Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru suspended 25 commissioners, 14 senior special assistants, 24 special assistants, and 22 permanent secretaries on Monday, July 28, 2025, for failing to attend a key state-organized function, imposing a one-month suspension without salaries. The decision, announced via a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, took immediate effect, with affected officials barred from signing official documents and commissioners instructed to hand over duties to their respective permanent secretaries. The statement emphasized Nwifuru’s commitment to discipline, noting that the governor “remains resolute in ensuring all government appointees maintain the highest standards of conduct” in serving Ebonyi’s people.
The suspended officials include prominent figures such as Stanley Lebechi Mbam (Commissioner for Works), Prof. Leonard Uguru (Finance), Dr. Mathew Nwobashi (Lands and Survey), Victor Chukwu (Environment), and Ikeuwa Omebe (Information), alongside permanent secretaries like Dr. Lawrence Ezeogo and Dr. Isioma Arunne-Inyang, per National Accord Newspaper. Public reactions reflect mixed sentiments, with some praising Nwifuru’s strict stance as a push for accountability, while others questioned the severity, asking if the absence was deliberate or due to miscommunication. The governor had previously expressed frustration over aides’ absenteeism, prioritizing private engagements over state duties, signaling this as a broader effort to enforce dedication amid Ebonyi’s ongoing development projects, like the N1.2 billion agricultural initiative launched last month.
