Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has appointed three Special Assistants to oversee key ministries as acting commissioners following a shake-up in his cabinet.
The governor directed Franklin Ukah, Special Assistant on Water Resources, and Patrick Enyi, Special Assistant on Housing and Urban Development, to head their respective ministries. Similarly, Dr. Sabinus Nwibo, Special Assistant on Primary Health, will take charge of the State Ministry of Health.
This decision comes in the wake of the suspension of Commissioners for Water Resources, Housing and Urban Development, and Health over allegations of misconduct and negligence. Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, disclosed the new appointments during a press briefing in Abakaliki, the state capital.
Governor Nwifuru suspended Magnus Nkah, Commissioner for Water Resources, and Francis Ori, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, indefinitely.
The Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, was also suspended for three months for similar offenses.
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Okpor emphasized that the appointments aim to ensure uninterrupted governance in the affected ministries, highlighting the administration’s commitment to accountability and efficiency.
The State Executive Council also approved several critical projects and funding initiatives aimed at enhancing infrastructure and public services in Ebonyi State. To bolster fire service preparedness during the dry season, the council sanctioned the procurement of 100 drums of chemical foam compounds.
Additionally, it allocated ₦375,119,096.15 as compensation for properties affected by the dualization of a section of the Abakaliki-Ogoja highway, stretching from Onuebonyi Junction to Nwezenyi Junction. In a bid to restore electricity to the Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone and energize the 132/33KV substation at Amasiri, the council also approved a recoverable TCN-guaranteed loan of $781,235.67 (₦130,258,048.24) to ensure the completion of the double-circuit 132KV line connecting Mile 50 to the Amasiri substation.