From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Former Chairman, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Chief Elias Mbam was a 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ebonyi State.
Since after the elections, he moved on with his private life making many to think that he was not supporting Governor Francis Nwifuru who won the election.
But the former Minister of State for Finance and former Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport in Ebonyi State opened up recently on various issues.
You are aware of happenings in Ebonyi State. Do you think that the government is addressing the needs of the state?
I have followed the government’s programmes and activities and I strongly believe that the governor is addressing the needs of the people. Indeed, I rate the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru very high. He has done very well in many sectors. The governor is running an inclusive administration. He has made every Ebonyian to feel that they are a part of his administration irrespective of where you come from and your party. And so, politics is gone and we are now on governance and everybody is invited. That action has promoted peace, progress and unity in the state. If you have a state function now, you will find that leaders of different parties will be participating in the function and they feel at home; nobody is discriminated against. So, the governor has done very well in so many areas. In human capital development, he has done tremendously well. I know there was a time he gave out N1bn and empowered so many people who are hawkers at different towns in the country. Each of the beneficiaries was given N2million. The way he is managing the civil servants is superb. It is assisting him to implement his policies, civil servants are happy with him. I know that during the Christmas time, he gave out N100,000 to each of them and he has given them salary award and has been paying them extra N20,000 in their monthly emoluments. The governor has cleared pension and gratuities of retired workers from 1996 when the state was created to 2023. He has also done well in the areas of education. I know that he reduced the tuition fees of students of Ebonyi State University to encourage our people to go to school; he increased the salaries of academic staff and non-academic staff. And now, he has commenced construction of 39 special model secondary schools across the state; three in each of the 13 local government areas. He has also given scholarship to 1,000 graduates to go overseas for their postgraduate degrees. In the area of infrastructure, he constructed over 54km of internal roads and 600km of rural roads are ongoing right now. He has revitalized the fertilizer blending plant, the hatchery company and pipe production company and customers are already waiting to buy pipes there because the company has started production.
In the health sector, Governor Nwifuru employed about 200 staff, doctors and para-medical staff and equipped the 13 general hospitals across the state, bought ambulances for them and he is paying doctors in the hospitals extra N150,000. He bought vehicles for all the doctors. So, the governor has prepared the ground for other developments and progress in our dear state. So, that is how I see what he has done.
Do you think that there are areas the governor should improve on?
Certainly yes, certainly! He needs to improve much on monitoring those things he has put in place in the state. He has started some works and some of them are still in progress. He is undertaking to build the ICT University; he should ensure that project is realized. He needs to monitor all his projects to ensure quality, he needs more experts to monitor and advise him on the progress of work. He needs to ensure that all these his good ideas that he has started, are completed successfully.
You have enumerated many areas the governor has done well. However, looking at the recent demolition at the Vanco axis of Ogoja Road in Abakaliki metropolis, some people have come heavily on the administration on what is happening there. Do you think that Ebonyi is ripe for such developmental project that warrants the demolition of existing infrastructures along the corridors in this magnitude?
I will rather apologize that I don’t have detailed information about what has happened there. In other words, I need to know what the governor intends to do more than hearsay. I don’t have enough information on what has happened there. Remember every town has a master plan, I don’t know what is in the master plan around that area. I don’t know what he intends to do with the place in detail. So, I am handicapped. It is when I have that information that I will be able to say well, based on this, this is right or not right for this because I also heard that he has promised to pay compensation to all those that their properties were affected. I don’t want to rely on hearsay.
You aspired to be the governor of the state in 2023 when Nwifuru who is your cousin was also running in the same APC and it seems you abandoned your supporters and have not been seen around in the state and his administration. You are now praising the governor; did he approach you for support?
First of all, I didn’t abandon my supporters. I came to my campaign office after the primaries, invited my supporters and addressed them. I told them the reality on the ground and my position.
I told them that I wasn’t going to change party but anybody who feels strong, I will not stop the person. I undertook to continue to support the party which I did and rose to the level of a Director in the Presidential Campaign Council. I was a Director of Support Groups, South East. I always wish that my people move from the level where we are to the next level. I am a primary beneficiary of Ebonyi and so, I need to pay back to the people and I don’t think that paying back is by bringing crisis. Whatever would push people or anyone to crisis, I avoided it. We have finished politics; we are now into governance and I am an elder statesman. You don’t carry things beyond a certain level. If the governor wasn’t doing well, I would walk straight to him, I won’t even wait a minute to start shouting it out, I would tell him he was not doing well. So, there is nothing like overture or anything. His works and approach to governance are clear and he deserves to be supported. I have interest in my state to develop and I will encourage him to do that. If your brother is not disappointing you, why shouldn’t you support him?
What is life like after leaving office as Chairman of Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission and what has it taught you?
Life after leaving office? Well, you are on your own after leaving office, you are just on your own but it depends on how you make it. If every day, you start complaining, lamenting -Nawa o, I didn’t know that Okafor is like this o, he doesn’t even answer my calls, is it because I am no more in office?, then you will be in trouble but when you take life as it comes, ah, maybe he is busy, he didn’t answer my calls, life goes on and you will find out that some other person might answer your calls and you will be contented with what you have and manage it to the best of your ability and keep looking young. This is what is keeping some of us, it’s not ingratitude. I am happy with myself. I try to reduce problems, to be happy at all times, I avoid troubles, I move along. Whatever you see, you manage it. If you think you will retain the same seat you occupy when you leave office, you are making great mistake. I was the Chairman of Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission. It wasn’t Elias Mbam that they were respecting, it was that seat. If you leave that seat and put a rat there, that rat will attract the same respect. If you are carrying that Chairman to wherever you are going, my brother you will never be happy but if you leave the seat there and Elias Mbam moves, Elias will be happy with himself. So, life as they used to say is challenging but it depends on what you make it to be.