Myopic or Just Ignorant? Why Ebonyi Leaders Under Governor Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru Are Failing the People

By: Comr. Chukwu Abia C.

“The worst form of injustice is pretended justice.” – Plato

There’s a storm silently brewing in Ebonyi State. Not a natural disaster, but a manmade collapse of leadership, responsibility, and conscience.

As the rest of the South-East wakes up to strategic development, bold reforms, and visionary governance, Ebonyi, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, seems trapped in a shadowy corner, not because the people lack potential, but because the leaders refuse to see, act, or even feel.

What’s worse? The same government that shouts "people first" seems to be choking the very people it swore to uplift. It is no longer a question of "will things get better?" but "Are these leaders just myopic, or are they plainly ignorant, careless, and corrupt?"

This is not mere critique, it’s a cry. From the villages to the streets, from hawkers in Lagos to farmers in Ohaukwu, the disappointment is loud. Yet, our leaders are mute, inactive, and comfortably aloof.

Let’s unpack the rot.

The Rot Begins at the Top

Governor Francis Nwifuru came into power promising continuity, unity, and grassroots development, calling his agenda "The people's charter of need". But one year into his reign, the reality unfolding in Ebonyi isn’t hope, it’s helplessness.

And nothing exposes the crisis more than the silence, the scandals, and the visible disregard for accountability.

₦1.5 Billion Vanishes, And Nobody Is Talking

Recent revelations of ₦1.5 billion allegedly embezzled by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) have left Ebonyians stunned, not just by the theft, but by the silence of the governor and his cabinet.

How can such an outrageous scandal be swept under the rug like palm ash?

Was the SSG acting alone?
Where were the checks and balances?
How did such an amount disappear under the watch of a government that claims to be pro-people?

The worst part is not just the theft. It is the lack of punishment. No resignations. No sack. No open investigation. Just crickets. And that silence speaks volumes. If not for a Sir. Nwoba Chika Nwoba many will not know about it.

Ebonyi Hawkers: Betrayed by Their Own

Another painful betrayal is the diversion of funds meant to empower Ebonyi hawkers outside the state.

Under the disguise of caring for indigenes struggling in Lagos, Aba, Onitsha, Owerri Enugu, Port Harcourt, etc, the government announced an empowerment scheme targeted at lifting hawkers into small business owners. For once, many believed the government was thinking right.

But what followed?
Funds were released, allocations were documented… the beneficiaries never saw a kobo.

Instead, the money disappeared into the stomachs of government cronies, leaving the hawkers where they’ve always been, on the streets, under the sun, ignored.

No report. No press briefing. No explanation.

Just whispers of “it has been handled.”
Handled how? By whom? And for whom?

Governance by Ghosts: The Silent Cabinet

What’s even more terrifying is the absence of visible leadership in Ebonyi’s government. Commissioners are invisible. Advisers don’t advise publicly. Local government chairmen and development center coordinators are ghosts.

Is there no media team in the entire state to communicate policies, decisions, or community feedback?

Or are they hiding their silence under the comfort of loyalty?

The people cannot name 5 active cabinet members. Yet millions are paid monthly to these officials who seem more interested in enjoying office than executing responsibility.

It is as though the entire government is on auto-pilot, and sadly, the plane is nose-diving.

Myopic ? Yes. Ignorant ? Even Worse.

Let’s face it. The leadership in Ebonyi is suffering from a double disease:

A. Myopia (Shortsightedness)

They focus on shallow photo-ops, fake empowerment programs, and political pageantry. They chase optics over outcomes. They prioritize Abakaliki aesthetics while villages rot in darkness and neglect.

Instead of long-term solutions like agro-industrial hubs, youth innovation centres, and functional hospitals, they celebrate boreholes, 2 km roads, graded roads and share ₦2,000 to crowds of unemployed youths.

That’s not governance — it’s a mockery.

