Ikpeazu had dissolved the Abia state executive council in January 2021 and only retained the Commissioners for Information, Health and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Chief John Okiyi Kalu, Dr. Joe Osuji and Barr. Uceh Ihediwa, respectively.
In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ben Godson , it noted that Ikpeazu had gone more than four months since he started running the state without Commissioners.
“Everyone in Nigeria is aware that Gov Ikpeazu, dissolved Abia State Executive Council in January, retaining only the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Information and the Commissioner for Health.
This decision of the Governor to dissolve the Executive Council retaining only 3 Commissioners was wildly reported. It actually means that about 23 Commissioners were removed making such positions vacant since January 2021. How can this be? Majority of them are meant to execute all what’s approved for their ministries in the 2021 Budget. They made inputs on how those ministries will be run this year, why are
we derailing from how government should operate?
It accused the Governor of embarrassing the state by referring to some of the people he never announced their retention, as serving Commissioners.
“This Press Statement is meant to ask the Gov Ikpeazu to tell Abians what kind of shadow Commissioners he’s using in Abia. It is also meant to remind him that Abia is not a hamlet he can administer as he feels.
If the previous Commissioners are people of questionable characters, are there no other qualified Abians you can replace them with?
“Why is Gov Ikpeazu finding it difficult to replace them? What’s holding him? Is 4 months not enough? Is there something happening behind that Abians need to know? Gov Ikpeazu please tell us. As a Governor, he has right to remove any of his employees, but courtesy demands that he
administer Abia as a state not a social club where he owes nobody any
explanations.
However, Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi , said the Governor is focused on ensuring the protection of lives and property and would soon expand the state executive council.
“There is a state executive council in place in Abia as required by law. We have five commissioners including the attorney general and commissioner for justice and his colleagues for health, finance, Information and works in addition to the secretary to state government and the chief of staff to the Governor.
“In due course the Governor will expand his cabinet as necessary giving consideration to variables such as need, finance, competence and other considerations. At the moment the Governor is focused on ensuring the protection of life and properties of our people.
“Very soon the cabinet will be expanded with highly qualified and competent Abians recruited to support the Governor deliver more dividends of democracy to our people under his Kinetic Abia Project.”
