Yuletide: Governor rebuffs stakeholders’ request to recall suspended commissioners

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has declined appeal from political stakeholders to recall suspended Commissioners in the State.

 

Recall that two Commissioners: Commissioner for Water Resources, Magnus Nkah and his counterpart of Health, Moses Ekuma, were recently suspended by the Governor for gross misconduct.

 

The people of Ohanivo, comprising Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo Federal Constituency, during a Christmas homage to the Governor in his home on Monday appealed to him to magnanimously recall Nkah who is from the constituency.

 

Governor Nwifuru, refusing the appeal, insisted that public offices are not run on sentiments.

 

He explained that similar appeal has been made earlier by both his kiths and Kin and other stakeholders from his clan on behalf of the Commissioner for Health, who is incidentally the Governor’s cousin to no avail.

 

The Governor maintained that it is his prerogative to determine when to lift the suspensions, insisting that their appointment were given based on his personal assessment of them, not by recommendation from anyone.

 

Nwifuru said: “I wanted to restrict myself from speaking on those I suspended because it is not ‘Ohanivo’ that recommended them.

 

“I assessed them and I appointed them.

 

“So, if you are requesting for me to lift the suspension, I will not talk about that because they are not serving ‘Ohanivo’; they are serving the entire state.

 

“Governor’s word is excellent, the Governor is the state and the State cannot swallow back its words.

 

“The suspensions is pronounced for 3 months, and your prayer should be for it not to even exceed the 3 months.

 

“And if you use emotions to thwart the order, you have not done justice to the state.

 

“They need to learn their lessons properly so that if they eventually come back, they will not fall into misconduct again.”

 

Governor Nwifuru who expressed gratitude to all state, federal appointees and elected office holders from the constituency for their dedication and excellence in service, appealed to them to strengthen their support to his predecessor and Federal Minister of Works Senator David Umahi who he described as a go-getter.

 

He warned those taking gossips to the Minister with his name to desist forthwith, stressing that no one can ever come between him and his predecessor.

 

He maintained that the filial relationship between him and the Umahi’s transcends politics, and anyone attempting to scuttle it does that to his own perils.

 

He added: “I want to beg you for one thing: if you don’t want him to make mistakes; if you don’t want him to destroy his legacies, pray for him, stop lying to him, stop gossiping in his house.

 

“I belong to his family and we are indivisible.

 

“Even you going to gossip, do you know the pact between me and him; do you know when we started our journey?

 

“So, I just want to beg you, leave that man alone.

 

“He is not just my friend, my Boss, my father, but we are family members.”

 

Speaking on behalf of the ‘Ohanivo’ people, the leader of the delegation and former federal representative of the constituency, Darlington Okereke, extolled the leadership prowess of the Governor, commending him for his all-inclusive developmental strides.

 

While pledging the continued support of the people to Nwifuru’s administration, Okereke appealed to the Governor to lift the suspension of the suspended cabinet members.