By Wilfred Eya
Ambassador Frank Nchita Ogbuewu, former Ambassador to Greece and former minister of culture and tourism is a grassroots politician loved by his people having impacted in the lives of his community and the entire Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone and beyond. In this interview, he speaks on the giant strides in Ebonyi State by Governor Nwifuru, and touched on President Bola Tinubu leadership among others.
Nigeria is facing a critical situation economically and security-wise. Let’s know your take on the Nigerian condition?
To be sincere with you, at the moment I do not want to comment on national issues because I have been around my state for some months now and can competently talk about happenings in my state, Ebonyi. If you ask me some national issues, I may goof because my reaction will be based on either the things, I read from news reports or the things I hear. But, I think that I will be more confident answering questions from Ebonyi, my state and I will give you sincere reports from the state. This place is peaceful and I can tell you that the people here are happy with the governance being provided by our dear humble governor. He is a miracle worker governor.
You said the state is peaceful but recently we were inundated with some security challenges and killings in Ebonyi?
Of course, some times, some of these things may just occur as a happenstance, perhaps accidental but it’s not a constant phenomenon. There was the one that happened before December for instance and those people were all arrested. I can authoritatively tell you that Ebonyi State since the present governor of the state, Francis Nwifuru took over the clutches of power, it has been peaceful, and take it from me it’s not a political statement; he is doing so much but silently on security. He is a silent worker, performer. One thing about leadership is that when the people believe in you, they will go the extra mile to support what you are doing. The people are conscious of security challenge and they have a good network to ensure they contain it. You can make your own independent investigation or ask your correspondent in Ebonyi to give you feedback. Ebonyi should rank the safest place to live in now in Nigeria. It’s a destination point, if I can add that. My state is calm or can I say very calm and we don’t have problem because we sleep with our eyes closed. The truth is that the governor is doing very well and responding to critical issues. The governor is walking the talk, he is a very humble person, a subject to be studied in humility. He points the way to go and he leads the way.
When you say he (Gov. Nwifuru) is doing so well, it is a wide statement. Give us specifics on your claimed giant strides?
It is not a matter of claiming performance going by your question, rather it is a matter of facts that you can see, facts that you can confirm which are verifiable. The governor is doing well in all ramifications because he came with a manifesto and he is following it religiously. His manifesto on health he is following it, his manifesto on education he is following it, his manifesto on tourism he is following, on infrastructural development, name it, he is not relenting on any of them. And the people are happy with him. His manifesto: “The peoples charter of need” is being followed vigorously and judiciously and the people are getting good results.
So which area do you think the governor should also up attention…?
(Cut’s in) As I have told you, his performance as I speak to you is highly satisfactory to us, the people. Of course, his government has been just about seven months old, so he may not be carrying everything at the same time. There may be some projects they are preparing to undertake which we have to wait and see. You know quite well that seven months in office is not enough to adequately assess a government but what I can tell you for free is that so far, so good. It will be good to also get other people’s opinion on what the governor is doing and I am sure they will confirm what I am telling you. This government is on the right track. So far he (Gov. Nwifuru) is doing well and it’s a sign that he prepared himself for the job and committed to providing high quality service. He has paid all the gratuities and pensions that were in arrears. Some of them were dying of hunger before now but he has stepped in and those in that category are happy. I am aware that university subventions have been increased and our universities (State-owned) can now pay their staff and they are getting their promotions. Our lecturers are no longer running away, rather they are now being attracted to the state to come and teach. Everything is going according to plan and the government is focused. Look, in every aspect, the governor is soldiering on and the people are really happy. The governor’s mantra is on welfarism and in every aspect he is doing it.
But in Nigeria generally, there is hunger in the land and the economy is also affecting Ebonyi State or are you saying it is not?
You are still dragging me into the Nigerian situation which I said I do not want to talk about now because I do not have enough information or statistics on certain issues. Some of the things I may tell you will be on hear-say and I do not want such. I am discussing about Ebonyi confidently because I know that there is work in progress, and the state is now more of a construction centre because no sector is neglected. There is some information about Nigeria as I said earlier which I am hearing on the radio and on television and I cannot verify some of them. I am talking more about Ebonyi now because what I am saying is what I can defend. Even when you talk about the economy, we should not be focusing on the Federal Government all the time. We need to also investigate, interrogate or look at what the states are doing, what the local governments are doing etc. Let me tell you, the Federal Government is very far and we should also be beaming searchlight on the states and local governments because they get allocations from the centre. There is much they can also do because our own governor is activating and stimulating all sectors and achieving much within the short period. What he has done so far is worth-commending so that he can do more, knowing that the people are appreciating it. There are three tiers of government: federal, state and the local government and I think, we should stop focusing on the Federal Government alone. Both the state and local governments, all get allocations, so we should also start questioning and cross-examining them to see how they are using the money, or what they are performing with what they are getting.
How was the re-run election in Ebonyi State as there were reports of rigging?
Yes, election was conducted. We had one senatorial election which APC won landslide. APC won with wide margin and the election was peaceful. The people voted for their choice candidate. You know that the governor is doing well and he is also ensuring that those that won on the platform of the party are working out their manifesto. The last re-run election two weeks or so ago was conducted peacefully and the people voted for the man they know will deliver on his promises. You are living in Lagos if I am correct, are you still seeing Ebonyi children hawking everywhere in Lagos streets? The governor has mobilised them to come back and he is giving them good money for start-up businesses. He is giving them, some, N2million each and more. They will use N500k (Five hundred thousand to get a shop and N1.5million to stock it). Some governors give their people two hundred thousand naira for start-up, so can you compare that with what our governor is giving? This is a new down in the history of Ebonyi State. All our children that have been hawking in Lagos, Abuja, Onitsha etc, they are all back and are doing their businesses in the state, and in a way, helping to grow the state economy. For the governor to bring our children who have been running after vehicles to sell their markets back from the streets to come back to Ebonyi State to establish their businesses is effort worth-commending. Our children are no longer at different cities running after vehicles to sell groundnuts, and pure water, they are back to schools, they are back to doing business. Now our people are going outside to do their Master degrees, the degrees of their choice, courtesy, the state government. Let me give you this prediction: in the next one year, the Ebonyi economy will be different because it will massively grow. The people are developing opportunities and all this will positively affect the state economy to grow. The governor recently charged the agency collecting building taxes, tenement, in the state to double their efforts and charged them to also include his own building. That is leadership by example. His body language inspires people for hope, it gives solace. As at today, I can tell you that he has done well and I am not being political about it as I said earlier. So far, he has done well and Ebonyians are happy and excited with the leadership.
But given your pedigree as a former ambassador and minister, there is no way you cannot comment on national issues because you don’t need to be in Abuja to know what is happening in the country given your contacts…?
It is not that I do not want to comment on national issues but I want to talk when I have real facts. Of course, things are not quite well as one expects them to be but I also do not think that the government is folding its arms. Government is aware of all the critical issues that deserve attention, but I still think it may be too early for a good assessment to be done now. Even the best policies still take time to mature. I still think that Nigerians should be patient with the government at the centre. Globally, things are tough and any leadership that must survive and succeed must be focused and sincere with the people they lead. Nigeria is a great country and we have all it takes to build a great country.