Tag: Ebonyi State

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State says the 2025 Appropriation Bill of over N391 billion is ready for presentation to the State House of Assembly on Thursday, November 28.

Nwifuru said this at the Citizen’s Budget Participation/Inputs forum held on Tuesday in Abakaliki.

He said that there was a need to improve the state’s revenue generation and that his administration was committed to his “people’s chatter of need agenda”.

The governor said he would focus on economic development and sustainability in the next fiscal year.

“What we should be working towards is what to do to improve the state’s revenue generation. Budget is simply a plan for the future.

“We must continue to work hard to set up industries and improve the economy. My administration has plan to set up vocational industrial centre in the state,” Nwifuru said.

The Traditional Ruler of Amagu in Ikwo Local Government Area, Eze Dominic Alo, commended the governor for his economic development efforts.

Alo also thanked the governor for his support to the traditional rulers in the state.

The state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Prof Egwu Ogugua, appealed to the governor to ensure speedy implementation of the National Minimum Wage for the workers.

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has said that he suspended the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ekuma, for three months because he did not show capacity to manage the ministry.

Nwifuru said this on Wednesday in Abakaliki, while addressing stakeholders from different sectors during the citizens’ engagement forum for the 2025 budget proposal.

He said that the health ministry “is sick, despite having an abundance of qualified personnel.

“When one is in a position of authority, such a person should know that it comes with lots of responsibilities.

“People in authority should not be lackadaisical in their approach to work and should deliver on their mandates,” he said.

He regretted that the government had invested heavily in the health sector but there was little to show for such efforts.

“One contractor collected N3 billion to supply equipment and consumables to primary healthcare centres in the state.

“The government also spends billions of naira to bring primary healthcare centres and general hospitals in the state to standard but there are no results,” the governor said.

He also said that the government would constitute committees to inspect health facilities across the state.

“We have made several interventions, such as drug revolving funds for general hospitals and this has attained 60 per cent delivery.

“We are equipping the health facilities so that when people fall sick in the rural areas, they would receive immediate treatment before being referred to specialist hospitals,” he said.

Nwifuru said that when the health facilities are fully rehabilitated, they would be run independently by the health officials to make them viable.

“The doctors would generate funds to pay themselves and other health workers and generate revenue for the government.

“The same will apply to the state broadcasting service, which will be run as a public liability company.

“The funds the establishment generates would be used to run it and redundant staff would be redeployed to relevant ministries,” the governor said.

He warned commissioners and other public office holders to take their duties seriously, adding that more would be sanctioned for inefficiency.

“They have been given opportunities to realise that they have responsibilities.

“We have spent one year and some months in office and anyone that is joking should do so in his or her house,” he said.

Some of the stakeholders, who spoke at the forum, commended the governor for his “inclusive style of governance” and pledged their continued support to his administration.

Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi has ordered the arrest and prosecution of six state Ministry of Health members of staff for allegedly diverting materials meant for the ministry.

Nwifuru in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr Monday Uzor, on Sunday ordered the arrest of one Ndukwe Ayansi and five others over the issue.

The statement indicated that the governor while inspecting projects cited an articulated vehicle loading registers, books and other materials from the warehouse of the Ministry of Health.

“Nwifuru stopped and made inquiries but not satisfied with answers given to him.

“The governor probed further and discovered that patients’ data registers, cards and other documents were being moved into the vehicle. He also discovered that all the documents had been sold without government approval,” Uzor said.

The governor, according to him, described the action as sabotage of  government’s efforts at repositioning the health sector.

“You are selling government documents without approval on a Saturday afternoon. The state’s hospitals in the rural areas are in need of registers data entry forms and hospital cards. Unfortunately, you are selling the ones produced by the government,” he said.

Uzor further said that the suspects had been handed over to the police while investigation continued.

Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, on Friday, said he assented to 18 Executive Bills in his one year in office. Nwifuru made the disclosure in a speech at the 2024/2025 Judiciary Year celebration in Abakaliki.

He said that his administration had so far employed at least 150 judiciary staff. He also said that the judiciary would remain the last beacon of hope, fairness and justice to all citizens.

The governor expressed the need to uphold the integrity of the Bench “to do justice to all men without fear or favour, affection or ill-will”.

Nwifuru described the theme of the celebration, “Law as an Instrument for Social Engineering” as apt in shaping the society.

“I commend the organisers for echoeing the power of law, which our government wholeheartedly believes is critical to social engineering. In the context of the law, it is critical in shaping societal behavior, norms and values.

“As social engineers, legal professionals have the power to advocate for reforms that address the pressing issues of our time, setting the foundation for a society that is equitable and just for all. The judicial arm of the government remains the only and last beacon of hope, fairness and justice  to all citizens,” he said.

According to him, the legal profession has a vital role to play in promoting the cause of justice, protecting human rights and upholding professional standards.

“It is for this purpose that the Government of Ebonyi has been quite responsive, supportive and understanding on many issues that affect the judiciary.

“I want to assure you that within the limit of our resources, we shall continue to strive to improve on the welfare of our judges, magistrates and, indeed, the entire workforce of the judiciary,” the governor said.

Earlier, the state Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Elvis Ngene, thanked the governor for his support to the development of the judiciaryand pledged more commitment to qualitative justice delivery system.

Ngene said that 13,919 cases were pending in the High Court at the beginning of last legal year.

“A total of 5,343 cases were filed. The cases disposed off stands at 10,250 and the pending cases at the close of the period is 9,012.

“At the Magistrate’s Court, 4,213 cases were pending at the beginning of the period, 2,145 were filed, 2,318 were disposed off and 4,040 were pending at the end of the period under review.

“At the Customary Court of Appeal, 893 cases were pending at the beginning of the last legal year, 71 were filed within the period.

“A total of 86 cases were disposed off and 878 were pending at the end of the period,” the CJ said.