Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has sworn in 18 new commissioners and four agency heads, warning appointees against treating public office as an avenue for personal enrichment.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Light House in Awka, formally launched what the governor described as “Team Solution 2.0” for the execution of his second-term development agenda.
With the earlier swearing-in of Barrister Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and Izuchukwu Okafor as Commissioner for Finance, the Anambra State Executive Council now has 21 commissioners.
Addressing the newly inaugurated officials, Soludo said public appointments under his administration should be seen as responsibilities demanding sacrifice and hard work rather than opportunities for luxury.
“In Nigeria, a public appointment is too often viewed as a call to ‘come and chop.’ But under this administration, I don’t see a dining table. What I see is gruelling work; I see fields where you must sweat to serve,” he said.
The governor said the selection process for the cabinet members involved extensive vetting to ensure competence, merit, and capacity.
Using aviation imagery to underscore the pace of governance expected in his second term, Soludo told the appointees that governance had already moved beyond ceremonial politics.
“The plane is already on autopilot. If you don’t get into the passenger cabin, you must get directly into the cockpit. We are in a race against time to build a liveable and prosperous homeland for over nine million Ndi Anambra,” he said.
He urged the commissioners to treat their Oath of Office as a moral guide, revealing that he personally keeps his own copy visible in his bedroom as a reminder of his responsibilities in office.
Soludo also appealed to relatives and associates of the appointees to moderate their expectations, stressing that public service demands full-time commitment and personal sacrifice.
Among the newly sworn-in commissioners are Ben Odoemena (Agriculture), Chukwukadibia Okoye (Budget and Economic Planning), Dr. Ekene Ogugua (Education), Dr. Afam Obidike (Health), Dr. Law Mefor (Information and Value Reformation), Prof. Charles Ofoegbu (Petroleum and Mineral Resources), and Engr. Okey Ezeobi (Works and Infrastructure).
The governor also inaugurated heads of key agencies into the State Executive Council, including Emeka Okonkwo of the Anambra Road Traffic Agency (ARTMA), Ossy Onuko of the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), Fred Agbata of the ICT Agency, and Obi Okonkwo of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
Speaking on behalf of the new cabinet members, Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, thanked the governor and the Anambra State House of Assembly for the confidence repo sed in them.