Ebonyi suspends Health Commissioner after civil servants were caught stealing govt materials
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has wielded the big stick by suspending the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma hours after civil servants were caught stealing materials from the ministry.
The governor also suspended the Housing and Urban Development Commissioner, Francis Ori.
According to a report by Punch Newspaper, the two commissioners were suspended on Monday during the State Executive Council meeting in Abakaliki, the state capital.
A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor 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.”
The newspaper learnt that the development may be connected to the alleged theft of pieces of property belonging to the Ministry of Health by its officials and the reported underperformance of the Housing and Urban Development commissioner and his shoddy handling of the Amaeze Housing Scheme in the Ishielu Local Government Area of the state.
Recall that the governor was in the health ministry’s premises on Saturday night and met a scene where six officials were caught allegedly diverting government materials.
He, therefore, ordered their arrest and eventual prosecution.