Uchenna Nnajiofor Ibiam is the chairman of Afikpo local government area of Ebonyi state. In this interview with PAUL OKAH, he assesses the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Francis Ogbonnia Nwifuru of Ebonyi state, insecurity in the LGA, among others.
You’ve spent more than one year in office; what has been the experience so far?
I thank God for marking over one year in office. It has been so eventful, full of challenges, but we were able to overcome them. We have done marvelously well. I can’t quite enumerate what we have done because it’s very big. After celebration of the achievements in my one year in office, it was viral that I was interviewed by many media houses. In fact, during an online poll conducted by a media organisation, I emerged the Best Local Government Area Chairman in Nigeria. I received the award at Transcorp Hilton.
We have achieved a lot within a short time. When we came into the office, we were lacking many things. We had dilapidated rural roads. We had to work on opening up the roads. We had to laterite the roads. When there was a cholera outbreak in Akpoha, which claimed several lives, we swooped in and arrested the situation. We discovered that the cause of the cholera outbreak was as a result of lack of potable water. Many of them were drinking from ponds and all that. Also, the former governor and present minister of works was very proactive. Immediately after the outbreak, he swung into action. Presently, we have up to four solar boreholes in Akpoha. We have access to safe drinking water and we plan to do more.
How are you handling the issue of insecurity in Afikpo?
We have done quite a lot in the area of insecurity. The vigilante groups are well equipped with vehicles and security gadgets. I can proudly tell you that Afikpo LGA has the lowest crime rate in the whole of Ebonyi. It is not as if we don’t have crimes, but because of our proactive nature. Because of the way we tackle security issues, it’s very minimal. There is no month that we don’t call two or three security meetings, where stakeholders will be invited. We interact and because of our proactive nature, we’ve been able to reduce crime to the barest minimum.
So, we have done quite a lot. My philosophy is that there is nothing greater than peace. Before you think of securing your area, you need absolute peace. To the glory of God, we have done that. Before the 2023 general elections, we distributed over 40 sienna vehicles to our youths. We did it to empower them, not for political reasons. Majority of them are now into transportation, while some are running their private businesses with the vehicles. We also distributed over 100 motorcycles to youths. I think one of the reasons the crime rate in Ehugbo is low is because our empowerment is targeted at youths.
With regards to health, we have been able to register 120 families with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). They are accessing free medical care at the Centre of Hope Hospital here in Afikpo. We will do more this year.
What motivated you to complete the Afikpo LGA Plaza started by your predecessors?
I so much believe that the government is a continuum. If you look at the plaza, it is a multi-million naira project. I wasn’t comfortable with the way it was abandoned by my predecessors. So, when I came on board, I told my team that it is one of the projects we will embark on, that as I am handling other projects, we must complete the plaza. This is because we need to decongest the Ahia Eke Ukwu or Ehugbo market.
How are you tackling the perennial light issues in Afikpo?
In all fairness, the immediate past governor tried. He did everything he could to restore the light. There is this ongoing power plant in Amasiri. They are tracing the light from Nkaliki and from what EEDC said, before Easter, they must have connected us to the power plant. That will solve the light issue affecting Afikpo people.
What is your assessment of Governor Nwifuru’s administration?
To be honest, the present government has started very well. That’s why our subordinates are very happy with him. He is making us to work more. He came and cleared all the backlogs of pension arrears. He paid pensions, he paid gratuities. The backlog is not just from the immediate past administration. It’s been like that for 16 years. He paid everyone. He has done so well in terms of human capital development and people are so happy.
What about human capital devt as the former governor was criticised in that aspect?
His Excellency has started on a good note and one thing you should know about human beings is that they are insatiable. He will do his beat and people will still turn around and say he didn’t do anything in infrastructure. If he does infrastructure, they will say stomach infrastructure is not attended to.
Just like I said before, people are now over dependent on the government. Nobody wants to do anything again. I mean, there is no comparison in these two regimes. If the former governor did so much in infrastructure without looking the other way, the present governor has started looking the other way so that it can balance.
So, I don’t think there should be a cause to complain for now. Bear in mind that human beings are insatiable. I will advise the governor to be steadfast. The rumors will come. Ebonyians love him. He should be focused and turn to God. God guides. We are just mere mortals and instruments used by God. He should keep the fire burning and by the time he spends a year or two years in office, even those who are not supporting him will come around and appreciate what he has done. I am an insider and I can tell you that the governor of Ebonyi state loves Ebonyi and there are so many good things he wants to do for Ebonyi.
What’s your assessment of President Tinubu’s government so far?
As a result of what I see on ground, I believe President Tinubu means well for Nigerians. I am not saying it because I am an APC person. We are facing the hardship of fuel subsidy removal, but remember it is going to be temporal. It is just going to be for some time. Now, the money accruing from the fuel subsidies was shared to the state equally. The first batch was two billion Naira; the second batch was four or two billion. Every state got their share to provide palliatives. If he doesn’t mean well for Nigeria, if he saves that money, he will use it for another thing. He wants that money to get to the masses, that’s why he passed through the governors. And the governors on their own brought it down to the grassroots.
Like in Ebonyi, you will see a lot of our luxury buses taking people to and from work free of charge, courtesy of the president’s palliative. The governor, out of the palliative, has empowered over 1,000 Ebonyians. What I am saying in essence is that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well for this country. However, you know that, most times, you may mean well, but people implementing it at the lower level may mess you up.
I believe that with the right people at the local level, his policies will be stepped down. So, we will just wait and see. It is just a matter of time. Between now and the first quarter of this year, we will all see that he means well for our country.
What’s your new year message to Nigerians?
An average Nigerian is very resilient in nature. We have passed through a lot and we have always come out stronger. They should look at the brighter side of life. The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is real. I can authoritatively tell you that between now and the first quarter of this year, prices of fuel will go up. This is because Warri and Port Harcourt refineries have started working. This January, they will start working in full capacity. When that happens, we can now be refining what we are using locally. What is making fuel so expensive is the cost of exporting our crude oil, refining and bringing it back. By the time we start doing this locally, I believe everything will stabilise and the price of the dollar will crash. We should always pray for our leaders. That is what the Bible says. Believe me, a better future awaits us.
