Clement Nnachi Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State on assumption of office on May 2023, launched a blueprint for the good governance of the state, tagged; People’s Charter of Needs. The charter is based on open governance and performance management, which aimed at making transparent decisions through citizens’ inputs while focusing on outcomes and outputs.
In the last one year and six months of the life-span of the administration, the government has held town hall meetings, with residents to ensure that citizens and government synergise in the implementation of people grown governance.
Various sectors of human developments enunciated in the charter included empowerment, education, human capital, health, agriculture, water supply, solid minerals, power supply, environment, housing and infrastructure development.
Empowerment
Recently, no fewer than 1,300 youths of the state were empowered with N1 million each by the state government to pursue businesses of their choices. Beneficiaries of this initiative had since injected the funds into areas of priorities.
Nwifuru explained that the fund would enable the beneficiaries pursue their businesses and cushion the effects of the economic hardship confronting the citizenry. According to him, ‘‘100 youths were selected from each of the 13 local government areas of the state.’’
Agricultural trainees
In furtherance of this policy, a total of 100 youths of the state that successfully completed their three months agricultural train- ing at Agbani, Enugu, were empowered with N3 million each to establish agricultural schemes. The training covered agricultural processing and packaging and was aimed at making the youths self-reliant.
The measures were aimed at tackling food insecurity, in addition to curbing unemployment in the state. The training programme was coordinated by a renowned agricultural firm based in Agbani, Enugu State, known as Master Skill Development Farms. The State Executive Council granted the approval for the release of the funds to the beneficiaries.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Jude Okpor disclosed that the trainees were selected from the 13 LGAs of the state. Ebonyi State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has also flagged-off the 2024 NGCares FADAMA Agro inputs and Asset distribution to 2,960 farmers in the state. Nwifuru disclosed at the event that the gesture was in fulfilment of the administration’s charter of needs mantra aimed at tackling food insecurity.
According to him, “We are here to do the flag-off of the distribution of agricultural input, it is the best option of feeding the people. “We cannot forget in a hurry farming, food security is paramount when it comes to feeding our people. The mantra of our administration is shining, our land is fertile, everything you plant, give it some months you start harvesting.’’
He enjoined the beneficiaries to utilise the farm inputs and assets to increase food production in the state. Items distributed include fertilisers, grinding machines, cutting machines, broilers, agrochemicals and cassava. Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Mr Ogbonnaya Nnaemeka Njoku, commended the state government for the initiative. He said that the initiative of the government has cushioned the prevailing economic hardships confronting the people.
Ebonyi ranking payment of counterpart funds
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Re- sources, Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku has restated that the government has been forthright in the payment of counterpart funds to Development Partners. Iyioku reiterated the com- mitment of the administration to ensure that the inputs and assets were distributed to genuine farmers across the state.
According to her, “We have passed subsistence farming, we are now in commercial farm ing, by this time next year, and we will come out with bountiful harvest.”
Commendation
Ebonyi State recently emerged overall best in World Bank Community Investment Development Projects, in regard to the implementation of the Nigerian Community Action for Resilience and Economic stimulus (NG-CARES) programmes.
The programme formerly called Nigeria COVID-19 Action for Recovery and Economic Stimulus, is a World Bank supported programme, implemented in all the 36 States of the federation.
Speaking on the project, the Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Mrs Ann Aligwe explained that the result of the peer group learning and experience sharing event, based on performance of each state in Nigeria, listed Ebonyi State as the best performing state in the implementation of NG-CARES programme.
Aligwe, who led Ebonyi team, restated that the World Bank commended the state for supporting the poor and vulnerable in the society, adding that the project aligned with the vision of Nwifuru’s administration anchored on the people’s charter of needs.
“This milestone achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the effort of Governor Francis Nwifuru, in the approval and release of fund for the implementation of the project in the State,’’ she noted. Also, she reiterated that the government through the State Community and Social Development Agency, has ensured the supervision and monitoring of the NG-CARES projects across the various communities in the state.
FADAMA
Ebonyi State Co-ordinator for Fadama – CARES, Dr Benjamin Uguru, has lauded the government for the timely provision of farm inputs and assets to the farmers.
This is as the state government has extended its empowerment schemes to communities, with the launch of the state wide micro project funds disbursement to 100 qualified communities and 2,040 Labour Intensive Public Workfare beneficiaries, worth N2.055 billion.
The event was performed by Nwifuru during a meeting with community leaders and town union presidents in Abakaliki. Nwifuru said that the projects when fully operational at the grassroots, would cushion the hardships confronting the people. “The government has resolved to prioritise community development across the 13 local government areas,” he said. Further, “The fund disbursement to communities is geared towards improving the economic power of the people.”
