GOVERNOR UMAHI'S MID-TERM ASSESSMENT: WHOSE REPORT SHALL WE BELIEVE?
As the echoes of the mid-term anniversary of Governor David Nweze Umahi, the third democratically elected governor of Ebonyi state, refuse to die, it is necessary to take more than a cursory look at the reports of Umahi's performances as given by both biased and unfair commentators on one hand as well as fair and balanced commentators on the other hand; and juxtapose the different reports with verifiable facts on ground with a view to guiding the unwary citizenry of Ebonyi state, nay Nigerians, to wholesome, undiluted truth about the performances of a governor who has become a positive puzzle for onlookers for the past two years he has been on the saddle in Ebonyi state.
The opposition All Progressive Congress are divided in their opinion on the performances of Governor Umahi in Ebonyi state. For an unlawful splinter group in Ebonyi state chapter of APC, Governor Umahi has done nothing in Ebonyi state other than to build overhead bridges and roads because he is a civil engineer and in order to collect refunds from the Federal Government; build water fountains at roundabouts even when Ebonyians "have no water to drink"; put "disco lights" at roundabouts and under the Akanu Ibiam overhead bridge in order to divert attention from his misrule even as Ebonyi people starve; levy heavy taxation on Ebonyi traders and run a government of exclusion devoid of freedom of speech!
On the other hand, the leadership of the APC at both the federal and Ebonyi state levels as well as apolitical professionals and professional bodies like NUJ see Governor Umahi as "an icon of good governance whose style of delivering good governance in Ebonyi state deserves to be emulated by other governors in Nigeria"; to Ebonyi State Council of Traditional Rulers and Ebonyi state Forum of Town Unions, Umahi is "Ugo Chinyeru 1" [a rare gift from God to Ebonyi people]; to majority of Ebonyi citizenry spread across political, religious and tribal divides, Umahi is by all standards a true "Ebonyi Statesman"; to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, "this Governor (Umahi) is a doer, an achiever"; to the APC - led Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Umahi is "Nigeria's Agricultural revolution Ambassador"; while according to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Awkbright, "Ebonyi roads" built by Umahi under the most inclement economic recession "are the best"!
At this juncture, it is pertinent to ask like was done in Isaiah 53:1: "Whose report shall we believe?
Notwithstanding the plethora of encomia pouring in from all directions over Governor Umahi's mid-term report card in Ebonyi state, permit me to subject the isolated attack of the Umahi administration by the splinter group of the local chapter of APC to further investigation by juxtaposing it to verifiable facts on the ground of Ebonyi state to see if there is any merit in it. I say this because like we saw in Numbers 13:30 there could be merit in isolated or minority reports. This is enough to say that like Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar, "I have not come to praise" Governor Umahi but to witness for the truth about his performances in Ebonyi state! We shall examine the issues raised in their criticism one after the other.
In all political climes, the relevance of a candidate's area of competence to the society is always in issue during campaigns. Until Umahi took the saddle as governor of Ebonyi state, the conditions of the few available roads were terrible. It is true that Governor Umahi is a civil engineer and that he has reconstructed/rehabilitated 44 roads that make up the internal road network in Abakaliki metropolis; Umahi has completed the Akanu Ibiam overhead bridge as well as one pederstrian crossover bridge at EBSU gate and is constructing two other overhead bridges along the Trans-saharan highway as well as internal road networks in Onueke and Afikpo urban areas. Umahi has equally intervened in three federal roads with a total distance of 54.5 kilometers. This is in addition to countless virgin roads being built in new towns and layouts at the outskirts of Abakaliki and across the 13 council areas!
Hear Mr. Igube Eze, a teacher who rides on a motorcycle: "The former governor banned motorcycles along the double lanes but did not create alternative routes; but with what Governor Umahi has done in the road sector, one can connect any part of the town without recourse to the double lanes."
