Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has approved a ₦150,000 Christmas bonus for all civil servants in the state, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare despite revenue challenges.
The governor announced the bonus on Sunday during a church service at the Government House Chapel in Abakaliki, noting that the gesture was necessary in view of the economic realities faced by workers.
Addressing the forthcoming local government elections, Nwifuru said he has not endorsed any candidate and promised a level playing field for all aspirants.
“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 also reiterated his directive that political appointees seeking to contest the local government elections must resign in line with electoral laws.
“It is not my duty to pick you as Chairman of your Local Government Area. If you are contesting for the chairmanship position in next year’s council election as an appointee, you must resign as stipulated by law.”
The governor further dismissed reports suggesting delays in the construction of the Vincent Agwu Nwankwo Flyover (VANCO), describing the project as one of the most ambitious infrastructure initiatives in the state.
“You cannot find any state in Nigeria that is doing such a flyover currently,” he said, explaining that the scale and technical demands of the project account for the pace of work.
Nwifuru criticised what he termed deliberate misrepresentation of the project on social media, insisting that the administration is focused on delivering infrastructure that will reposition Ebonyi State.
“We are doing it not because we have money; we are doing it because we want to sign our signature in the annals of history.”
He added that the state is determined to be listed on the global map of good governance driven by modern infrastructure.