In Ebonyi State, the painful irony of development is impossible to ignore. Many of the same citizens who once praised former governor David Nweze Umahi as a “workaholic governor” still live in communities without access roads, electricity, or clean drinking water. At night, their villages sink into complete darkness. During the day, women trek long distances to fetch unsafe water. Farmers struggle to move produce because roads are either non-existent or impassable. Yet, towering above this daily hardship are massive flyovers—multi-billion-naira concrete monuments erected at junctions where traffic is so light that bicycles, motorcycles, and livestock vastly outnumber vehicles.
These flyovers, painted in flashy colours and once adorned with decorative disco lights, were celebrated as symbols of “modern infrastructure.” Today, many of those lights no longer work. The paint has faded. The applause has died down. What remains is a haunting question: in a state grappling with deep poverty, what development logic justified these projects?
Ebonyi is not Lagos. It is not Abuja. It is not even Port Harcourt. Ebonyi is a largely agrarian state, with rural communities that desperately need basic infrastructure to unlock economic potential. Roads to farms, electricity for small businesses, potable water, healthcare facilities, and functional schools would have transformed livelihoods. Instead, billions were sunk into prestige projects that neither solved traffic problems nor stimulated sustainable economic activity.
The Debt That Tells a Story
When Dave Umahi assumed office as governor in December 2015, Ebonyi State’s total debt—combining domestic and external obligations—stood at approximately ₦42.1 billion, according to figures published by Nigeria’s Debt Management Office (DMO). By the time he exited office in 2023, Ebonyi’s debt profile had ballooned to about ₦102.7 billion.
This sharp increase was not driven by large-scale industrialization, widespread electrification, or a visible expansion of productive capacity. Rather, a significant portion of these borrowed funds went into controversial projects—airports that remain largely underutilized or deteriorating, and flyovers constructed in locations with minimal traffic demand.
Debt, in itself, is not evil. Borrowing can be a powerful tool for development when funds are channeled into projects that generate economic returns and improve quality of life. But when debt finances vanity projects that do not address the real needs of the people, it becomes a burden passed down to future generations.
In Ebonyi’s case, the result is clear: communities are poorer, businesses are struggling, and the state is saddled with debt that offers little to show in terms of broad-based development.
Billions Above Ground, Poverty Below
Across many villages in Ebonyi State, residents still rely on generators, kerosene lamps, and candles. Some communities have never experienced stable electricity in their history. Government intervention never came, so communities were forced to fend for themselves.
Recently, leaders of my own village sent me an invoice of about ₦42 million—a contribution request to finally provide electricity to the community for the first time ever. This is not a new effort. It is a project that began more than a decade ago, born out of necessity because successive governments failed to act.
Around six months ago, I also began constructing a plaza and lounge valued at over ₦60 million in that same village for my mother, in honour of my late father. It is a personal project, driven by sentiment rather than profit. But even this modest attempt at community upliftment has exposed the depth of governance failure.
For the business to function, I must now invest additional millions in solar power, because there is no electricity. To ensure access to water, I must also provide borehole water not just for the building but for the surrounding villagers. Anything less would be unjust.
These costs add up quickly. Yet, despite the investment, the business may never thrive—not because of poor planning, but because bad roads prevent people from coming into the village. There is no steady influx of customers. No logistics network. No commercial ecosystem. This is not a profit-driven venture. It is simply an attempt to honour my late father and give the local market square a facelift.
When I discussed the project with my mentor, my opening line was painfully honest:
“Sir, I have made another financial mistake with my eyes open.”
The Opportunity Cost of Ego Projects
Now imagine a different scenario.
Imagine if the billions spent on flyovers and decorative concrete had been invested in rural electrification. Imagine smooth access roads connecting farms to markets. Imagine clean water flowing into communities. Imagine functional healthcare centres and vocational training hubs.
Imagine the businesses that would have emerged—rice mills, cassava processing plants, cold storage facilities, ICT hubs, hospitality ventures. Imagine the jobs that would have been created for young people. Imagine the reduction in crime and poverty. Imagine Ebonyi as a state where investors confidently bring their capital home.
This is the true tragedy of misplaced priorities: not just what was built, but what was never built.
A State Losing Its Entrepreneurs
Today, businesses are shutting down daily in Ebonyi State. Young entrepreneurs are relocating to Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Lagos, and beyond—states where basic infrastructure makes enterprise possible.
I personally abandoned a ₦250 million investment project in Ebonyi after understanding why many large businesses collapse within two to three years of operation in the state. The reasons are simple: unreliable power supply, terrible road networks, weak consumer access, and high operating costs. Gerald Ikechukwu Michael and Chief Echofe are aware of this project and the realities that forced its suspension.
When serious investors quietly pull out, it should alarm any government. When capital flees, jobs disappear. When jobs disappear, poverty deepens.
Governance or Optics?
One must ask: what is the government doing about this reality?
Is the focus on fixing structural problems that cripple the economy? Or is it on distributing SUVs to officials who contribute little or nothing to economic growth?
Many of us are not asking for appointments, contracts, or political favours. We are not looking for handouts. All we want is a business-friendly environment—stable electricity, good roads, basic security, and policies that encourage investment rather than suffocate it.
Give us infrastructure, and we will build the businesses. Create the conditions, and investors will return.
An Appeal to the Present Leadership
To the current governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, this is not a personal attack. We are from the same local government, and I sincerely wish you success. Your success will ultimately be the state’s success.
But please, do not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Do not allow people to live in darkness and extreme poverty while government resources are diverted to needless prestige projects. Development is not about aesthetics; it is about impact. It is not about flyovers without traffic; it is about roads that connect people to opportunity. It is not about airports without passengers; it is about electricity that powers dreams.
Help my community.
Help Ebonyi State.
Create the conditions that allow businesses to grow, entrepreneurs to stay, and investors to return. History will not remember how tall the flyovers were—it will remember whether the people had light, water, roads, and hope.
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