For his inspiring statement of January 3, 2025, which demonstrates his very strong belief in and commitment to Nigeria, a statement which also reflects his exemplary leadership credentials among his peers, the editorial board of BEACON & ICONS NEWS has identified Governor Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, South-East Nigeria as the publication’s ICON OF THE WEEK – the maiden edition of the column!
Significantly, no one has refuted his claim; neither has any of his brother governors the remaining 35 states of Nigeria debunked his claim that none of them (the other governors) could make the same claim. The commissioners in his government who “schools they are paying over 2 Million naira per term for their children” have also kept mum!
THE STATEMENT:
I am the only Governor in Nigeria presently that all his children are schooling in the country and not even beyond Southeast!
Three in Ebonyi and two in Enugu. Their biggest school fees is #35, 000 and when I told them in the Nigeria Governor’s forum, all were surprised and felt sober.
Some Commissioners in my Government have schools they are paying over 2 Million naira per term for their children but I can’t imagine myself paying such amount that’s more than 5Million per term for my children.
Where will I get the money to continue paying for their school fees after my temporary tenure as a Governor? I don’t want to develop blood pressure during the time I should be resting.
We must have to join hands together and reposition educational system in the country such that we can bring down those things that are lacking here that is making those big men to always send their children abroad for studies and I must make sure it starts from Ebonyi State.
Kudos, Your Excellency! May our nation be blessed with more and more of your type.
ABOUT GOVERNOR OGBONNA NWIFURU (From Wikipedia):
Francis Ogbonna Erishi Nwifuru (born 25 February 1975) is a Nigerian politician and lawyer who is the current governor of Ebonyi State since 2023. He previously served as speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly from June 2015 to May 2023. He hails from Oferekpe Agbaja in Izzi local government area of Ebonyi State.
He represented Izzi West constituency at the Ebonyi State legislature between 2011 and 2023. He was the Deputy Chief Whip of the 4th Ebonyi State House of Assembly (2011–2015). During that period, he served as Chairman, Ebonyi State House of Assembly Committee on Lands, Survey, Urban Development and Environment. His journey into the State House of Assembly was under Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), until 2020, when he moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Early life and education:
Nwifuru was born into a polygamous family of Chief and Mrs Nwifuru Nwamkpu. He got enrolled into Oferekpe Agbaja Community Primary School in the year 1991. He continued his education at the Community Secondary School, Nwofe Agbaja in the year 1999.
His educational activities weren’t smooth-sailing. For a fact, he attended school only at intervals and joined his brothers in rearing of their father’s numerous cattle.
Upon concluding his post-primary education, Ogbonna was christened ‘Francis’ after baptism as a Catholic. He enrolled into Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, to study Building technology and Wood Work.
Nwifuru received a master’s degree in Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Salford University, Manchester, United Kingdom in June 2021.
Career
In 2007 he ran for his state constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, but lost.
He was later appointed as an Ex-Officio State Executive Member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ebonyi State.
In March 2011, he took a second shot, won the election to represent Izzi West Constituency at Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
In that same tenure, he became the Deputy Chief Whip and chairman House Committee on Lands, Survey, Urban Development, and Environment.
He was re-elected in 2015 as 5th speaker of the Assembly. He was also re-elected for same positions in 2019; hence becoming the only member to have returned as a two-time Speaker in the history of Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
In 2020, he was elected as the National vice-chairman South East Conference of State Legislatures of Nigeria.
As the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress during the 2023 Ebonyi gubernatorial election, Nwifuru garnered a total of 199,131 votes cast across the 13 local governments in the state to win the election.
