Gov Nwifuru Swears In CoS, SSG, Other Principal Officers In Ebonyi

By Agbo Amauche, Abakaliki

Ebonyi State Governor Chief Francis Nwifuru has sworn in Professor Emmanuel Echiegu as his Chief of Staff and Prof Grace Umezuruike as Secretary to the State Government and principal officers of Government.

The Governor performed the swearing in ceremony at the executive council chambers new Government house, Centenary City, Abakaliki.

Others sworn in by the Governor were the Deputy Chief of Staff and Deputy Principal Secretary Engr. Timothy Nwachi and Hon. Okey Oroke respectively.

Also sworn in by the governor at the State Executive Council Chambers Government House, Ochudo Centenary City are 20 Senior Special Assistants.

Recall that the Chief of Staff was a former Commissioner for Agriculture under the former Governors of the State, Dr Sam Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi’s administrations while Adum was a former National Assembly member and also served as Commissioner in the two administrations in the State.

Adum also was a Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and Commissioner for Culture and Tourism during the three administrations.

Also, Nwachi before his inauguration was the Director General of the state radio and television station, EBBC from where he was appointed the Deputy Chief of Staff by the Governor while Chief Okey Oroke was Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters Egwu’s administration and was Chief of Staff to Nwifuru when he was the Speaker of the state House of Assembly from where he was elected the Governor in 2023. Nwifuru was the Speaker of the House for eight years.

Those appointed Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) are as follows Chinedu Awo, SSA on Power, Anthony Onyibe Nwegede, SSA Agriculture, Benjamin Ezeoma, SSA on Lands, Barr. Friday Nwuhuo SSA Legal Services, Onu Nwonye SSA Water Resources, Lilian Nwachukwu Chinwe SSA Education, Nwozaka Abel Uzodinma SSA Rice Mill and Nwogbaga Fred SSA Transport.

Others include; Nwogha Paul SSA, Local Government and Chieftaincy; Barrister Nwoga Paul, SSA Library Development, Nwokoro Okechukwu SSA Environment, Maxwell Umahi SSA Urban Development, Hon. Veronica Ikele SSA Women Mobilisation, Chima Ude Umanta SSA Solid Mineral Development, Ali Okechukwu, SSA House of Assembly Liaison, Nwiboko Chukwuma C. SSA Project Monitoring, Peter Nwogbaga, SSA Primary Education, Emmanuel Nnaemeka PA Deputy Governor, Friday Nwekpa SA Security Ishielu and Nwali Amechi Friday SA Finance.

The SSAs are dominated by House of Assembly members who did not return to the Assembly that was inaugurated yesterday and House of Assembly candidates of APC who didn’t win the 2023 general elections.