The Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on New Media and Director of the New Media Directorate, Ebonyi State APC 2027 Campaign Council, Leo Ekene Oketa, has congratulated Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru on his recognition as The Sun Governor of the Year, describing the honour as a well-deserved recognition of his purposeful and people-oriented leadership.
Oketa, in a congratulatory message dated November 13, 2026, said the award reflected the governor’s commitment to translating government policies, programmes and decisions into tangible improvements in the lives of the people.
He noted that Nwifuru’s administration had recorded significant achievements across critical sectors, particularly education, healthcare, agriculture, workers’ welfare, infrastructure, peace and economic development.
On education, Oketa highlighted the governor’s local and overseas scholarship programmes, reduction in school fees at Ebonyi State University (EBSU), employment of additional academic and non-academic staff, and increased monthly subvention to the institution.
He also commended the construction of 12-classroom and 22-classroom blocks across the state, as well as the policy granting automatic employment to first-class graduates of EBSU as lecturers and sponsoring them for postgraduate studies up to the PhD level.
The governor’s establishment of the Universities of Information and Communication Technology and Aerospace Engineering was also described as a major investment in the state’s educational future.
On healthcare, Oketa cited the recruitment of medical professionals across general hospitals, provision of brand-new SUVs to medical doctors to facilitate emergency responses, procurement and distribution of ambulances, and improved welfare packages for medical personnel.
He further noted that the administration had strengthened the state’s health insurance scheme to cover civil servants and members of the general public, thereby improving access to healthcare services.
In the agricultural sector, the governor was commended for investing in modern agricultural equipment, reviving the Nkaliki Hatchery and providing farmers with agricultural inputs and other forms of support.
Oketa also acknowledged the contributions of programmes such as the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to agricultural development and rural economic empowerment across the state.
Speaking on workers’ welfare, the governor’s aide described Ebonyi workers as among the administration’s most cherished constituents, citing the clearance of outstanding gratuities owed to state civil servants dating back to 1996 and similar interventions in the local government system.
He also listed the employment of nearly 2,000 civil servants, regular promotions, conversions and confirmations, payment of salaries and other welfare packages, Christmas bonuses, and the provision of free CNG-powered buses for daily transportation of workers to and from their workplaces as evidence of the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
On economic development, Oketa described Governor Nwifuru as both a builder and a rebuilder, noting his administration’s efforts to revive moribund state-owned assets and restore their productive capacity.
Among the facilities he mentioned were the pipe production company, Ebotrans, Oferekpe Water Scheme, Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited, Ebonyi Trade Centre and Building Materials Company.
He said the rehabilitation of these facilities was aimed at strengthening the state’s economy, creating opportunities and ensuring that public assets served the interests of the people.
On security and infrastructure, Oketa maintained that Ebonyi State had continued to enjoy relative peace and safety under Nwifuru’s leadership, attributing the development to the governor’s commitment to resolving communal disputes and sustaining peaceful coexistence.
He also highlighted the construction of houses for the resettlement of victims of the Amanze and Izzo communities in Ishielu Local Government Area, describing the intervention as part of the administration’s commitment to restoring peace and supporting affected residents.
According to him, the administration’s expanding road network, particularly rural roads linking communities, was opening up economic opportunities and bringing the dividends of democracy closer to the people.
Oketa said the governor’s recognition as The Sun Governor of the Year was a testament to the impact of his leadership and the difference a purposeful, compassionate and people-oriented administration could make.
He added that the award was not only a personal honour for the governor but also a source of collective pride for the people of Ebonyi State.
Describing Nwifuru as a leader whose achievements spoke louder than words, Oketa congratulated him and the people of Ebonyi State, declaring that the governor had continued to demonstrate what it meant to be a true people’s governor.”Indeed, he is the people’s Governor,” he declared.
