By Agnes Igwe, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor, Mr. David Nweze Umahi, has called on his first set of political appointees to help the state to intensify the ongoing crusade against cultism.
Governor Umahi also enjoined the appointees to either serve the state selflessly or be ready to resign their appointments.
The governor gave the charge at the State Executive Chamber in Abakaliki while swearing-in some key functionaries of his administration.
Umahi, who said the appointments were based on merit, charged the appointees to be committed to their assigned duties.
Among those sworn in by the governor were Dr. Kenneth Ugbala as Secretary to the State Government, and who shall also double as the commissioner for border peace and internal security; Hon. Clement Nweke, who was reappointed as Principal Secretary; Dr. Offor Okorie Emmanuel as Chief of Staff; Barrister Joseph Ekumankama as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Abuja Liaison Office; Barrister Cletus Nwokporo Ofoke as Attorney General; and Mr. Chinako Aniakor as Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Utility – Capital city.
Others are Mr. Benedict Nwovu, Special Assistant on Security and Utility – Ebonyi North zone; Mr. Nwoba Onyekachi, Special Assistant on Security and Utility – Ebonyi Central zone; Mr. Chika Nwangele, Special Assistant on Security and Utility – Ebonyi South zone.
Also, Barrister Sunday Nwankwo was appointed Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor’s Office; while Emmanuel Uzor and Monday Uzor were reappointed as Chief Press Secretaries to the Governor and Deputy Governor, respectively.
Governor Umahi, however, made it clear that all appointees in his second tenure were coming to work hard and to help intensify the ongoing fight against cultism in the state.
He promised to carry all his Executive Council members, both past and present, along in all his policies and plans till the end of his second term and advised that they should not complain of money as there was no more money in government system and should never see their involvement in government as an easy way to make money.
The governor disclosed that the ministries’ over-heads had been brought down by fifty percent and directed that, henceforth, all the ministries and agencies’ expenses must be properly audited on a monthly basis before other funds were released to them, including that of his office.
Governor Umahi noted that his choice of persons to work with was divinely guided and further stressed that the choice of the new Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ugbala to also act as the commissioner for Internal Security and Boarder Peace was because of the brilliant work he did in the ministry while he served as both SSA and as the commissioner.
He emphasised that he would not entertain any excuse for failure, adding that more appointments would continue to come as God revealed the right persons to him.
