Gov Nwifuru receives welfare ambassadorial award

From Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki

Ebonyi state governor, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has been honoured with welfare ambassador of Nigeria award by Nigeria Parents Forum. Presenting the award in Abakaliki, the national Coordinator of Nigeria Parents Forum, Mr Monday Eze, said the honour was a way of encouraging home-made therapeutic governance as seen in Ebonyi state. Eze who enjoined other state governors to emulate the leadership ingenuity of Ebonyi governor as a way to ameliorate the current economic hardship facing the citizenry added that governance should be prioritize on people welfare as to curb the aftermath of the fuel subsidy removal. "It is a great honour to address my dear Governor, His Excellency, Builder Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, other great icons of Ebonyi State and Nigerian parents from all over Nigeria at this historic investiture of His Excellency, Builder Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, as the Welfare Ambassador of Nigeria. "Nigeria Parents Forum is therefore an apolitical organization committed to positive parenting and welfare of families in Nigeria. By this token, the forum tracks the welfare profiles of administrations at different tiers of government to determine the delivery of the directive principles of state policies as enshrined in section 14 of the 1999 CFRN so as to suggest improvements or give encouragements and commendations where and when necessary. "The basic tools of the forum are dispassionate observations, suggestions of ways to correct what is wrong and make improvements, encouragement and promotion of excellence just as the forum has been doing and will continue to do about the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru. "The recent fuel subsidy withdrawal has generated a series of economic shockwaves like hunger, inflation, job losses and the likes in Nigeria. These have made the welfare of the people the greatest priority in Nigeria. "Nigeria Parents Forum convoked her National Welfare Summit in Abuja with delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. At the summit, detailed and dispassionate welfare/humanitarian intervention profiles of the 36 states of the federation, including Ebonyi State, were presented and reviewed vis-a-vis the respective revenue profiles. "The galaxy of welfare/humanitarian intervention programmes of Ebonyi State under the Ebonyi People's Charter of Needs administration of Your Excellency generated ovations for amounting to reference points of an ideal state response protocol in the prevalent economic situation in the country. "To be precise, Governor Francis Nwifuru's  humanitarian intervention programmes remedied the wrongs or omissions of the past through the payment of arrears of gratuities and pensions. Governor Nwifuru presently improves the quality of life of Ebonyians through prompt payment of salaries, wage awards, Christmas bonuses and gratitude allowance to Ebonyi workers; disbursement of N2 million business grants to Ebonyi youths, partial scholarship grants to Law School students of Ebonyi State as well as interventions in the medical bills of people with special health conditions. The homeboy governor is preserving the future of Ebonyi State through His Excellency's avowed reservations for loans, restoration of scholarship programmes and more. "Delegates at the welfare summit marveled at Your Excellency's exemplary overhaul of the medical and education sector, the palace project for Ebonyi traditional rulers as well as other ongoing projects like the ICT university and the capital city road network, the 23 kilometer Stadium - Nwofe road and the 22 kilometer Ezzaegu - Ezillo road which are all done with concrete technology.  "The fact that Your Excellency is doing all these radical welfare and humanitarian intervention programmes/projects with a below-average revenue profile and without borrowing a dime was a summary proof of Your Excellency's compassion in leadership and prudence in the management of the resources of Ebonyi State. "These, in the considered view of Nigerian parents, are rare leadership qualities worthy of commendations, encouragement and celebrations. Hence, Your Excellency's overwhelming nomination as the Welfare Ambassador of Nigeria and this ongoing investiture.Eze said