We’ve Turned Ebonyi State Into A Construction Site _ David Umahi

Ebony State Governor, David Umahi says his administration has turned the state into a “construction site.”

Umahi claimed during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today while responding to a question on the legacy his administration will leave behind at its expiration next year.

He said his government has carried out so many infrastructural projects that can not be mentioned or listed even in five hours.

According to him, the greatest legacy he wants to leave behind is the confidence the administration has instilled in the people that they can boldly say they are from Ebonyi state because of the “transformation” in the state.

“We’ve turned Ebonyi state into a construction site,” Umahi said.

“Even five hours you won’t be able to mention all the infrastructure we’ve put in place in Ebonyi state.

“For me, the greatest legacy as an administration – one, the confidence we’ve instilled in our people, the confidence that our people can boldly say, look, I’m from Ebonyi State by reason of the transformation that has taken place in Ebonyi State. The second one is that I have made more business people, I have made more contractors, I have made more engineers, you know, than the number of politicians I’ve made.

“The infrastructure is one of the things that it’s a must you have to do. Education is a must, and health is a must, but these things are very important because when you build the people, then they will build the nation. So these are my legacies, you know, people will be thinking I’ll be talking about the International Airport, I’ll be talking about the famous David Umahi University, I’ll be talking about, you know, I’ll be talking about the concrete roads of over 1000 kilometres, No, my legacies should be on human capital development.”

The Ebonyi state governor also spoke on the debt profile of the state.

He added that his administration deserves commendation for being the least indebted state in the entire southeast as well as the third least indebted state in the entire nation of 36 states and FCT.

He revealed that his government has only been able to access a facility of N8 billion for the state airport development, adding that the rest of the loans were monies inherited from the previous administration.

“I’m saying that you should be giving us kudos because, the state in terms of debt profile, is the least indebted in the entire southeast. Ebonyi state is also the third least indebted state in the entire nation of 36 States and FCT, and I think we’ve done very well.

“So what are the facilities? We’ve only been able to assess a facility of 8 billion towards our airport development. The rest of the loans were loans that we inherited from the past administration, you know, like the loans on aid, the loans on flood control measures, and so on. So people will be expecting that we have borrowed, we have not borrowed, we have done very well in terms of managing the resources of the state.”

Asked whether his government is making moves to borrow more before leaving office, the governor said,

“I don’t know if there is a need to borrow more. You know infrastructure is a catalyst in the development of any nation or any state and so if I need to borrow more, I need to know what I’m doing with it. But it’s my desire and I’m very conscious of that, I hate borrowing, and then am very conscious to make sure that I don’t leave debt profile for the incoming administration, rather I am going to leave wealth because my friend says that a good father leaves wealth for his children. So I am not going to leave debt. Even the one that I borrowed, this 8 billion, I am making every effort through the sefters gains to pay back that 8 billion before I leave office.”

Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news and updates. You can disable anytime.