Ebonyi: Don’t release more funds to Nwifuru, Umahi — Diaspora group warns FG

The Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) has urged the Federal Government to suspend plans to release an additional N248 billion for road projects in Ebonyi State, citing alleged lack of accountability by Governor Francis Nwifuru and Minister of Works, David Umahi.

The group said the proposed funding could be wasted if the government failed to establish effective mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability in the execution of the projects.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima had reportedly announced the planned allocation at the All Progressives Congress, APC, rally held at Pa Oruta Ngele Township Stadium in Abakaliki.

The projects are expected to include the dualisation of the Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja Road, improvements to the Onueke–Ezza corridor and the Okposi–Amasiri Road, among others.

However, in a statement signed by its president worldwide, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, AEISCID said it was not opposed to federal infrastructure projects in the state but expressed concern over what it described as poor accountability in the management of public funds.

The association accused the Nwifuru administration of failing to complete major projects nearly four years after assuming office, despite receiving substantial federal allocations.

It also accused the governor of awarding contracts to family members, friends and political associates, while residents of the state continued to grapple with poverty and inadequate infrastructure.

AEISCID further challenged Nwifuru to provide evidence to support his claim at the rally that his administration had completed more than 1,000 kilometres of roads, including two-kilometre roads in communities across the state’s 13 local government areas.

The group alleged that many of the projects had been abandoned, with contractors leaving construction sites, while some of the completed roads were already deteriorating because of poor execution.

It said several rural communities, particularly in Izzi Local Government Area, remained difficult to access during the rainy season, leaving residents unable to reach their farms and homes.

The association also criticised Umahi over the alleged abandonment of the Ndibe Beach Bridge project in Afikpo, which is expected to link Ebonyi State with Cross River State.

It claimed that work on the bridge had stopped and contractors had left the site.

AEISCID recalled reports that Umahi had threatened to abandon the project if residents of the area failed to vote for the APC in the 2027 general elections.

The group described the alleged threat as unacceptable, insisting that residents had the constitutional right to support candidates of their choice without being denied public infrastructure.

It said the provision of roads, bridges and other basic amenities was a responsibility of government and should not be tied to political support.

The association alleged that both Nwifuru and Umahi had failed accountability tests in the management of public resources and warned that releasing another N248 billion through what it described as the same channels could lead to further waste.

It also accused the two officials of prioritising flyover projects for alleged diversion of public funds, rather than addressing the infrastructure needs of rural communities.

AEISCID urged the Federal Government to ensure that any additional funding for Ebonyi’s road projects was subjected to strict monitoring and transparent implementation, warning against the possible diversion of the money for political campaigns.