Sunday Ani
Ebonyi Governor, Dave Umahi, has said his coming as the third civilian governor of the state has broken the chain of inferiority complex, dearth of infrastructure and economic backwardness that have bedevilled the people of Ebonyi State over the years.
He made the statement yesterday at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, where he delivered a lecture on a topic, “Changing the face of governance through infrastructure and human capital development: Ebonyi State as a case study.”
The governor acknowledged that right from the first military governor to the second as well as first and second civilian governors, foundations were laid for development, but the chains of inferiority complex, lack of infrastructure as well as economic backwardness remained the lot of the people of the state until his emergence as the third civilian governor of Ebonyi State.
“Our voice was not heard, our complex was not erased and we were rather, the dust of the Nation instead of the Salt of the Nation which is the State’s Nickname. We were among the ducationally less privileged states.
“We had the worst road infrastructure, health care was in a shambles, rural communities were cut off from the urban and that encouraged rural-urban migration and street hawking. Communal conflicts were high, agriculture was still by crude practice, and empowerment and security had negative profile. We had no confidence in ourselves. This was our situation until the coming on board of the third civilian governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Chief David Nweze,” he said.
He said he was the first deputy governor to emerge as governor in Nigeria but not without stiff opposition from his former principal, Martins Elechi, who did everything possible to ensure he did not succeed him.
He stated that with his emergence as governor of the state, things have changed for the better.
“Today, we can raise our heads high and say we are from Ebonyi state, the salt of the Nation. Today, we are proud that the Governor of Ebonyi State has proved that light can shine forth from Ebonyi State. This has been proven in all assignments undertaken by Umahi as Governor of Ebonyi State; as Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum, as Co-Chairman Southern Governors’ Forum and as Chairman of Strategic National Committees. That is our story; that is our new narrative as a people.”
Umahi listed his achievements in all sectors particularly in agriculture to include fixing of a rice milling and cassava processing industries that can create thousands of jobs as well; as reactivating the existing three MT/H rice Mill; the biggest in Nigeria.