Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru
The Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on New Media, Mr. Leo Ekene Oketa, has urged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take note of ongoing interventions in education and agriculture under the administration of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Oketa, in a statement, said the issue of free education in Ebonyi State’s public schools should not be presented as a new campaign promise, stressing that the policy is already being implemented across public nursery, primary and secondary schools in the state.
According to him, the Nwifuru administration has continued to sustain investments in education while introducing other measures aimed at improving access to and the quality of education. The state recently commenced the 2026/2027 academic session across approved schools in all 13 Local Government Areas.
“Free education in Ebonyi State’s public schools is not a new campaign promise — it is already a reality,” Oketa said, urging political actors to engage more closely with developments in the state.
He added that there was no need to “reinvent what is already being done,” noting that the administration had continued to implement programmes addressing several of the needs being highlighted in political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
On agriculture, Oketa also drew attention to what he described as significant interventions by the Nwifuru administration, saying claims that the government is not investing in the sector do not reflect developments on the ground.
He cited the approval and distribution of 65,000 bags of fertiliser to farmers across the state in 2026, particularly targeting rural farming communities. Recent reports confirmed the second batch of the 65,000 bags was being distributed across the state’s 171 wards and 13 Local Government Areas.
Oketa further highlighted the revival of the Ebonyi Fertiliser and Chemical Company, where fertiliser is blended locally, describing the development as part of efforts to strengthen agricultural production and create linkages between farming, commerce and employment.
He also mentioned the ongoing revival of the Nkaliki Hatchery, which is being integrated into the World Bank-assisted Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES). The Raw Materials Research and Development Council confirmed collaboration with the Ebonyi State Government towards reviving the 38-hectare facility.
According to Oketa, the state has also benefited from the IFAD-supported Value Chain Development Programme, which supports agricultural value chains, processing, market access and related rural development initiatives. Reports on the programme indicate that its interventions have expanded across several Local Government Areas in the state.
“These are not merely promises for tomorrow. They are interventions already taking place,” he said.
Oketa acknowledged that more remains to be done in the agricultural sector but maintained that substantial work is already underway under Governor Nwifuru’s administration.
He therefore urged the PDP governorship candidate and other political actors to undertake more research into government programmes and developments in Ebonyi State before making claims about what has or has not been done.
“As we approach 2027, our message remains clear: continuity, consolidation and further development under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and the APC,” Oketa said.
