A prominent social accountability group has called on the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to consider impeaching Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru after a proposal emerged to allocate ?551 million for the 2025 Hajj. The allocation would fund 46 pilgrims, equating to approximately ?8.78 million per beneficiary, a move the group deems both reckless and ill-timed amid widespread economic hardship in the state.

The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) issued its statement in Abuja on Monday, criticising the decision for lacking transparency and breaching constitutional protocols. ?No such financial provision exists in the state?s approved 2025 budget, which was duly passed by the House of Assembly last December,? said Paschal Oluchukwu, the group?s president. He warned that the decision contravenes Sections 120(3) and 120(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandate that funds be withdrawn solely in accordance with legislative authorisation.

The controversial resolution was announced by the State?s Commissioner for Information, Jude Okpor, who detailed that the Executive Council had approved the sponsorship for the Hajj. In an attempt to broaden participation, the resolution also suggested that each local council consider sponsoring one additional pilgrim. However, AEISCID questioned the prudence of this measure, particularly when juxtaposed with the state?s recent allocation of only ?300 million for the empowerment of 300 residents under a ?Human Capital Development? initiative.

Critics have further accused the governor?s administration of mismanaging public funds and neglecting urgent issues. The group highlighted that teachers in public schools have not received salaries for four months, a delay that has already spurred strikes in several local government areas. AEISCID also lamented the apparent abandonment of the ?People?s Charter of Needs? agenda in favour of politically expedient ventures, leaving many Ebonyians to contend with persistent poverty.

As mounting public discontent continues to expose fiscal disparities and mismanagement, calls for accountability are growing louder. With no immediate response from the administration of Governor Nwifuru, pressure is intensifying on the state assembly to act decisively to restore public trust. (The Guardian)

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