The Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr Francis Nwifuru, says the refusal by the people of the South East to join the national protests should be seen by government officials as a wake-up call to sit up in the provision of democracy dividends.
Gov Nwifuru stated this on Sunday during a church service at the Government House Chapel, Abakaliki.
Rather than take the honour of not joining the protests by the youths for granted, government officials should see it as a period of grace for them to do more in governance to avoid a total shutdown, said the governor.
He called on local government chairmen and coordinators of development centres in the state to embark on projects that would have direct bearing on the people.
In his words, “They didn’t protest because we are perfect. They gingered us to do more. It’s a challenge for us government officials to ensure we do more.
“This protest is an atom of what we should expect tomorrow. If care is not taken, there may be a total shutdown. If you are a coordinator or a local government chairman and lives in Abakaliki and you hardly go to the village, you don’t expect people to follow you. You must work for the interest of the people. Our youths need your attention.
“As a coordinator, you should be doing a project not less than N10m monthly, and chairmen are supposed to be doing a project of not less than N20m every month.
“You reside in Abakaliki because the governor gave you a conducive environment, why can’t you get back to the village and do the same thing.?
Nwifuru warned those sabotaging the government’s contract in their various localities to stop forthwith. He urged town unions and other key arms of the community development process to supervise jobs in their areas in line with government’s specifications.
Our correspondent reports that the 10-day-hunger protests planned nationwide to express Nigerians’ dissatisfaction with some of the federal government’s economic policies did not have much impact in the South East. One of such policies is the removal of fuel subsidies which triggered economic hardship among Nigerians.