By Anayo Okoli
The trending is narrative given to the public in and outside Ebonyi State by opposition is that Governor Francis Nwifuru is not working. And this narrative has gained currency among the people. But a visit to the state indicates that indeed the contrary is the case. The Governor is indeed doing working and touching every sector of development. The reality on ground is that a lot of development is happening in the State. Across the 13 local government areas of thespian state, no community is left out, at least with a road project.
According to records, on assumption of office, Governor Francis Nwifuru unfolded what he called “People’s Charter of Needs” as a priority guide to his development trajectory and his administration has followed this religiously.
In fact some of the ongoing projects are landmark projects that would project the state to national and even international maps. For instance, two specialized universities being built by the government will change the education landscape of the State. One of them, the ICT University has taken off at a temporary site with over 100 students receiving education free of charge. Work at the permanent site in Oferekpe, located in a vast land space, is ongoing with many sections, including lecturers quarters, classroom blocks, Senate building, student hostels almost completed. Construction of a teaching hospital is also going at ICT University.
There is also the Aeronautical University located not far from the Chuba Okadigbo airport. Government sources said that the National University Commission has accredited the University to take off next academic session. The university will train engineers of various specialties. Indeed, a lot of structures are springing up at the massive sites in an effort to be ready for the take off of academic activities.
From what is on ground, Nwifuru is investing a lot in the education sector and manpower development. He has awarded full Masters and PhD scholarship sponsorship to 1,400 Ebonyi indigenous students to universities in the United Kingdom and Nigeria; renovated some structures at State University and raised its subvention from N150 million to N280 million as well as released N700 outstanding subvention to the institutions. He also extended the good gesture to the State College of Education, Ikwo, which he upgraded to a University of Education. Many dilapidated primary and secondary schools have been rehabilitated. About 2000 primary and secondary school teachers were recruited. These are some of the governor’s major undertakings in the education sector.
In the health sector, the administration has also recorded a lot of progress.
In its determination to change the narrative and make the residents of the State have access to quality healthcare, the government embarked on massive recruitment of healthcare workers. 653 medical personnel were employed across Ebonyi State, including doctors and other medical personnel. About 2,144 adhoc Nurses, Midwives, CHEW, JCHEW and Auxiliary Nurses were recruited to the Public Health Centres. SUV cars were procured for medical doctors and their salary and allowances substantially increased to encourage them to serve in any parts of the state.
Ambulances were procured and distributed to all the general hospitals in the State; doctors quarters were renovated and the call rooms in all the general hospitals in the State were furnished for effective use.
To ensure effective services, medical equipments and consumables worth billions of Naira were procured, and a Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency was established to monitor and supervise drug supplies and management. Sola power was installed in the Vaccine cold rooms to ensure adequate preservation.
The administration ensured that all the civil and public servants were enrolled into the health insurance scheme. Appreciable improvements have also been made and still ongoing in improving the state of infrastructure in the health training institutions in the state. Construction work is ongoing at newly established Ebonyi State Virology Research and Innovation Center (EBSVRIIC).
In the area of agriculture, the administration has commenced fertilizer production at the Abakaliki Fertilizer Factory and had distributed over 13,000 bags of fertilizer to farmers during the 2023 farming season, and 31,000 bags in the 2024 season. The Government also released N100 million for rice and cassava production to farmers and reactivated the Nkaliki Hatchery for job creation and procured 15 brand new tractors and other agricultural equipment. Currently, construction of Ebonyi Feed Mill is ongoing.
The government has constructed 5 rice processing centres and 7 cassava processing centres across the state and rehabilitated many rural farm roads to enable the farmers evacuate their produce.
In the area of road construction, the Nwifuru administration deserves a lot of credit. Many internal roads have been constructed in Abakiliki and other parts of the state, and many others are still under construction, including the
Ebonyi Ring Road. There are ongoing flyovers being constructed at strategic junctions and bridges on some of the ongoing road projects. In fact some these ongoing constructions are wrongly being attributed to the federal government.
These road projects are in addition to the administration’s policy of two- kilometer road in every community in the state, many of which have already been executed and in use.
The administration’s development progamme also touched water resources which has seen the reactivation and rehabilitation of the Ezillo Water Scheme which helped to restore water supply to Abakaliki Urban. Water supply was extended to the 14 General Hospitals in the State, while the rehabilitation of Old Abakaliki Water Scheme is ongoing even as the of Oferekpe Water Treatment Plant has been Completed.
In the housing sector, the administration has also made some impact. Construction of 140 duplexes at the Chief Chris Nwankwo Civil and Public Servants’ Estate is ongoing in Abakiliki, with some already completed. Government sources said the houses would be allocated free of charge to Ebonyi indigenes who distinguish themselves in their various fields of endeavours whether they served the state government or served elsewhere. 300 units of 3-bed room bungalows were built at Amanze and Izzi in Ishielu for deserving civil servants.
Touched by the plights of indigent citizens, the administration has constructed a total of 91 units of 3-bedroom apartments for indigent widows across the state.
The youths are not left attended to by the administration. In addition to giving thousands of Ebonyi youths money ranging from N1 million to N2 million to support their businesses, the government is building an Industrial Cluster Training Centre in Ezzangbo where the youths will learn various skills. While being trained, they will be paid stipends and on completion of the chosen skill, the government will assist them to start up. With this, the government hopes to bring back Ebonyi youths and ensure that they are meaningfully engaged.
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