Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, on Monday, suspended two of his commissioners and three other government officials for alleged “gross misconduct and dereliction of duties”.
“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,” a statement on Tuesday by the government said.
Those suspended were the Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ekuma, and his Housing and Urban Development counterpart, Mr Francis Ori.
While Ekuma was suspended indefinitely, Ori was suspended for three months.
Also suspended were the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, executive secretaries of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency.
Our correspondent gathered they were suspended during the State Executive Council meeting, chaired by Governor Francis Nwifuru, in Abakaliki, on Monday.
The PUNCH learnt that the Health Commissioner’s suspension may be connected to the alleged theft of property belonging to the Ministry of Health by its officials.
Recall that Governor Francis Nwifuru, during an unscheduled visit to the health ministry on Saturday night, caught six persons allegedly diverting government property.
He immediately ordered their arrest and prosecution.
The Housing and Urban Development Commissioner, on his part, was reportedly suspended over his shoddy handling of the Amaeze housing scheme in the Ishielu Local Government Area of the state, apart from alleged underperformance.
Ori had earlier received the governor’s marching order to deliver critical projects under his watch or be arrested.
A document signed by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, sighted by our correspondent, on Tuesday, read, “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 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 to the Governor on Primary Health was directed to take charge of the ministry in the absence of the suspended commissioner.”