spending of Ebonyi State Resources on the Chuba Okadigbo Airport, Onueke at the slightest snap of finger.
Recall that the Airport was inaugurated on May 26, 2023 by then President Muhammadu Buhari, However, by September 2023, Governor Nwifuru announced that he had awarded a N13 billion contract, already information emanating from government sources indicate that close to N20 billion for the rehabilitation of a three-month old runway!
This is aside the fact that just four months earlier in April 2023, then Governor David Umahi announced that Ebonyi State Government spent 36 billion to build the airport, unofficial reports be over N42 billion).
Despite these humongous amounts that were said to have been spent in building the airport, on Friday November 15, 2024 Governor Nwifuru again rolled out the drums to commission yet again, the runway of Chuba Okadigbo Airport!
This time, Governor Nwifuru invited the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who came to Abakaliki with a retinue of other first ladies and top government functionaries and with that visit yet another set of billions of Ebonyi State allocation have been spent on duplicitous re-commissioning of a runway that is barely one year old.
Airports are economically strategic investments that are planned and backed up with data of return on investment (ROI), but since the Chuba Okadigbo Airport was constructed, no kobo has been generated for Ebonyi State and there is no plan anywhere on how the airport can become economically viable.
COMATOSE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN EBONYI
In this last one year and half, no new business has sprung up anywhere in Abakaliki, not one and not in any part of Ebonyi State.
The only business is Governor Ogbonay Nwifuru’s endless political appointments, they just keep coming, yet the government activities remain in doldrums.
While governor Nwifuru is busy displacing people in Abakaliki the state capital, Ebonyi rural economy has since gone belly up. Business activities have been grounded to a halt in Abakaliki as thugs have now been unleashed on the residents as all manner of taskforce and government policy enforcers and revenue collectors. They are the only employments the government seem to be happily creating as they are seen on all corners wielding nail-laden sticks, ready to pounce on already tired Okada riders and Keke operators.
For instance, businesses and families have been grounded to a halt in the most popular street in the state capital, Ogoja road. Under the guise of building a flyover bridge in the heart of a town that has more of motorcycles and Tricycles, thriving businesses have been dislocated while continuous threats to do the same on Water Works road remain a nightmare for the residents. Just like the last administration displaced business people in Abakpa Market and today the place lies fallow, traders at the Abakaliki International Market are already abandoning their shops in favour of trading in their private house due to the activities of government revenue officers and other government officials that are taxing businesses to death. In fact, Abakaliki is becoming a desolate capital.
TRANSPORTATION
Ebonyi State has become the hardest place to do business in Nigeria because business activities shut down in Abakaliki as early as 6pm due to harassment of residents by government vigilante group and activities of police operatives who have been unleashed on hapless residents.
Ebonyi State is the only state in southern Nigeria that has no transport policy or system, yet the residents by 6pm are outlawed from moving around. There is no viable bus service, no taxi service, yet motorcycles the only means that an average resident can afford is not allowed to move and thrive in the state, even in villages.
Sanitation and environmental protection
Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State is today adorned strategically by heaps of rubbish, every corner of the town is overrun by garbage heaps. While the World Bank funded canal channelization has been overrun by shrubs. The channels have become a harbinger of diseases as it has become a massive hatchery for mosquitoes, reptiles, rats and other diseas vectors.
Abakaliki is already fact reverting to the old days of the “DUST of the nation.” In the name of road construction, the roads have even become death-traps.
Even with the recruitment of medical officers and other health workers inro the state ministry of health, the General Hospitals remain just a transition to mortuary as there are no basic equipment and consumable to care for the health needs of the people.
In the area of Water, Ebonyi State remains dependent of private impurities-laden boreholes and pure water produced in Enugu State.
We challenge Governor Nwifuru to show clear direction of his government as Ebonyi State is currently on intensive care unit as far as governance is concerned. Ebonyi State is bleeding from all sides and the future of the state now hangs in the balance
Moses Idika
Head of Media,
Anyi’ Ga Emeya Movement
