Abakaliki residents set agenda for in-coming commissioners

A cross-section of residents of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, have tasked the incoming commissioners to live above board in their call to service.

The residents gave the charge in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki.

They extolled Gov. Francis Nwifuru for the timely nomination of the commissioners designate and expressed optimism that the inauguration, slated for June 20, would enable the new administration to hit the ground rolling.

They also commended the governor for bringing on board men and women of proven integrity and track records of excellence to help in piloting the affairs of the state.

According to them, the inauguration is coming barely less than a week after members of the House of Assembly were inaugurated.

They, therefore, charged the incoming commissioners and other appointees of the governor to live above board, shun greed, and not use public funds for personal aggrandizement.

Mr Barnabas Onwe, a lawyer who appreciated the governor for the timely constituting his cabinet, said that he had gone through the profiles of most of the commissioner nominees and aides, and discovered that they are people of impeccable characters.

“By the governor’s action, it is obvious that he wants to set the ball rolling and he has proven that through the calibre of people he has assembled to assist him in his work.

“In less than one month of his inauguration as the fourth civilian governor of the state and not up to one week of the inauguration of State lawmakers, he will be swearing in his cabinet on Tuesday.

“We urge the soon-to-be commissioners to be diligent and to put in their best to ensure the speedy implementation of the administration’s cardinal programmes,” Onwe said.

A lecturer in the Ebonyi State University (EBSU), who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, urged the governor to name a seasoned educationist as the commissioner for Education in the new cabinet.

He alleged that education suffered neglect in the immediate past administration where a medical doctor was appointed as the commissioner for education, “so, I am appealing to the governor to deploy a seasoned educationist to man the ministry to avoid the mistake of the previous administration.

“Education is a critical sector and pivotal to our overall development hence the need to restore the past glory of the education sector,” he said.

The source said: “Many of the nominees are seasoned politicians and technocrats who have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers.”

Mr Frederick Chukwu, a physically-challenged resident, lamented an alleged exclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the incoming cabinet and appealed to the governor to consider PWDs in the next bout of appointments.

“We have gone through the list of nominees for commissioners and special aides and nobody with a disability is included and for us, this is not right.

“I think the governor wants to tackle, headlong, challenges of leadership and needs to waste no time in doing so by the appointments he had so far made,” Chukwu said.

NAN reports that the inauguration ceremony, slated to hold at the Executive Council Chambers, Ochudo Centenary City, would be marked by the swearing in of the 35 commissioner nominees who were recently screened and cleared by the Ebonyi House of Assembly.

The occasion would also mark the swearing in of Senior Special Assistants (SSAs), Special Assistants (SAs), as well as the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff respectively. (NAN)