The build-and-refund intervention arrangement in the road sector between the federal and state governments has been on for more than a decade with the full consent of the National Council on Works. The previous administrations in Ebonyi, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kaduna, Rivers, Crossriver among other states keyed into it and have continued to be involved in it. So, Umahi's involvement in it at this perilous economic weather deserves commendations. Above all, Umahi's interventions in federal roads constitutes less than 5% of the massive road projects he is doing in Ebonyi state! It suffices that even though some of the overhead bridges are yet to be completed, they have ended the incessant accidents and loss of lives previously recorded at their respective locations: They are life-savers and more!
On the issue of water and water fountains, one could recall that the past administration began mega-water project at Oferekpe for which several billions of naira was borrowed. This project took the attention of the past administration away from the existing Ezzilo, Uburu and Abakaliki water schemes which were neglected and allowed to detriorate. Unfortunately, at hand-over time in 2015, Oferekpe water project was not completed while the Ezillo, Uburu and Abakaliki water schemes were in bad shape. In other words, Umahi took over a "waterless" Ebonyi state on 29th May 2015. Umahi went to work rehabilitating the Ezzilo, Uburu and Abakaliki water schemes amidst power and other challenges, following up on the Oferekpe water scheme, replacing moribund asbestors and galvernized iron pipes with modern high density polyethylene pipes; and drilling boreholes in sore areas like the Federal Teaching Hospitals, the general hospitals and so on to make-up for the water shortages arising from the aforestated scenario. It is cheering news that the Oferekpe water scheme was handed over to Ebonyi State Government on Thursday, 8th June, 2017 [two days ago]! With that, the water problem in Ebonyi state is half-solved pending the completion of re - laying of pipes for the purpose earlier mentioned.
The new face of Ebonyi state which Governor Umahi is building will fail standard modernity test if aesthetics and general beautification like ornamental lights, landscaping, the water fountains et cetera are omitted. The streetlights and ornamental lights, apart from aesthetic roles, also aid security and traffic. Its ambiance is recreational and adds to the tourist attractions of Abakaliki.
It is on record that Governor Umahi is the first governor in the history of Ebonyi state to run a "stomach infrastructure" program which highlights includes the involvement of over 250 youths and women in governance as Senior Technical Assistants and Technical Assistants, the empowerment of each of 170 elders and widows drawn from across the state with the sum of one hundred thousand naira only, payment of stipends to widows and salaries for 85 physically challenged persons, building modern bungalows for 172 widows, construction and allocation of cost-free shops to traders in Akanu Ibiam overhead bridge, paying workers salaries as well as bonuses known as 13th month salaries promptly, empowerment of each of 2400 hawkers with the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand naira only to enable them to either trade or farm et cetera. Through his agricultural revolution, Umahi has upgraded farming into a profitable venture and thereby opened a vista of additional income to Ebonyi workers. With all these, it cannot be said that Ebonyi people starve under Umahi's administration!
The current economic recession made upward review of taxes imperative as witnessed in all states including Ebonyi. However, the recent statistics released by the Federal Office of Statistics showing that Ebonyi state is at the bottom row of Internally - Generated Revenue chart is proof that in Ebonyi taxes are moderate. Governor Umahi's administration has a "rainbow" executive council made up of his supporters from all over the state and a sizable number of those who opposed his Guber project in 2015. Governor Umahi is a listening governor who tolerates criticism more than any governor in the history of Ebonyi state. Under Umahi, every member of the opposition party has metamorphosed into a critic, social crusader and "the voice of the voiceless" who peddle lies and rumours about Umahi's administration. Yet Governor Umahi extends hearty regards as well as festival hampers to them periodically. For the first time in Ebonyi state [and unlike the APC - led federal government], government projects are sited without regard to the voting pattern of the targeted beneficiaries!
From the foregoing, it suffices to say that the minority report of the splinter APC group in Ebonyi state is incorrect because it is a product of bias which is at variance with the situation on ground in Ebonyi state! The unanimous positive reports of Ebonyi masses who wear the shoe of Governor Umahi's administration as well as former President Obasanjo and Mr. Awkbright which were nothing more than honest assessments devoid of envy and bias should be believed!
It is well with Ebonyi state!
