Ebonyi: Governor Nwifuru  Suspends Two Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries

By Akinwale Kasali

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has  suspended, indefinitely, the State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development. He, also suspended the Commissioner for Health for three-months.

The Commissioners were suspended over allegations of gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.

Several other government officials were also punished.

Additionally, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, along with the Executive Secretaries of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency, were also suspended for three months.

This comes after the Governor had earlier suspended the Commissioner for Water Resources over the vandalization of State water schemes.

The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Chief Jude Okpor, disclosed the suspensions during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting. He announced that the Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Health has been directed to oversee the Ministry of Health in the absence of the suspended Commissioner.

“The suspended officials are to hand over all government properties in their possession, including vehicles, to the Secretary to the Government on or before the close of work on Monday, November 25, 2024,” Okpor stated.

Governor Nwifuru’s administration has also approved significant reforms in state-owned media establishments. The Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation (EBBC) will now operate as an independent entity, becoming a Public Liability Company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

“This reform aims to boost the productivity and economic returns of the corporation,” Okpor said, adding that a similar transformation applies to the Nigerian Patriot, the state’s newspaper and publishing corporation.

Affected staff who do not fit into the new independent structure will be redeployed to other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to continue their careers.

“This move is not about sacking employees but about reconfiguring the establishments to be independent, business-oriented, and self-reliant,” Okpor clarified.

The Council also directed the Head of Service to advertise vacancies for the positions of Auditor General of the State and Auditor General for Local Government, emphasizing the need to fill these roles promptly.