Governor David Umahi’s approach to governance is wrong. The method he is using as a leader is not the right one if he wants to succeed and move Ebonyi state forward. Recently, the Ebonyi State House of Assembly passed into law that revenues generated by all the local governments in the state will be going into the joint account which the state government has with the local governments and that local governments have no power to execute any contract again except jointly done with the state government.
This means that no job would be done by the local governments without Governor David Umahi approving it, this is not good in a democratic system of government. Viewers Corner found out that the Governor has lots of influence on the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, this is terrible. With the manner David Umahi is ruling Ebonyi state, if care is not taking it may backfire on him in the long run because the people of the state have limits to which they can bear his excesses and manipulations. How can the revenue generated by the local governments be paid into joint account solely operating by the state government? This means that the local governments should not operate its own accounts anymore and any future contract to be executed will have to pass through the state government. In Ebonyi state, local government’s monthly allocation from the federation account is about 3 billion naira, David Umahi has ordered that from the allocation, local governments will only be receiving salaries and 500,000 naira for overhead while the huge part of the money for capital/development projects will be with the state government. Viewers Corner is asking, what sorts of system is this? We believe that Governor David Umahi is confused and does not have the leadership ability to lead his state properly.
Again, the Governor has reportedly banned the indigenes from mining the limestone which they were mining in order to earn a living. He ordered that before any stone will be removed by an individual, that person will pay about 10,000 naira to the government. Also all the communities that have limestone are no longer allowed to collect royalties from the mining companies instead the royalties are being paid into the state government account. Now because of Governor David Umahi’s tight policies, many business owners and private investors are beginning to relocate out of the state, this is too bad. Another thing that surprises Viewers Corner is that David Umahi is building a flyover in an area that does not need that project and this project is being handled by the Chinese company with their substandard material.
Government of David Umahi have increased taxes, fees and levies at an alarming rate in Ebonyi state. On monday, October 26, 2015, the tricycles riders popularly called Keke Napep staged a protest as a result of harsh conditions they are passing through in the form of higher taxes imposed on these poor riders who are trying to make a living and in the process of trying to make their voices heard in the state, one of their members lost his life. This is too bad. Somehow if real good government policy was introduced and followed nicely, the people of Ebonyi state would be happy to work and pay the increased tax because it would be beneficial to them but when such facilities are not there then nobody would like to pay such from his or her hard earned money. This is understandable. Also all the commercial transporters in Ebonyi state embarked on strike from Wednesday October 28 to Thursday, October 29 and Viewers Corner’s team had the opportunity of interviewing some of these commercial transporters, we were told that Governor David Umahi has ruined the state, he has placed higher taxes, fees and levies on almost everything in the state. We found out that the state Governor, David Umahi has given all the ministries in the state monthly revenue target to be generated. Ministry of Environment in the state is given target of 200 million naira to be generating monthly to the state government, this has made the ministry to spread this money to all the people of Ebonyi state. Commercial Transporters that were paying 120,000 naira as levy before are now told to pay 600,000 naira and travellers are subjected to pay additional money called travelling tax. Each passenger travelling within Ebonyi state must pay 20 naira after paying his/her transport fare, passenger travelling within the Southeastern part of Nigeria are to pay 50 naira while those travelling outside southeast pay 100 naira to Ebonyi state government as travelling tax. The name of the company Governor David Umahi assigned to be collecting this outrageous travelling tax in all the motor parks in the state is KRAG INVESTMENT. All Shops in the state are to be paying every year between 80,000 naira to 100,000 naira as environmental levy depending on the size of the shop, flats are paying 12,000 naira while those living in a Duplex are paying 36,000 naira per annum to the ministry of environment. This is incredible and is not how a democratic system of government should operate. Viewers Corner calls this system irresponsible, regressive and oppressive system of governance. Businesses in Ebonyi state are in total blackout.
Viewers Corner would advise Nigerian voters to be mindful of whom they vote for during elections because if you vote for a candidate using sentiments as a yardstick then at the end, it may backfire on the voters. Therefore, we advise that Nigerians vote for a candidate that can do the job based on his or her previous records. Honestly, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state is confused and do not know exactly what to do to get out of the situation he is at the moment. Viewers Corner’s advise to David Umahi is that he should look for economic team to review his economic policies in the state so that he can get a new beginning. He should involve some of the leaders in the state that worked nicely in the past to better the lives of Ebonyi state people, bring them back to your government and be sincere about it. This is the only way you can achieve success, honestly you can not do it alone because you lack the wisdom and management capabilities to lead your state, Ebonyi.
Once again, Viewers Corner is appealing and at the same time advising David Umahi to reassess his programs in Ebonyi state and work to better the lives of all the people of his state. All the monthly allocations all the Governors in various states of Nigeria are receiving from the federation account should be used to create good facilities for the people of their states, this is one of the reasons allocations are paid to every state in Nigeria.
Please respect the rights of the people of your State and give them the benefits they deserve.
Source: Viewers Corner News, Germany.