President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr. Mustapha Isah, at the weekend, said Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state is the David that has conquered the Goliath of under-development in his state.
Isah who spoke at a cocktail which had in attendance the deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, after a battery of editors undertook a tour of some of the projects executed by the Umahi government, described the governor as “a David who conquered the Goliath of underdevelopment in Ebonyi state.”
The tour of duty took editors to several local government areas through sturdy roads built with a combination of local contractors and direct labour, roads built with concrete and in some cases a mix of concrete overlaid with asphalt.
The tour also took editors to the Ebonyi International Airport currently in advanced stage of completion with what should stand out as the widest and longest runway in Nigeria.
The highpoint of the tour was the newly commissioned and now-admitting King David University of Medical Sciences, an all-medical science university built to world class standard and equipped with state-of-the art medical equipment that would boost medical tourism in the state.
The university, also built by local contractors and direct labour, is not only an architectural marvel, it has the potential to end capital flight among Nigerians who seek medical treatment abroad as its ultra-modern teaching hospital, complete with digitally-enabled medical equipment, would soon commence services to the public.
Mr Isah, while commenting of the transformation of Ebonyi, declared that Governor Umahi, a civil engineer by profession, is eminently qualified to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
He described the governor as a performer who deployed the little available resources to achieve great things far beyond what other governors with higher revenue receipts achieved.
The NGE was on a two-day working visit in the state.
He commended Umahi for embarking on legacy projects that would impact the socio-economic lives of the people especially the poor, rural folks.
Governor Umahi is one of the front runners for the APC Presidential ticket in the 2023 elections.
Isah cautioned Nigerian electorate: “This is the time for us to ask the right questions for us to get it right in 2023. So, all of us including the media should play a critical role in asking questions to the aspirants and maybe later, the candidates, otherwise, we are doomed.
All of us are here and we have seen what he has done; and for a Governor to embark on this kind of projects, it’s not easy and we should give kudos to such a Governor. I know what it takes to erect this type of bridge (referring to the bridge at Edda, which hitherto was a death track in the state). I believe that when completed it’s going to open up this place to more economic activities.
“I understand that this road leads to Abia and Cross River states. We give kudos to the Governor. We have seen other projects he has done. I think he is finishing strong. And this project (Edda Bridge) costs about N3 billion and it’s by direct labour, not through any foreign contractor. I’m sure if it were some other states, they will be quoting incredible figures.”
Then he dropped a poser to the aspirants: “If you say you will create one million jobs if elected president of Nigeria, how many jobs have you created in your state? This is the time for us to ask the right questions for us to get it right in 2023.”
The deputy Governor, Dr. Igwe, threw a challenge to the media: “Now you have come, you have seen, please go tell the world what you saw.”
Igwe said: “Here in Ebonyi, we are lucky and blessed to have a pragmatic governor, not a governor who talks much but acts zero. The governor’s works speak for him as you can see and all of this were achieved with the least budget.
“You spent hours inspecting our projects and from the feelers I got, you were all impressed and I can imagine what it would have been for you if you spent days here to see as many projects as possible in all the local governments. It’s beyond imagination and the facts speak for themselves as we say in law.”
