Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has suspended two commissioners from his cabinet due to allegations of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties.
The suspended commissioners are Dr. Moses Ekuma, the state Commissioner for Health, and Francis Ori, the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development.
The suspension was announced during the State Executive Council meeting in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Monday.
A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, confirmed the suspension, stating that the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of Ori and a three-month suspension of Ekuma.
It stated: “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.”
The development may be connected to the alleged theft of property belonging to the Ministry of Health by its officials and the reported underperformance of the Housing and Urban Development commissioner.
Specifically, Ori’s handling of the Amaeze Housing Scheme in the Ishielu Local Government Area of the state has been called into question.
The governor’s decision to suspend the commissioners comes after he caught six officials allegedly diverting government materials at the health ministry’s premises on Saturday night. The governor ordered their arrest and eventual prosecution.
The suspensions are seen as a move by the governor to address corruption and misconduct within his administration.
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