Ebonyi workers to receive N150,000 Christmas bonus — Nwifuru

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has announced a N150,000 Christmas bonus for all categories of civil servants in the state.

The governor made the announcement on Sunday during a church service at the Government House Chapel in Abakaliki. He said the payment was part of his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of workers, despite what he described as the state’s limited revenue over the past year.

Nwifuru noted that the gesture was intended to ease economic hardship and enable workers to celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays. He added that many organisations traditionally provide additional support to workers during the festive period, and his government was determined to do the same.

Speaking on the forthcoming local government elections in the state, the governor promised a level playing field for all aspirants. He stated that he had no preferred candidate and had not anointed anyone for the election.

According to him, the will of the people must prevail, stressing that residents should freely choose their representatives without interference. He also reiterated his directive that political appointees seeking to contest in the local government elections must resign their appointments in line with existing electoral guidelines.

Nwifuru insisted that it was not his responsibility to select local government chairmen, warning that any appointee interested in contesting must comply fully with the law by stepping down from office.