Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has indefinitely suspended the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and temporarily removed the Commissioner for Health, along with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and the Executive Secretaries of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency, for three months.
The suspensions, announced on Tuesday by Jude Okpor, Commissioner for Information, followed allegations of misconduct and dereliction of duties.
Okpor disclosed the decisions during a press briefing on the outcomes of the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting held on Monday at the New Government House in Abakaliki.
“Following cases of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties, the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and a three-month suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health,” Okpor said.
In the interim, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Health has been directed to oversee the Ministry of Health.
The suspended officials have been ordered to hand over all government properties in their possession, including vehicles, to the Secretary to the State Government.
The State Executive Council has commenced ministerial debates and defenses for the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) as part of the preparation for the 2025 budget proposal. The process will culminate in a presentation to the House of Assembly for legislative consideration and approval.
The council also approved a citizens’ budget participatory engagement scheduled for Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at the Ecumenical Centre in Abakaliki.
Governor Nwifuru’s administration announced plans to reform state-owned media establishments, including the Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation (EBBC) and the Ebonyi State Newspapers and Publishing Corporation (Nigerian Patriot). The corporations will transition to Public Liability Companies (PLCs) registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), making them fully independent, business-oriented, and self-reliant.
This reform aims to increase productivity and economic returns for the state. Okpor clarified that the initiative is not intended to result in job losses. Instead, staff who no longer fit into the new administrative framework will be reassigned to other MDAs to continue their careers.
“The council sees this reform as a step toward creating more efficient and self-sustaining institutions, not as a means to sack any staff,” Okpor stated.
