Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has put smiles on the faces of civil servants across the state with the announcement of a ₦150,000 Christmas bonus for workers in all categories.
The governor made the announcement on Sunday during a church service at the Government House Chapel in Abakaliki, describing the gesture as a reflection of his administration’s firm commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of Ebonyi workers.
According to Nwifuru, the decision was taken despite the financial challenges faced by the state over the past year, noting that workers remain central to the success of his government.
He said the bonus was meant to ease the economic pressure on families and allow workers to celebrate the Christmas season with dignity.
Turning to the forthcoming local government elections, the governor assured aspirants and residents of a transparent and credible process, stressing that there would be no imposition of candidates.
He declared emphatically that he had “no preferred candidate” and had “anointed no one” for the polls.
“As far as I am concerned, the will of the people must prevail; the people must choose their representatives without interference from any quarters,” Nwifuru said.
The governor also restated his earlier directive to political appointees interested in contesting the council elections, insisting that due process must be followed.
“It is not my duty to pick you as the Chairman of your local government area,” he said. “If you are contesting for the Chairmanship position in the next year’s council election as an appointee, you must resign as stipulated by the law.”
The announcements were greeted with applause by congregants, many of whom described the governor’s remarks as reassuring, both for workers and for the state’s democratic process.
