The General Manager of Ebonyi State Transport Corporation (EBOTRANS), Mrs. Nnenna Igwe, on Monday said the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru has demonstrated a strong commitment to gender-balanced governance and human capital development, describing it as laudable.
Speaking with Journalists in Abakaliki, Mrs. Igwe extolled the Governor for fostering unprecedented women’s inclusion in leadership across Ebonyi State, adding that such inclusion has shown the value he placed on women.
“His appointment of the first female Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, and her own emergence as the first female General Manager of EBOTRANS should be acknowledged,” she stated.
She further applauded the First Lady, Chief (Mrs.) Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, for her humanitarian work through the BEWO Foundation, acknowledging the recent enrollment of more than 10,000 women into BEWO’s skills acquisition program and the construction of houses for widows, describing the First Lady as a champion for women’s empowerment and social welfare.
She announced sweeping reforms and operational improvements achieved during her first year in office, stating that the transformations have repositioned the state-owned transport agency for greater efficiency and improved service delivery.
Igwe, who is the first woman to lead EBOTRANS since the creation of Ebonyi State, said she inherited a poorly functioning system when she assumed office but has since executed targeted interventions to restore and expand operations.
According to her, much of the corporation’s fleet was grounded upon her arrival, with many vehicles in a dilapidated condition. Within one year, nine old Sienna vehicles and nine old buses were fully refurbished and returned to service.
She described the turnaround as a major step in enhancing transport availability for commuters and reducing downtime across routes.
Under her stewardship, EBOTRANS has expanded its network by opening new routes, including the highly demanded Ebonyi–Lagos route, which was previously unavailable. Routes in Izzi LGA and Ezzamgbo in Ohaukwu LGA were also introduced, broadening the corporation’s reach within and outside the state.
Igwe noted that passenger preference has increased for Sienna vehicles, prompting ongoing plans to acquire additional units to meet public demand.
She attributed much of this progress to Governor Francis Nwifuru’s support, particularly the provision of 20 new Hiace buses that strengthened the agency’s operational capacity.
The EBOTRANS boss also highlighted significant improvements in staff welfare. She confirmed that all state-approved salary increments under Governor Nwifuru’s administration have been implemented within the corporation.
To enhance safety, Mrs. Igwe organised medical examinations for all EBOTRANS drivers in partnership with medical specialists from Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI).
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was also involved in training drivers on road safety and professional conduct.
