2027: Ebonyi State Must Eschew Clannish Sentiments, Love for Mediocrity, Primitive Loyalty to Make Progress, Develop
In his seminal book, Exodus, British thinker and Oxford University Professor of Development Economics, Paul Collier posits that “Democratic political institutions only function well if ordinary citizens are sufficiently well informed to discipline politicians.”
We can only imagine the fate of any society where citizens are deliberately ill-informed, just for a few individuals to retain political power. Or maybe we should just look at Ebonyi State.
In Ebonyi State, the last 20 plus years have been challenging and developmentally tortous. In some quarters, they feel that there have been progress on the premise that Ebonyi is now “independent” from their [errornously, though] percieved “oppressors.” However, a deeper examination of the state of the citizens show clearly that Ebonyi was never really marginalised by anyone, just the dvelopmental biological and sociological outlook of what really constitutes development.
And before 1999, there were verifiable trajectories of development, then 2015 came the state suddenly reverted to optics and effectively abandoned sustainable progress.
Let us look at the building blocks of development and modern progress. And I mean the very basic parametres viz the wellbeing of residents of the state, one would shudder at the level of human degredation in Ebonyi State of today, in 2026.
From healthcare to education, environemntal health, to social security, infrasrtructure to basic governmental discipline.
For starters, education as the the most critical building block for progress and development is pratctically dead in Ebonyi State of 2026. Though, the current state government prouds itself as being education friendly by the fact that a few students have been reportedly sent abroad for further education. The reality is that the programme in more of an optical illusion than reality. Yes, about 100 students of Ebonyi State origin have been sent to various British institutions for postgraduate progammes, the bulwark of the education system, Primary and Secondary schools are lying prostrate in Ebonyi State.
A visit to public primary schools in all the 13 local government areas of the state tells the same sad story. An example is the iconic New Layout Primary School, Abakaliki or the Nnodo Secondary School also in Abakaliki the state capital. I have to make an example of these two schools because if the basic education facilities in the almighty state capital can be in such a miserable state, one can only imagine what the rural areas would look like.
There is no public official or even a mid-level civil servant in the state that can confidently send their children to any of the public schools in the state today
At the tertiary level, Ebonyi State has the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and the Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo. Both institutions are barely breathing through the work of its meagre staff who continue to ekk out exixtence by struggling to meet basic requirements of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). At the permanent site of EBSU located at Ishieke, a sleepy surburb straddling Ezzangbo and Abakaliki town, apart from three decrepit buildings poorly constructed during the tenure of Dr. Sam Ominyi Egwu between 1999 and 2007, every other structure in that university has the inscription of either ETF or TETFund on them! The teachers in the school are the most poorly paid in any public university in Nigeria, too. So the institution suffers double jeopardy. Aside from the irregular salaries of less than 2000 workers, most of who are non-acadamic staff, the Ebonyi State Government in nearly 20 years has not inevested in the school, not in book, laboratory equipment, computers, water, power, seats, roads, hostel or even basic lecture halls.
For context, all over the world, institutions of higher learning, especially universities are rated by the quality of their faculty and instructional materials. Whereas in Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon Francis Ogbonnan Nwifuru, the 4th Executive governor of the state is “building” two specialised universities, University of ICT Oferekpe -Agbaja, and the University of Aeronautic Enginering, Onueke in Izzi and Ezza South local government areas respectively, the state government is unable to even attract quality faculty to the existing Ebonyi State University.
In the last 18 years, there has not been a single major investment in either EBSU or the College Education, Ikwo! In EBSU there is no single students’ hostel in any of the universities three mini campuses, a situation that directly impacts on the quality scholarship in the institutions. In EBSU, there is no “Town and Gown,” there is only “Town.” both the lecturers and students are left at the mercy of the town for water, accomodation, security and even basic books. EBSU has no bookshop! EBSU’s Library is empty! In fact, EBSU is comatose as far as being a university is concerned.
Again, context will surfice: The University of Pretoria South Africa is reputed for being the largest university, arguably globally for having a student population in excess of 400, 000 (the distance learning system is properly established here). Cairo University, Egypt is well regarded as a large university too, and these universities are so reputed not just because of their student populations, but due their large and internationally recognised faculties.
Back home in Nigeria, the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife and the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka are very large universities. While University of Ilorin hosts over 50, 000 students, Obafemi Awolowo has about 42, 000 student population, the UNN has a little above 55, 000, ABU has about 70, 000 students. The Ebonyi State University straddles between 15,000 an 18,000 student population. The sad reality is that, while the heavily populated universities hosts over 75% of their student population within the campus, EBSU has no single accomodation for staff and students.
Here lies the crux of the matter: There is definitely nothing wrong in establishing universities or any public institutions, what is really wrong , if not dubious, is establishing public institutions without a sustainability plan.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Aeronautic Engineering are just oofshoots of the core physical sciences rooted in the core areas including physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, meteorology etc. A forward thinking government could simply have expanded the existing university (EBSU) by seeking approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to incorprate faculties of ICT and Aeronautic Engineering into the universities programme. UNN has two campuses and a separate teaching hospital that is as large as any campus.
What the above propsal would do is first, ensure sustainability of those faculties or Colleges as the school may deem fit. This way, there is one central administration, that is one Vice Chancellor, one Registrar and indeed one adminstration.
However, despite the unrealistic feasibility of Ebonyi State funding three universities, the state government has gone ahead to establish them. And to further demonstrate the inverted reasoning behind the establishment of the institutions, the government even went ahead to put the cart before the horse by appointing “Vice Chancellors” for the two none exixtent universities with full compliments of office- official vehicles and support staff! So, here we have Vice Chancellors that are rather contractors instead of superintending academic institutions.
The story of the education sector in Ebonyi State is replicated in all sectors and that is simply why the poverty rate in Ebonyi state today remains a grim reality of gnashing of teeth while a few drive around Abakiliki in airconditioned China-made cars; only rainsing billboards proclaiming empty, primitive and insincere praises and loyalty.
The Way forward
While Governor David Umahi reigned for eight years, the praise-singing took such a dangerous dimension, a dimension that portrayed Ebonyi as a state that was a tabular raza, the sytem then so lionised Umahi as a modern day inventor-liberator, but barely three years after that mishap, the parises have pettered away! The fake bridges he built are barely usable, the concrete roads are now death-traps, though the people were told the roads would las 100 years. Even then official cars are now off the road, with a few already convereted to low-budget tow vans, a few others continue to proclaim white smoke on equally dilapidated Abakliki roads.
Consequently, as the 2027 general elections approach very fast, I realy wish that Ndi Ebonyi, though already beaten down, can rise from the ashes painted with clannish sentiments, primitive loyalty and blind subservience to demand good governance, demand leaders with clear creative minds, politicians with exposure, experience and most importantly people that are willing to open up the state to possibilities.
While otther states in the Southeast are busy striking deals that sustainanbly put them on the path of prosperity, Ebonyi is resorting to village and clannish empowerment that further impoverishe the people and chase away potential investors.
We have a chance, let us take it, Now.
Moses Idika, a journalist and development enthusiast writes from Asokoro, Abuja