Governor Nwifuru Reshuffles Cabinet, Issues Ultimatum to Two Commissioners

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has announced a minor cabinet reshuffle involving four commissioners, with a stern call for improved performance in line with the administration's People’s Charter of Needs manifesto.

The reshuffle was disclosed on Tuesday by the newly appointed Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Ikeuwa Omebeh, during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held in Abakaliki. In a decisive move, Governor Nwifuru issued a three-month grace period to the Commissioner for Environment, Victor Uzoma-Chukwu, and the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka, warning that failure to improve within the period would lead to their removal from office. As part of ongoing efforts to industrialize the state, the Executive Council also approved the supply and installation of Independent Captive Power Generation Plants, designed to provide 24-hour metered electricity to selected public and private industries. The project will commence with a three-megawatt plant at ICT University, Oferekpe, Agbaja. Additionally, the council ratified the constitution of a 15-member Ebonyi State Economic Advisory Committee. The committee will be chaired by Prof. Barth Nnaji, with Dr. Ben Odoh serving as Secretary. "As part of preliminary requirements for the commencement of action on the 2026 budget, Exco received and approved the 2026 - 2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework Work (MTEF). The MTEF is a strategic financial planning document that encompasses the Economic and Fiscal Update (EFU), the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), and the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for the state over the next three years. "Exco approved the participation of Ebonyi State in the E-HEART project of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the subsequent payment of counterpart funding for the project. E-HEART is an acronym that stands for Energy for Health, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, and Transportation. "The Council received and approved the Ebonyi Business Enabling Reform Action Plan (BERAP) 2024, which indicates the progressive performance of the state in the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Programme. This is intended to meet the World Bank eligibility criteria for implementation of the SABER Programme in 2025." the statement further noted. Our correspondent reports that cabinet reshuffle includes: Engr. Jude Chikadibia Okpor, from Commissioner for Information and State Orientation to Commissioner for Rural Development, Barr. Ikeuwa C. Omebeh — from Commissioner for Rural Development to Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Prof. Paul Awo Nwobasi — from Commissioner for Education (Primary and Secondary) to Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution,Donatus Ilang — from Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution to Commissioner for Education (Primary and Secondary). Governor Nwifuru urged all appointees to reflect on their performance and recommit themselves to the vision and objectives of his administration for the benefit of the people.