Some indigenes of Ebonyi state, on the platform of Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID), has urged the federal government to withhold further funding for road projects in Ebonyi state, citing what it described as a clear failure of accountability by Governor Francis Nwifuru and Minister of Works David Umahi.
The group issued the warning in a statement on Tuesday signed by its President Worldwide, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, following reports that the All Progressives Congress-led federal government plans to release an additional N248 billion for road infrastructure in the state.
Vice President Kashim Shettima had disclosed the planned projects during an APC rally at the Pa Oruta Ngele Township Stadium in Abakaliki. The projects listed include the dualisation of the Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja Road, improvements to the Onueke–Ezza corridor and the Okposi–Amasiri Road among others.
AEISCID said it is not opposed to federal road interventions in the state, noting that Ebonyi and other South East states had suffered neglect under previous administrations. However, the association expressed deep concern over what it called growing unaccountability in the use of public funds by both the governor and the minister.
“We have a deeply growing concern over the growing unaccountability in the utilization of funds by both the Governor who has failed to complete any single project in nearly 4 years in office and the loquacious Minister of Works, David Umahi who has also been accused of lack of openness and transparency in the execution of federal projects across the Nigerian State,” the statement read.
The group pointed out that despite receiving hundreds of billions of naira in federal allocations since 2023, the Nwifuru administration had no completed project ready for commissioning during the recent visit by the Vice President and APC leaders.
AEISCID accused the governor of awarding contracts mainly to settle family members, friends, cronies and political stakeholders while rural communities continue to suffer. It specifically rejected the claim by Nwifuru at the rally that he had completed more than 1,000 kilometres of roads, including 2km roads in every community across the 13 local government areas.
“We challenge him to provide credible evidence of completion of these roads as we are aware that majority of the projects have been long abandoned and the contractors off the site. The few done are so poorly executed that they are already wearing off,” the association stated.
It added that many rural communities, including villages in the governor’s Izzi area, remain cut off, with residents struggling to access their farms and homes during the rainy season.
The group also turned its attention to Minister David Umahi, raising concerns over the abandoned Ndibe-Beach bridge linking Ebonyi to Cross River State in Afikpo. It recalled reports in which Umahi had linked the project’s continuation to political support for the APC in 2027.
“Amenities and basic infrastructure provision like the bridge is a right not a privilege and we caution against its abandonment for politics or any reason for that matter,” AEISCID said.
The association concluded that both Umahi and Nwifuru had demonstrated unaccountability and unfaithfulness in managing resources already received from the Tinubu administration. It warned that releasing another N248 billion through the same channels would only lead to further waste and possible diversion of funds.
“There is no need whatsoever for the same FG to earmark another whopping N248BN for projects through the same grossly unaccountable channels.
“The government must therefore avoid such terrible waste as the resources would definitely be diverted probably as campaign slush funds,” the statement added.