The Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru has suspended the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and the Commissioner for Health.
Announcing this as the outcome of the Ebonyi State Executive Council Meeting held on Monday, November 25, 2024 in a press briefing, Engr. Jude Chikadibia Okpor, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ebonyi State, noted that while the Housing and Urban Development commissioner was suspended indefinitely, his Health counterpart was suspended for 3 months.
See the Press Briefing Below:
PRESS BRIEFING ON THE OUTCOME OF THE EBONYI STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2024
The Executive Council meeting was as usual presided over by the Chairman of Council and Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, FNIOB, FCAI, GGCEHF.
Business of the day
1. SUSPENSION OF SOME GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Following cases of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties by some government officials and matters related thereto, the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and three (3) months suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health respectively.
Also to proceed on a three-month suspension are the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, the Executive Secretaries of the State Primarily Healthcare Development Agency and that of the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency.
In view of the development, the Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on Primary Health was directed to take charge of the ministry in the absence of the suspended Commissioner.
The suspended government 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.
2. INFORMATION
State-owned Media Establishments
After an exhaustive deliberation on the administrative status of the State-owned Radio and Television Stations, the EBBC, the Council approved the ceding off of the Corporation to become an independent outfit. The implication of this that the Corporation will become a Public Liability Company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. This is aimed at raising the productivity level of the corporation as well boosting accruable economic returns to the State Government. The same applies to the Ebonyi State Newspapers and Publishing Corporation, Nigerian Patriot.
With this development, the staff of the establishments who no longer fit into the new administrative/independent configuration of the outfits are to be posted to other MDAs where their services are needed to further their careers.
EXCO noted that this reform is not in any way tilting towards sacking any member of staff of the establishments but sees this as a move to re-jig the outfits towards making them fully independent, business-oriented and self-reliant.
3. CIVIL/PUBLIC SERVICE
Following existing vacancies and the need to fill same, the Council directed the Head of Service to advertise for the positions of the Auditor General of the state and that of Local Government.
4. BUDGET
In preparation for the 2025 fiscal year, EXCO commenced ministerial debates and defence for the MDAs, marking the commencement of the processes preceding the official presentation of the budget proposal to the House of Assembly for statutory legislative consideration and approval.
To this effect, the Council further approved the Citizens budget participatory engagement which will take place on Wednesday, 27, 2024 at Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, by 10: 00am
Engr. Jude Chikadibia Okpor
Hon. Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ebonyi State.
26 November, 2024