Ebonyi State Government, on Tuesday announced that it will no longer make more political appointments.
Governor David Umahi said this as members of the State Executive Council increased from 70 to 83 after the swearing in of three Senior Special Assistants (SSA), nine Senior Assistants (SA) and nine members of the Secondary Education Board (SEB).
The governor, who will swear in 26 commissioners on Wednesday, said: “The appointment into the SEB for instance is not a political patronage. Our problem in the state is that 99 per cent of appointees view such as political patronages.
“People appointed as Senior Technical Assistants (STA) before, requested to be appointed as SAs, which implies that they do not understand what the position means”.
He charged the SEB chairman to divide the members into Local Government Areas (LGAs) and zones to prevent government’s wrath falling on the board but on underperforming members.
“There is no reason for SEB members to be in Abakaliki as 95 per cent of its staff members should be in the field.
“Every appointment attracts over 1,000 enemies. Appointees should stop complaining about the portfolios they were assigned but create wealth from such.
“Nobody has a particular ministry to himself and when you see a job not done, do it and don’t mind the person complaining to continue,” he said.
Umahi urged the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and aides on internal security, to float a security bond where banks and other members of the private sector would contribute.
“The banks have refused to assist the government even by donating vehicles in spite of the fact that most of them owe us.
“Create the bond, meet the banks one by one and solicit assistance from the society to do your jobs,” he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the newly appointed aides include: Mr Sunday Ugwuocha (SSA-Environment); Mrs Chinyere Elom (SSA—Specialised Education); Mr Bede Nwali (SSA—Livestock production); Mr Peter Nwogbaga (SA—Industrial Cluster, North senatorial zone).
Others were: Mr Edwin Okah (SA-Industrial cluster, Central zone); Mrs Francesca Okeke-SA—Industrial cluster, South zone); Chikaodili Ukah (SA-Water projects); Joseph Uguru (SA—Decorative light/ fountains); and Uche Okpagu (SA-Primary education) among others.
