By Nkechinyere Ewa
Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has approved a ₦150,000 Christmas bonus for every civil servant in the state, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare despite dwindling state revenue over the past year.
The governor made the announcement on Sunday during a church service at the Government House Chapel, Abakaliki, noting that the gesture was aimed at cushioning the effect of the harsh economic realities on civil servants.
Speaking on the forthcoming local government elections in the state, Governor Nwifuru declared that he has not anointed any candidate, assuring aspirants of a level playing field.
“As far as I am concerned, the will of the people must prevail. The people must choose their representatives without interference from any quarter,” he said.
The governor also reiterated his directive that political appointees intending to contest in the council elections must resign in line with electoral guidelines.
“It is not my duty to pick you as chairman of your local government. If you are contesting as an appointee, you must resign as stipulated by law,” he warned.
On infrastructure, Governor Nwifuru dismissed claims of delays in the Vincent Agwu Nwankwo Flyover (VANCO), describing the project as a major infrastructural landmark of his administration.
“You cannot find any state in Nigeria currently undertaking such a flyover,” he stated, explaining that the scale and technical demands of the project require careful execution.
He criticized what he described as misleading narratives by social media commentators, stressing that the administration is determined to give Ebonyi State a modern outlook and position it on the global map of good governance.
“We are doing it not because we have money, but because we want to sign our signature in the annals of history,” the governor added, emphasizing that the project would give the state a facelift upon completion.