Ebonyi Governor orders Arrest Of 6 Commissioners, Local Government Chairman For Alleged Breach Of Contract Terms
Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has ordered the arrest of six Commissioners over alleged involvement in breach of a contract for the construction of 140 housing units for Izzo and Amaze communities.
The arrested commissioners are Professor Omari Omaka (Tertiary Education), Victor Chukwu (Environment), Ifeanyi Ogbuewu (Culture and Tourism), Uchenna Igwe – (Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters), Moses Ekuma (Health) and Felix Igboke (Project Monitoring).
The Chairman of Afikpo LGA, Mr Timothy Nwachi, was also suspended.
It was gathered that those commissioners were declared wanted by the state government before their arrest.
The governor, who spoke to newsmen
Speaking on behalf of the governor at a press briefing in Abakaliki, the Chairman of the State Executive Council Committee on Izzo and Amaze Housing Project, Ilang Donatus, said the government felt that the affected commissioners and contractors have breached the terms and conditions of the contract given to them by the government.
It was alleged that the affected commissioners and the contractors were sabotaging the plan of the Governor Nwifuru to commission the housing units to mark his two years anniversary in the state.
“The governor is not happy over the pace of the work which ought to have been completed. The government has decided to clamp down on the contractors and commissioners who were mandated to supervise those projects.
“As you can see, our governor is a man with a passionate heart, he likes giving succour, hence the building of those houses for the victims of the communal crisis.
“He is not happy that the project is delayed and has ordered the arrest of all the commissioners who were supposed to ensure the speedy completion of the housing units,” Donatus said.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Mobilisation, Ebonyi Central, Mrs Maria Okohu, who is member of the Executive Council Committee, said that non-completion of the projects by the contractors and the failure of some of the commissioners to strictly supervise them as directed by the government is an act of sabotage.
The governor, through the committee, insisted that the arrests will continue until all thecommissioners and contractors involved are brought to book and, as well, do the needful.
It was gathered that the Nigeria Police has equally issued invitation letters to some of the fleeing commissioners and contractors who where not at home at the time the committee visited.
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