The Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Francis Nwifuru, is said to have recorded another monumental achievement by sending 204 youths of his state on scholarship to Europe. The beneficiaries reportedly departed yesterday.
Aside from the 204 persons sent to Europe on scholarship by the Governor, 541 others were said to have been sent to Nigeria universities with all expenses paid by the Ebonyi State government.
The governor who said that he is on a mission to transform, reposition and take the state to greater heights, also disclosed that 8000 Ebonyi people will benefit from the scholarship programme before the end of his tenure.
Reacting to the development, a cross section of Imo people who expressed delight at Governor Nwifuru’s giant strides and benevolence wondered why the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma who publicly announced that his administration had concluded arrangement to send 4000 youths of the State to different European countries where they will be gainfully employed has been silent since then without fulfilling his orchestrated promise.
A retired civil servant who simply identified himself as Chief Eke said, “It is very disappointing that Governor Uzodinma who used the publicly promised to secure 4000 European jobs for Imo youths is yet to actualize his promise, while Governor Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has silently recorded a monumental achievement that will guarantee the socio-economic future of Ebonyi State when the beneficiaries of his scholarship programme will start contributing their quota to societal growth and development.”
Others who spoke in the same vein, said, “it is ridiculous and demeaning for the governor of a state to come out before the world and make such a promise without fulfilling it while his fellow governor has silently achieved a similar feat without prior publicity or announcement. Even if his, was a gimmick aimed at scoring cheap political points, he should have fulfilled the promise, especially now that the gimmick has produced the desired result which is his second term in office. Anything short of that amounts to deceit which is not good for his image because it will remain a reference point for a very long time.”
