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The dreams of Dr. Same Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi of being proud predecessors to the leadership of Ebonyi State may have hit a wrong chord with the decision of Engr. David Umahi, incumbent Minister of Works, to plant Francis Nwifuru on the state as governor. That decision, which was consummated in the 2023 governorship ‘election’, which many Ebonyi people believe did not actually go the way of Nwifuru, is now turning out to be one of the worst decisions taken in the growth trajectory of Ebonyi. This is because as the Salt of the Nation, governance in the state has lost its salty taste and left the people praying for something to take their minds off the tasteless and colourless governance that have become their lot.
Nwifuru, many Ebonyi citizens argue, is a misnomer to governance despite being Speaker of the House of Assembly under Umahi’s reign. Most people in the state argue that he lacks the capacity to positively administer a state that is in haste to catch up with development. Many people in the state would rather see the governor as Umahi’s greatest leadership mistake. However, there are people who argue that Umahi may have imposed him on the state in order to run a surrogacy. Either way, Nwifuru is not making efforts to prove to anyone that he is capable of effectively discharging the functions of the office he now occupies. For this, many people in the state say they can only pray that the hand of the clock runs faster such that they could wake up into 2027 governorship elections. For them, Nwifuru has blown the chances he has to show that he is capable of effectively managing their state.
The governor comes from a very large family. His father, Chief Ezekiel Nwifuru, is husband to 30 wives. 17 of them are still alive and living with him. From them, he had some 108 children. They could have been more but some of the wives were offloaded for failure to bear children. Of the 108 children, that suggests that the governor has about 107 siblings to accommodate in his government alongside his father’s harem. That large number of siblings is also now proving to be a huge disservice to the governor who may be battling to manage filial interests in state financial resources. The governor seems to be struggling to maintain a balance between public accountability and creating a family government in the state.
A recent report in an online newspaper relating to allegations that the governor recently awarded a contract valued at about N3.1 billion to a newly registered company owned by his wife’s junior brother against all known rules of proper conduct, accountability and transparency, has gone without response by the government. The contract was said to have been awarded without competitive bidding, suggesting worrisome loopholes in the state’s procurement processes. It also questions the governor’s disposition to transparency and fairness, and further suggests a deliberate misuse of state resources to favour persons with very close ties to him, a practice that undermines public trust and violates principles of good governance.
The Nwifuru government is also battling to stave off reports of alleged diversion of N1.5 billion released by the state government for the purchase of palliatives in December 2024. The allegation was contained in a petition by a citizen of the state, Nwoba Chika Nwoba, who petitioned the Economic and Financial rimes Commission (EFCC) accusing Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government, of diverting the money into a private account. Interestingly, the Commission had on July 8 secured an interim forfeiture order from a federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, against the said money.
Those whose names were listed against the three accounts, namely Grace Umezurike, Ngene Nwanna Onyeabor and Affordable Multi Series Nigeria Ltd have 60 days to show reasons the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government. This development has jolted Governor Nwifuru who is also, yet, to take any decisive action to protect his government and regain public trust over the administration of public resources in his state.
This has also led to fresh challenges for the governor who is also being pilloried by some contractors in the state over his weakness in calling persons very close to him, some of who may have family ties, to order over fresh allegations that they intercept contract payments and determine how much should be released to a contractor to execute a job irrespective of how much the governor had approved for effective delivery on projects. This is said to account for reasons many contractors find it difficult to execute their contracts to specification. Some contractors, who do not want to rubbish their credibility in the process, are said to abandon the projects all together. State officials who are aware of the development are said to be rather surprised that the governor never raised an eyebrow when information about such payment interceptions reach him
Residents of the state who are aware of the development are worried that their state may be totally ruined if the behaviour goes unchecked. Unfortunately for them, the governor does not seem bothered by such developments. Responding to the allegation of the diversion of N1.4 billion meant for December 2024 palliatives, which has necessitated an interim forfeiture order, Governor Nwifuru said “I am a lawyer and know it is imperative to establish the facts before judgment to avoid setting wrong precedents.” However, his argument that his aides involved in the diversion are “presumed innocent until proven otherwise,” while aligning with legal principles, is seen also as a reflection of his reluctance to act decisively against his aides and possibly very close allies with family ties, which could effectively shield corrupt practices in his administration.
Associates of the governor have also argued that allegations of weakness, lack of accountability and transparency against him are politically motivated and spread by his opponents. They also defend his leadership credentials but are unable to provide logical arguments to defend the action of the governor in December 2025 when he created a new autonomous community –Oferekpe Agbaja Autonomous Community- with 17 villages, through a new law by the State House of Assembly. He subsequently appointed his father as king of the community. Defending his action then Governor Nwifuru said: “My father’s decision to marry many wives was influenced by the intimidation and humiliation he endured from villagers in his quest for greatness.”
Many people in Ebonyi state now argue that the governor’s weakness, and reluctance, to stand up against allegations of corruption, lack of transparency and interception of contract payments by persons closely aligned to him, could be his own way of compensating such persons for previous deprivations and humiliations as he did for his father