B. Ignorance (or intentional carelessness)

When leaders don't understand what leadership means, they fail before they begin. A leader who doesn’t know the needs of Ohofia-Agba, Obeagu, Ivo, or Ugwulangwu should not be in power.

This administration behaves as if rural Ebonyi doesn’t matter. Roads are abandoned. Schools are broken. Hospitals are shells. Youths are migrating en masse, and nobody seems bothered.

That’s not just failure. It’s institutional ignorance.

The Fake "Empowerment" Madness

Almost every time, we hear of an “empowerment” in Ebonyi.

₦100,000 for this person. ₦50,000 for that group. ₦20,000 for market women. Sounds good, right?

But let’s ask:

• Where are the businesses these funds have created?
• Where are the names and data of the beneficiaries?
• What impact has this made on Ebonyi’s economy?

Truth is, most of these so-called empowerment schemes are political scams. They share peanuts to loyal supporters, take pictures, post them on Facebook, and disappear.

What we need are real programs:

• Business incubation hubs
• Digital skills training
• Access to agro-processing tools
• Rural market linkages
• Loans with practical support systems
• Less tax environment 

Anything else is a lie dressed in ceremony.

The Culture of Fear, Greed, and Complacency

Why are Ebonyi officials so quiet ? So inactive ?

Simple. They either:

• Fear losing their positions,
• Are part of the corruption ring,
• Or are too greedy to speak up against wrong.

There is a toxic loyalty system in the state, where you don’t speak unless the Governor permits it. So, instead of proactive leadership, we have yes-men and yes-women whose job is to clap, not to act.

It’s a leadership by fear and reward, not merit and vision.

The People Are Watching, But Are They Acting?

The saddest part of all this? Ebonyians have normalized suffering.

We complain at beer parlors. We rant in secret WhatsApp groups. We murmur in family meetings.

But publicly? Silence.

Where are the student unions, civil society groups, clergy, and traditional rulers?
Where are the women groups, traders’ unions, and youth associations?

We’ve become so used to bad governance, it now feels normal.

That is what the government is counting on: our silence.

Ebonyians, Wake Up!

We can’t keep quiet anymore. If the leaders won’t lead, the people must take the driver’s seat.

Here’s what we MUST do:

1. Document the Lies

If a government official lies about a project, document it. Use your phones. Post the truth. Facts silence propaganda.

2. Expose Every Theft

Let’s use social media to name and shame those looting our money. Use hashtags. Join digital activists. Bring light into the darkness.

3. Engage Local Leaders

Visit your LG Chairman’s office. Ask questions. Hold town hall meetings. Let them explain what they’ve done since taking office.

4. Support Real Leaders

We must stop celebrating mediocrity. In 2027, let us support youths, thinkers, community workers, people who feel what we feel.

5. Rescue the Villages

Form community development forums. Start cooperative societies. Begin something small. Don’t wait for the government. Help your community grow, and document the gap left by the state.

6. Follow Platforms that Speak Truth

Support media channels like Grassroots Mirror. We are your voice. Tell us what’s happening in your area. Send pictures. Send reports. Together, we’ll amplify your voice.

Let the Fear End Here

Ebonyi State cannot develop with cowards in power and citizens in silence.

We cannot keep tolerating a system where billions vanish, roads collapse, hospitals die, and our leaders laugh in government houses.

To be myopic is bad.
To be ignorant is worse.
But to be both, and unashamed, is a curse to any state.

We must break this curse.
We must wake up.
We must speak up.

For Obeagu.

For Ohafia-Agba.

For Nkalaha.

For Amaizu 

For Ivo, etc.

For our future.

📣 Are you tired of the lies?
📷 Got proof of abandoned projects? Stolen funds? Fake empowerment schemes?
Send it to Grassroots Mirror — the platform for the forgotten.

📧 grassrootsmirror@gmail.com
📱 Tag us on Facebook, WhatsApp, or X (@GrassrootsMirror)

Let’s make the silence loud.
Let’s bring back the Ebonyi we deserve.