Ebonyi suspends health, housing commissioners over ‘gross misconduct’

Francis Nwifuru, governor of Ebonyi, has suspended Moses Ekuma, the state’s commissioner for health, and Francis Ori, the commissioner for housing and urban development.

According to a statement by Jude Okpor, commissioner for information, the officials were suspended on Monday during the executive council meeting in Abakaliki.

Okpor said the housing commissioner has been suspended indefinitely, while Ekuma has been suspended for three months.

“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 (3) months suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health respectively,” the statement reads.

The statement added that the permanent secretary of the health ministry, the executive secretaries of the primary healthcare development agency and that of the Ebonyi state health insurance agency, are also to proceed on a three-month suspension.

“In view of the development, the Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on Primary Health was directed to take charge of the ministry in the absence of the suspended Commissioner,” the statement reads.

“The suspended government officials are to hand over all government properties in their possession including vehicles to the Secretary to the Government on or before the close of work on Monday, November 25, 2024.”

On Saturday, the Ebonyi governor posted a video on his Facebook page showing how he apprehended some men caught loading a vehicle with documents belonging to the ministry of health.

He subsequently ordered the arrest of six civil servants over the act.