By Raphael Ekpang
Senator Peter Nwebonyi representing Ebonyi North at the 10th National Assembly has attributed the steady development in Ebonyi State to efforts made by the successive leaders (Governors) of the state, who saw it as an onus to contribute their sincere quota to the development of the state.
Nwebonyi in an exclusive chat with Core Reporters said Ebonyi being a young state was backwards in the last twenty years, but now the state is competing with other states in terms of; education, infrastructure, social welfare among others.
He noted, the development of Ebonyi started under the leadership of Senator Sam Egwu as the then governor who introduced free education in the state, a situation that lifted the state educationally beyond boundary.
He said, “In my state we are blessed with good leaders, starting from Sam Egwu, Martin Elechi, David Umahi and the current governor of the state, Francis Nwifuru
“Well, actually, we were backward educationally 20 years back, but I must tell you, going by the effort made by our successive leaders starting from Senator Sam Egwu who gave us a free education, followed by Martin Elechi and been amplified by the immediate past governor, His Excellency David Umahi, Ebonyi state of yesterday is different from today’s own.
“In the area of education, we are above so many states, so if you talk of infrastructure, we are number two, if not number one because of the leaders we’ve had in the past. And the most commended sitting governor of the state Lindsey Francis who is following the steps of his predecessor in terms of infrastructure development, in terms of social welfare of the people, in terms of ensuring quality education for children. I must say that Ebonyi state is blessed, because we’ve always had good leaders who are committed in seeing the development of their people and the state at large,” he said.
On the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences Bill. He noted that the bill just passed second reading and was referred to the committee or tertiary institution, saying that the committee is working assiduously on it.
According to him, the university has been in existence, having been established by the law of Ebonyi state and following the then President, Muhammadu Buhari’s taking over pronouncement when he visited the state.
” Federal Government taking over the university, i believed it was a very good step taken by President Buhari to encourage the young state. And as I’m speaking to you now, that university is one of the best universities not just in Nigeria, but the entire Africa in terms of infrastructure, in terms of commitment of lecturers towards the students, in terms of medical equipment and in the teaching hospital aspect of the university. So it’s a welcome development, and I believe that in no time, Mr. president will give assent, to give it the necessary legal framework to operate as one of discerns universities in Nigeria.
Though, Nwebonyi admitted that maintenance culture has been a bane in Africa and Nigeria in particular, but insisted the university will remain in good shape saying, ” I must tell you, from the successive leaders we’re getting, I believe that their story will change, and more so as parliament its also our duty to follow up to make sure that the spirit of maintenance is really inculcated into our public system through our oversight functions, which we’re doing very well now.”
The federal lawmaker also spoke about the proposed South East Development Commission Bill, which he said was long overdue. He have references to the end of civil war where the government promised the region the three ‘Rs’ Reconstruction, Rebuilding and Rehabilitation but, he lamented despite the promise, the government has done little or nothing to fulfill it’s promised.
“Let me start by saying that South East commission is long overdue, Okay. Remember that after the civil war the federal government came up with the three R’s; Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Rebuilding, but the South is supposed to have a big share of that program. But unfortunately, nothing happened in the southeast Nigeria. We, on our own, trying to rehabilitate, reconstruct and rebuild without federal government intervention anywhere instead you can see some in Lagos, and other parts of the southern Nigeria where they were not affected by the war.”
“So I believe that this bill is aimed at addressing those lapses. And outside that recently, you can see that the SE is under heavy attacks by men of under world; bandits, Kidnappers, Herdsmen among others. And with these we are recording a lot of losses; loss of lives and damage to properties hence the need to reconstruct, rebuild and rehabilitate the SE,
