The National President of the Izhi Tehu Foundation, ITF and Senior Manager at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Adm. Igwe Christopher Agbo, has faulted what he described as the practice of allocating political positions along ethnic, religious or kindred lines, saying competence, character and demonstrable performance should determine who occupies elective and appointive positions.
Agbo, who spoke with journalists on Saturday, specifically criticised the recent position attributed to Governor Francis Nwifuru on the sharing of political positions between the two major kindreds in Izhi Clan ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing the arrangement as a “political flub”.
The governor had, during the grand finale of the 2026 Izhi New Yam Festival populaly known as Ojiji recently at his Amegu ancestral home in Abakaliki LGA of Ebonyi State, spoken of balancing political power between the two major kindreds as a measure aimed at ensuring equity and political accommodation within the clan.
But Agbo argued that while considerations of equity and communal harmony could form part of political discourse, they should not supersede the democratic right of the electorate to choose leaders based on their records, competence and capacity to deliver.
He said, “One of the major problems in Nigeria that has continued to contribute to underdevelopment and bad governance is the practice of appointing people into public positions based on ethnicity and religion instead of good character, competence and outstanding performance.”
According to him, elective offices should not be treated as positions to be distributed through a predetermined kindred arrangement, stressing that the electorate should remain central to the choice of political leaders.
“In a democracy like ours, elections are the primary means of choosing political leaders who contest for elective positions. It is the people, the electorate, that make that choice,” he said.
Agbo added that voters should assess contestants on their character, competence, antecedents and performance rather than their kindred affiliations.
He therefore said any decision to support a particular candidates in 2027, including Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, among others vying for various elective positions as far as the izhi clan is concerned, should be based on “brilliant performance and not kindred”.
The CBN senior manager also called for a comprehensive review of the state government’s cabinet and administrative structure, particularly as the governor prepares for his second term.
He advised Nwifuru to prioritise the appointment of professionals and accomplished business leaders with relevant expertise, exposure to innovative ideas and what he described as a stronger commitment to public service.
Agbo said such a restructuring should be accompanied by measures to reduce the cost of governance and eliminate duplication of responsibilities across ministries, departments and agencies.
He questioned the rationale for maintaining separate portfolios for works, infrastructure development, projects monitoring and rural development, arguing that some of the responsibilities could be consolidated for greater efficiency.
“There is a Commissioner for Infrastructure for Concession which is a contradiction of the responsibilities of the Works Commissioner. There is another Commissioner for Projects Monitoring and another Commissioner for Rural Development.
“What is the need for having the Ministry of Works, Ministry of Infrastructure for Concession, Ministry of Projects Monitoring and another Commissioner for Rural Development?” he queried.
Agbo proposed that the Ministry of Works should have responsibility for infrastructure delivery, while local government administration could incorporate chieftaincy matters and rural development.
He further suggested that project evaluation and monitoring should operate as a specialised office within the Ministry of Works, focusing on projects under the ministry.
He also proposed the establishment of a Strategy, Innovation, Policy Coordination and Implementation Office (SIPCIO) within the Governor’s Office.
According to him, the proposed office, headed by a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on SIPCIO, would serve as an “engine room” for translating government policies and political vision into measurable programmes and projects.
He said the office could use modern technology to monitor implementation, generate real-time reports for the governor and provide a public-facing dashboard through which citizens could track government projects and their stages of implementation.
On the recent removal of the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Stanley Lebechi Mbam, Agbo said the development was overdue, citing what he described as poor-quality workmanship and slow execution of some government projects.
NATIONAL PANEL reports that Governor Nwifuru, however, did not publicly state a reason for Mbam’s removal in the announcement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr Monday Uzor, on Saturday.
The governor directed the former commissioner to hand over government property, including his official vehicle, to the Secretary to the State Government and transfer his responsibilities to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works.
Agbo said the administration should use the opportunity to strengthen its project-delivery mechanism and restore greater public confidence in the execution of infrastructure projects.
Looking ahead, he urged the governor to give greater attention to education, healthcare and rural development while sustaining investment in urban infrastructure.
“Our primary and secondary schools need attention. Renovation of schools, qualified teachers and instructional materials are very crucial,” he said.
On healthcare, Agbo emphasised health education, public sensitisation and the strengthening of primary healthcare centres, while identifying rural electrification, rural roads and access to potable water as critical components of rural development.
He maintained that a more efficient administrative structure, merit-based appointments and stronger project-monitoring mechanisms would enable the government to translate its policies into tangible improvements in the lives of residents.
