Gov. Nwifuru decries empowerment diversion, sabotage, leakages in Ebonyi

By Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru on Sunday, warned council chairmen, coordinators and stakeholders in the various 13 LGAs against the serial empowerment diversion, sabotage and lots of leakages in the state.

Nwifuru, however charged Local Government Chairmen and Coordinators of Development Centres to embark on projects that will have direct bearing on the people

The governor, Nwifuru made this known while addressing stakeholders and Church members, during a Church Service at the new government House Chapel, centenary city Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.

He said: “If you are a Coordinator or a Local Government Chairman and live in Abakaliki and you hardly go to the village, you don’t expect people to follow you. You must work for the interest of the people. Our youths need your attention.

“As a Coordinator you should be doing a project not less than 10 Million Naira monthly and Chairmen are supposed to be doing a project of not less than 20 Million Naira every month”

“You reside in Abakaliki because the Governor gave you a conducive environment, why can’t you get back to the village and do the same thing”

Nwifuru warned those sabotaging government’s contract in their various localities to stop forthwith and called on Town Unions and other key arms of the community development process to supervise jobs in their areas inline with government’s specifications.

He commended the youths of the state for not joining the planned nationwide protest, even as he called on officials not to take the honour given to the state by the youths for granted.

“They didn’t protest because we are perfect. They encouraged us to do more. It’s a challenge for us government officials to ensure we do more.

“This protest is an atom of what we should expect tomorrow. If care is not taken, they maybe total shutdown”

“In this empowerment we are not giving opportunities for the members of the State Executive Council, Judiciary, LGA Chairmen, and Coordinators, we want the youth to benefit.

“The Government is embarking on so many projects without supervision. We must ensure our projects are supervised. The project is yours.

“Ensure you exhibit ownership spirit in managing public utilities” he stressed.