September 01, (THEWILL) – A former gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State, Chief Elias Mbam, has warned the people of Izzi extraction to stop seeing the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, as their brother.
He spoke at the Grand finale of the 2024 edition of Izzi Nnodo New Yam Festival (Ojiji) at Amagu, the ancestral home of Izzi Nnodo.
Mbam, who was the Chairman of the event, commended Governor Nwifuru for embarking on projects that have positive impacts on the people.
“If you look at this government, you all agree with me that this government is doing well in line with its manifestos.
“I want all contractors, all appointees of the Governor of Izzi extraction to shun nepotism. They should stop seeing the Governor as their brother. Such mindsets are harmful, please desist.
“We will resist every attempt to sabotage this government. We must support this government because it is our government,” he said
Speaking at the event, Governor Nwifuru commended the people of the Izzi clan for holding tenaciously to their culture. He observed the rich cultures of Izzi have distinguished them from others and called for its sustenance.
“Today is the great Ojiji Day, a new yam festival celebration that offers deep insight into the context of the distinguished identity, rich heritage and cultural nuances of my Izzi people,” he said.
The Governor emphasised the importance of the event, saying: “This special occasion is a testament to our rich cultural heritage and our people’s unwavering commitment to our agelong tradition.”
He used the occasion to task contractors to ensure timely completion of projects, warning that there will be no sacred cow when contractors renege on project agreements
“I have directed the Commissioner for Housing to go after those that have not completed their projects in Izzo and Amaeze Autonomous Communities.
“It is annoying that as a government we will award contracts, only for contractors to be found wanting. We will not tolerate this. We have given a grace of 60 days to complete all awarded projects. We have road projects spread across the 13 council areas.
“I have directed the SSAs and SAs to go round and monitor ongoing projects in their respective zones. Sadly, we are getting reports of some contractors not reporting to sites. This is totally unacceptable. Upon the expiration of this grace, we will go after them,” he added.
The Governor frowned at the indiscriminate sale of lands in the ancestral communities of Amagu and Ebiya by some youths, describing it as sacrilege and challenging elders and traditional rulers to checkmate it.
The event was attended by prominent sons and daughters of Izzi.
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
