By every democratic standard, the people have the right to choose their leaders. They also have the right to look back after an election and ask one painful question: Did we make the right choice?
For many people in Ebonyi State, that question is becoming increasingly difficult to answer in the affirmative.
When Ndi Ebonyi went to the polls in 2023 and elected Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru as governor, expectations were high. Having spent years in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and serving as Speaker, many expected him to bring experience, stability and a clear understanding of the needs of the state into the Government House.
But three years into his administration, critics argue that the gap between expectation and reality has become too wide to ignore.
This is why some Ebonyians now describe the 2023 decision as one of the greatest political mistakes the state has made.
An Airport Without Enough Flights
Perhaps nothing better captures the frustration than the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport.
An airport is supposed to connect people, attract businesses, facilitate tourism and stimulate economic activity. Instead, Ebonyi’s airport has struggled to achieve the level of commercial activity many expected from such a major infrastructure project.
The problem has persisted despite repeated efforts by the state government to improve operations. Recent reports indicate that the government has been working to resolve outstanding operational challenges and revive regular flight operations.
And then came the promise of Ebonyi Air.
The governor announced the procurement of aircraft as part of a strategy to improve connectivity and attract investment. Yet months after the promised arrival period, questions were still being raised about where the aircraft were and when the airline would actually become operational.
For the ordinary Ebonyian, the question is simple:
How many announcements must we hear before we see sustainable results?
Governance Cannot Be About Announcements Alone
Government is not measured by the number of press statements issued, political rallies attended or projects commissioned.
Government is measured by the quality of life of the people.
Can the average citizen find a decent-paying job?
Can a young graduate build a future without leaving Ebonyi?
Can businesses operate without crippling challenges?
Are rural communities connected by reliable roads?
Are public schools delivering quality education?
Are hospitals adequately equipped?
Are farmers receiving the support necessary to move from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture?
Are industries coming into the state?
These are the questions that should define the performance of any administration.
The Nwifuru administration says it has invested in roads, education, healthcare and other sectors, and the governor has highlighted these as achievements of his government.
But government claims of achievements should not end the conversation. Citizens must be able to independently feel those improvements in their daily lives.
Where Are the Jobs?
Ebonyi is blessed with agricultural potential and mineral resources, yet the state still needs a much stronger private-sector economy.
A government that wants to change the fortunes of its people must aggressively pursue investors, build industrial clusters, support small businesses and create an environment where young people can become employers rather than permanent job seekers.
Infrastructure without economic productivity is not enough.
A beautiful road that leads nowhere economically cannot transform a society.
An airport without sustained commercial traffic cannot by itself create prosperity.
A government-owned airline cannot become a substitute for a vibrant private sector.
The real question should therefore be: What sustainable economic engine is being built for the next generation of Ebonyians?
The Debt and Spending Question
Another issue that deserves serious public discussion is fiscal responsibility.
When governments embark on expensive projects, citizens deserve to know the cost, the expected economic returns and the long-term financial implications.
Reports have raised questions about the financial burden associated with the Ebonyi airport and subsequent spending connected to keeping the project operational.
This is not an argument against infrastructure.
It is an argument for value for money.
Every naira spent by government belongs ultimately to the people. The people therefore have every right to ask whether public expenditure is producing measurable economic and social returns.
Education Should Produce Opportunity
Education cannot simply be about constructing buildings or announcing scholarships.
The ultimate purpose of education is to prepare young people for productive lives.
Ebonyi needs an education system that connects schools and universities with the realities of the modern economy—technology, agriculture, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, healthcare and skilled trades.
The state government has pointed to reforms in the education sector, model schools and expanded scholarship opportunities among its achievements.
But the bigger test is whether the average Ebonyi child is receiving an education that gives them a genuine competitive advantage.
Healthcare Must Be More Than Infrastructure
The same principle applies to healthcare.
A hospital building without sufficient doctors, nurses, medicines, equipment and maintenance is merely infrastructure.
What matters is whether a pregnant woman in a rural community can safely deliver her baby.
What matters is whether a child can receive urgent treatment without the family being pushed into financial ruin.
What matters is whether Ebonyians can access quality healthcare close to home.
The administration says it has revitalised primary healthcare centres, upgraded hospitals and recruited health workers.
Those claims should be welcomed where they translate into genuine improvements—but they should also be subjected to continuous public scrutiny.
Ebonyi Needs a Vision Beyond Politics
Perhaps the biggest problem is not one particular project.
It is the absence, in the eyes of critics, of a sufficiently compelling long-term economic vision that ordinary Ebonyians can see and measure.
Ebonyi cannot afford to spend every political season celebrating projects without asking what those projects will produce five, ten or twenty years from now.
The state needs industries.
It needs technology.
It needs agro-processing.
It needs stronger internal revenue generated by productive economic activity rather than overdependence on federal allocations.
It needs world-class education.
It needs a serious tourism strategy.
It needs a business environment capable of attracting investors.
And, above all, it needs a government that treats public office as a responsibility to citizens rather than a reward for political loyalty.
The Verdict Belongs to Ndi Ebonyi
Calling Francis Nwifuru the “greatest mistake” of 2023 is, ultimately, a political judgment—not a fact that can be objectively proven.
But democracy gives Ndi Ebonyi the right to make that judgment.
The people who voted for him have every right to ask whether the promises made before the election have translated into meaningful improvements in their lives.
They have the right to demand accountability.
They have the right to question expenditure.
They have the right to ask where promised aircraft are.
They have the right to ask why major infrastructure is not producing the expected economic benefits.
They have the right to demand jobs, better healthcare, quality education, agricultural transformation, investment and genuine economic opportunities.
And they have the right to decide at the ballot box whether the current administration deserves another opportunity.
The greatest mistake would not be admitting that a political choice may have been wrong.
The greatest mistake would be refusing to learn from it.
By: Godwin Offor
