Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Toochukwu Machiavelli Uzoh, has rejected claims that the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru is taking the state backwards ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Uzoh described the assertion that Ebonyi is on “auto reverse gear” as unsubstantiated, challenging critics of the Nwifuru administration to provide verifiable evidence to support their claims.
The commissioner made the position known in a statement while responding to growing political criticisms of the Ebonyi State Government as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, opposition and criticism are essential parts of democracy, but political arguments should be supported by facts, measurable outcomes and verifiable records rather than personal attacks.
Uzoh said developments across education, healthcare, road infrastructure, agriculture, ICT, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment and industrialisation demonstrate that Ebonyi has continued to make progress under Governor Nwifuru.
The commissioner said the administration’s development agenda is anchored on the People’s Charter of Needs, with interventions targeted at improving the welfare of workers, pensioners, youths, women and vulnerable residents across the state.
He highlighted the payment of pension and gratuity arrears dating as far back as 1996 as one of the administration’s major interventions.
Uzoh also pointed to overseas scholarships awarded to more than 1,000 Ebonyians pursuing master’s and PhD programmes, the construction of Smart Model Schools and the establishment of an ICT University as evidence of the government’s investment in education and human capital development.
On healthcare, the commissioner listed the renovation, upgrading and equipping of medical facilities, alongside the recruitment of healthcare professionals.
He said the state government had also improved the remuneration and welfare packages of resident doctors.
According to him, civil servants and approximately 200,000 other residents have been enrolled in the Ebonyi State health insurance programme as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare.
Uzoh further cited road construction as another area where the administration has made significant investments.
He said the government had embarked on road projects across the state, including the construction of at least two-kilometre roads in autonomous communities.
The commissioner claimed that more than 800 kilometres of rural and community roads had either been completed or initiated by the administration.
Among the major projects he mentioned were the 23-kilometre Stadium-Nwofe Road, 19-kilometre Obvudechi-Iziogo Road with a two-span bridge, Ebonyi Ring Road, New Mile 50 Road, Court Area-Okposi-Isinkwo-Ojigwe Road, Okebigwe-Nworie Road, Akanu Ibiam Road and Ndibe-Nkpoghoro Road.
The Nwifuru administration, according to Uzoh, has also invested in housing and resettlement initiatives targeting vulnerable residents.
He cited housing interventions for widows and indigent Ebonyians, as well as the construction of 140 housing units and more than 400 additional units for residents displaced by communal conflicts.
Uzoh also highlighted the government’s investment in digital infrastructure.
He said fibre-optic infrastructure had been deployed across Abakaliki and other parts of the state, while free internet services had been provided for students and public offices.
More than 2,000 Ebonyians, he added, had undergone advanced ICT training and obtained professional certifications.
The commissioner said the initiatives were intended to position Ebonyi to take advantage of opportunities in the digital economy.
On industrial development, Uzoh said the state government was pursuing the revitalisation of industries, including pipe production, hatchery and fertiliser factories.
He also highlighted the ongoing development of the Ebonyi State Industrial City in Ezzangbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area.
According to him, the industrial city is expected to serve as a major hub for manufacturing, technology, logistics and export-oriented businesses.
The commissioner also highlighted government interventions targeting young people and the agricultural sector.
He said 200 Ebonyi youths who received training at CSS Farms in Gora, Nasarawa State, were each provided with N5 million in start-up capital, amounting to a total intervention of N1 billion.
Another 300 youths trained in areas including rice production, fishery, poultry and piggery reportedly received N3 million each.
Uzoh added that 500 Ebonyians received N2 million business grants, while another 1,500 youths were given N1 million each to support their businesses and livelihoods.
He said the strategy was designed to combine vocational training with access to capital and economic opportunities.
Uzoh argued that economic development cannot thrive without peace and security, noting that investors, farmers and businesses require a stable environment to operate.
He therefore challenged those accusing the Nwifuru administration of taking Ebonyi backwards to identify specific areas where they believed the state had regressed.
He asked critics to provide evidence of abandoned projects, failed policies, declining development indicators or sectors they believed had collapsed under the present administration.
“Criticism is healthy in a democracy, but it should be constructive,” the commissioner said, stressing that political disagreements should be supported by evidence.
Uzoh maintained that the administration’s interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, ICT, industrialisation and human capital development contradict claims that Ebonyi is moving backwards.
As political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum, Uzoh said he would mobilise support for the re-election of Governor Francis Nwifuru and President Bola Tinubu.
He urged political actors and commentators to focus their campaigns on policies, programmes, achievements and issues affecting the people rather than personal attacks.
The commissioner maintained that residents should assess the Nwifuru administration based on its projects, policies and measurable impact across Ebonyi State.
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