New Telegraph-Admin 
Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Uchenna Igwe, in this interview, gives insight into how Governor Francis Nwifuru is impacting the lives of Ebonyi people through probity in management of public resources
October 1 is both the 28th anniversary of Ebonyi State as well as the 64th Independence anniversary of Nigeria. Will ordinary Ebonyi people celebrate the anniversaries or heed the calls from some quarters for protests?
Yes, Ebonyi people have many reasons to celebrate the 64th Independence anniversary and 28th anniversary of Ebonyi State creation. They have, indeed, started celebrating. Ebonyi people have been celebrating the positive impacts of the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru on their lives.
In specific terms; what projects and programmes of Governor Nwifuru, in your view, give Ebonyi people reasons to celebrate?
The Nwifuru administration has through frugal management of the resources of Ebonyi State built road projects across the 13 local government areas and 140 communities in the Ebonyi State.
When I say this, I mean that for the first time in the history of Ebonyi State, road projects with rigid pavements are going on, simultaneously, in each of the 140 communities in Ebonyi State and in major urban areas of the state, including Abakaliki, which is the capital of Ebonyi State.
The governor has granted a total of 1,000 foreign and local scholarships to Ebonyi youths. Governor Nwifuru’s unparalleled empowerment of Ebonyi youths, women and the rest of Ebonyi State has been acclaimed by parents across the country, who under the aegis of Nigeria Parents Forum, honoured him as the Welfare Ambassador of Nigeria.
Our administration has successfully revived the health, economic and education sectors in Ebonyi State. The governor’s wife, Chief Mrs. Mary-Maudlyn Nwifuru, has equally become a pillar of succour and ambassador of the entire constituency of the less-privileged in Ebonyi State.
The complementing welfare role of Ebonyi first lady through her pet project, Better Health for Rural Women (BERWO), has attracted international plaudits. All these have enabled Ebonyi people to become self-reliant in the face of economic hardships.
Checks reveal that Ebonyi State is among the low earners of federal allocations. In your view, how did Governor Nwifuru achieve all these in 16 months given the meagre resources of the state?
Like I told people during the 2023 Ebonyi governorship campaigns, my principal, Governor Nwifuru, is not greedy. The power we sought was the power to do good and not for personal aggrandizement.
With simplicity and contentment, it was natural for Governor Nwifuru to frugally manage the resources of Ebonyi State, making accountability his watchword and the well-being of Ebonyi people his target.
Governor Nwifuru’s inspiring approach to leadership has strengthened the self-reliance of Ebonyi people even in the face of economic hardships and warmed his administration into the hearts of the people.
This is why Ebonyi State has remained calm even when other states have been protesting. So, with Governor Nwifuru, both the independence and Ebonyi State creation anniversaries have become more meaningful to Ebonyians.
What do you think Nigerian leaders and other governors should do in order to overcome the economic challenges in the country?
I will advise Nigerian leaders and other state governors to manage their resources frugally and be accountable to the people like Governor Nwifuru is doing in Ebonyi State; because with proper management of resources, a governor can achieve more for his people with little resources.
But without proper management and accountability, nothing will be achieved even with massive resources by a governor or any leader, and the masses will suffer.
