Some indigenes of Ebonyi State have called on the Federal Government to suspend plans to release an additional N248bn for road projects in the state, accusing Governor Francis Nwifuru and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, of failing to demonstrate accountability in the management of public funds.
The call was made by the Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora in a statement issued on Tuesday by its President Worldwide, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, following reports that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government was preparing to commit another N248bn to road infrastructure in the state.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima had announced the proposed projects during an APC rally at the Pa Oruta Ngele Township Stadium in Abakaliki. The projects include the dualisation of the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Road, improvements to the Onueke-Ezza corridor and the Okposi-Amasiri Road, among others.
Although the association acknowledged the importance of federal investment in road infrastructure, particularly in the South-East, it expressed reservations about releasing additional funds without first examining how previous allocations to the state had been utilised.
It accused the Nwifuru administration of failing to complete any project in nearly four years, despite receiving substantial federal allocations since 2023. According to the group, the recent visit by Shettima and other APC leaders provided an opportunity for the government to showcase its achievements, but no completed project was available for commissioning.
The association also challenged the governor's claim at the rally that his administration had constructed more than 1,000 kilometres of roads, including two-kilometre roads in communities across the state's 13 local government areas.
Questioning the authenticity of the claim, AEISCID demanded evidence of the projects' completion, alleging that most of the roads had been abandoned, with contractors leaving construction sites, while some of the completed ones were already deteriorating because of poor execution.
The group further accused the governor of favouring relatives, friends, political associates and loyalists in contract awards, while several rural communities continued to struggle with poor road networks and inadequate infrastructure.
It said some settlements, including communities in the governor's Izzi area, remained inaccessible, particularly during the rainy season, making it difficult for residents to reach their homes and farms.
The association also faulted Umahi over the state of the Ndibe Beach Bridge in Afikpo, which is expected to link Ebonyi with Cross River State, describing the project's abandonment as another indication of poor infrastructure delivery.
It recalled reports that the minister had linked the continuation of the bridge project to political support for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning against making the provision of essential infrastructure a bargaining tool for electoral support.
“Basic infrastructure provision like the bridge is a right, not a privilege, and we caution against its abandonment for politics or any reason for that matter,” the association stated.
AEISCID maintained that both Nwifuru and Umahi had failed to demonstrate transparency in the management of resources made available to them, arguing that another N248bn allocation without adequate safeguards could result in further waste or diversion of public funds.
The group consequently urged the Federal Government to reconsider the proposed funding arrangement, insisting that the authorities must first establish accountability for previous expenditures before approving additional money for road construction in the state.
“There is no need whatsoever for the same Federal Government to earmark another whopping N248bn for projects through the same grossly unaccountable channels,” the statement read.
It added, “The government must therefore avoid such terrible waste, as the resources would definitely be diverted, probably as campaign slush funds.”
The association stressed that its opposition was not to federal infrastructure projects in Ebonyi but to the alleged lack of accountability in their execution, insisting that government interventions should translate into completed projects that directly benefit residents.
