Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi has ordered a one-month working suspension of the state’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Samuel Okoronkwo, for alleged boundary security compromise and negligence.
Umahi gave the order, yesterday in a statement he personally posted on the social media and confirmed by the Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji.
He said the suspension meant forfeiture of one month salary.
The governor also ordered a one-month working suspension of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Augustine Nwuzor.
Governor Umahi expressed dismay over an alleged high level of compromise and negligence of duty he witnessed on May 9 when he inspected the state’s boundaries at Afipo North and Ivo local government areas.
He threatened to sack them if there were no improvements.
“All development centre coordinators of Afikpo North and Ivo councils are hereby suspended from office and should handover government property in their custody, including their official vehicles.
“All political appointees from these councils are to remain on half salary until normalcy returns, including all traditional rulers from both councils.
“The chairmen and leadership of town unions in Ebonyi are hereby suspended and I will dissolve all town unions this May if situations do not improve,” he also threatened.
He further threatened that all health workers in the state, who absent from their duty posts from Sunday, will be sacked, pledging to do more in the coming days to secure the people’s lives.
“What I saw on Saturday at Ivo council left me worried about our people’s honesty in doing this job.
“I was disappointed with what I saw there and also at Afikpo North council between 6.30 pm and 12.am.
“I ‘arrested’ over 10 passenger-buses with over 50 passengers coming from Abia, Rivers and Lagos states.
“People manning the road blocks ‘took’ bribes and allowed them to pass and I had no option than to arrest those said to be doing the work but were only taking bribes,” he said.
