The Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr Francis Nwifuru has sworn in Prof Grace Umezuruike as the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Emmanuel Echiegu as Chief of Staff and Chief Mathias Adum as Principal Secretary.
Others inaugurated are the Deputy Chief of Staff and Deputy Principal Secretary Engr. Timothy Nwachi and Hon. Okey Oroke.
Also sworn in by the governor at the State Executive Council Chambers Government House, Ochudo Centenary City are 20 Senior Special Assistants.
Recall 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 as 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) as 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 are not returning to the 7th Assembly that will be inaugurated today and House of Assembly candidates of APC who didn’t win the 2023 general elections.
Dominica Nwabufo
