The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Uzoh Toochukwu Machiavelli has dismissed claims by opposition critics that the state has been placed on “auto reverse gear” under Governor Francis Nwifuru, challenging them to produce empirical evidence to substantiate the allegation.

He vowed to mobilize massive support for the re-election of governor Francis Nwifuru and president Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027 general election in the state.

Uzoh, in a statement on Tuesday, said the claim was contradicted by developments across key sectors of the state, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, digital technology, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment and industrialisation.

He was reacting to comments attributed to opposition figures, including Awuzie Frankline and Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, who had criticized the Nwifuru administration and alleged that the state was regressing under the governor.

The commissioner said political criticism was legitimate in a democracy but should be based on verifiable facts, policies and measurable outcomes rather than personal attacks and unsubstantiated assertions.

According to him, the Nwifuru administration has pursued its “People’s Charter of Needs” through programmes designed to improve the welfare and living conditions of workers, pensioners, youths, women and vulnerable residents.

Uzoh cited the payment of pension and gratuity arrears dating back to 1996, overseas scholarships for more than 1,000 Ebonyians pursuing Master’s and PhD programmes, construction of Smart Model Schools across communities and the establishment of the ICT University as evidence of the government’s investment in human capital.

He also listed the upgrading and equipping of healthcare facilities, recruitment of health workers, improved remuneration and welfare packages for resident doctors, as well as the enrolment of civil servants and about 200,000 residents in the state health insurance scheme.

On infrastructure, the commissioner said the government had embarked on road construction across the state, including at least two-kilometre roads in the autonomous communities, while more than 800 kilometres of rural and community roads had either been initiated or completed.

He mentioned several major projects, including the 23-kilometre Stadium-Nwofe Road, 19-kilometre Obvudechi-Iziogo Road with a two-span bridge, Ebonyi Ring Road, New Mile 50 Road, Court Area Okposi-Isinkwo-Ojigwe Road, Okebigwe-Nworie Road, Akanu Ibiam Road, Ndibe-Nkpoghoro Road and other inter-community and feeder roads.

Uzoh said the administration had equally invested in housing and resettlement programmes, including houses for widows and vulnerable residents, 140 housing units for civil servants and more than 400 housing units for people displaced by communal conflicts.

The commissioner said the state’s digital transformation drive had seen the deployment of fibre-optic infrastructure across the capital and other areas, provision of free internet services for students and public offices, and training and certification of more than 2,000 Ebonyians in advanced ICT skills.

He further disclosed that the government had intensified its industrialisation programme through the revitalisation of the pipe production, hatchery and fertiliser factories,

while construction of the Ebonyi State Industrial City at Izhiangbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, was designed to provide a major hub for manufacturing, technology, logistics and export activities.

On agriculture and youth empowerment, Uzoh said 200 young Ebonyians trained at CSS Farms in Gora, Nasarawa State, received N5 million each as start-up capital, representing a N1 billion intervention.

He added that 300 other youths trained in rice production, fishery, poultry, piggery and other agro-based enterprises were empowered with N3 million each, while 500 Ebonyians received N2 million business grants and another 1,500 youths were given N1 million each to support their businesses and livelihoods.

The commissioner argued that the programmes represented a deliberate attempt by the government to combine skills, capital and opportunity to create sustainable livelihoods rather than merely announce empowerment initiatives.

Uzoh also attributed the state’s development strides partly to the peace and security sustained under the present administration, stressing that investors, businesses and farmers could not operate effectively in an atmosphere of insecurity.

He therefore challenged those alleging that Ebonyi was on “auto reverse gear” to identify the sector they believed had collapsed, the major projects they claimed had been abandoned, the policies they considered failures and the measurable development indicators that had regressed.

“Criticism is healthy in a democracy, but it should be constructive. You can disagree with Governor Nwifuru’s policies, question his priorities and challenge his figures, but serious criticism must be supported by evidence,” he said.

Uzoh maintained that the scale of interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, ICT, industrialisation and human capital development did not support the claim that Ebonyi was moving backwards.

He urged political actors and commentators ahead of the 2027 elections to shift the conversation from personal attacks to issues, policies and verifiable records, insisting that “facts do not become false because they are inconvenient.”

The commissioner said the Nwifuru administration would remain focused on its development agenda and urged Ebonyians to judge the government by its programmes, projects and impact on the lives of citizens