Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Umahi, has been described as the wisest Governor in Nigeria.

His Abia State counterpart, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, made the remark while interacting with Umahi and some members of the Ebonyi State Executive Council at the Abia State Government House, Umuahia on Thursday.

Ikpeazu, who narrated how he visited Abakaliki to enquire from Umahi on how to construct flyover bridges, said the Ebonyi Governor was the first of his kind in the country.

“Umahi is a very wise man. To me, he is the wisest Governor in this country,” he told the Ebonyi delegation and some members of the Abia State Executive Council at the Executive Council Chambers.

Stating his reason for the visit, Umahi said it was for a peer review mechanism to tap the ingenuity of the Abia State Governor in e-governance, especially, in the area of commerce and industry.

He said: “We are here to tap your ingenuity in commence, your ingenuity in internal revenue mobilisation, your ingenuity in governance, your ingenuity in peace and e-governance you have deployed in the state.

“We want to know how to make these. You must teach us how to make these. That is why we are here.

“We came with people who are into shoe making, cloth making, and the leadership of our market associations, etc.”

Umahi, commended Ikpeazu, for his continuous support for President Muhammadu Buhari whom he said, has done the nation proud.

He said: “I tell people that care to know that when it comes to Governor and President of the country, there is no politics. The President is the only boss we have, and the President has supported your state, he has supported my state. So, we have no reason not to support him. Party politics is a different ball game. I believe that our party leaders should play politics while we do the work of government.”

Ikpeazu described the state visit by Umahi as first of its kind and a renewal of brotherly love, stressing that Abia State has more to learn from Ebonyi State.

The Abia State Governor gave a rundown of thematic areas his administration has given a facelift to include, road construction, health, industry and agriculture among others.

He said: “I believe that there is more to learn from Ebonyi than what Ebonyi would learn from us.

“I know a few months ago when we were conceptualising Osisi Oma interchange, I went to him (Umahi) and was bold to inform the Nigerian public that I went to Ebonyi to learn how to do bridges, because Governor Umahi is doing three flyovers at the same time. He took me out and we were standing at the projects sites until 7pm.

“Beyond that with his long hands, he wrote dimensions of the bridges, concrete mix and what I should expect contractor to do. In fact, I went to school and I came back with notes. Today, to the glory of God, that project is ongoing.”

Some members of Ebonyi State Executive Council, including SA on Talent Development and market, accompanied Governor Umahi on the trip.

•Photo shows Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State(2nd left) receiving a gift from his Abia State counterpart, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu during a banquet for Umahi at the end of his two-day visit to Abia on Friday. With them are Ebonyi and Abia top government officials.

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