Taiwo Popoola
Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru has arrested six commissioners over alleged involvement in breach of a contract for the construction of 140 housing units for Izzo and Amaze communities.
The arrested commissioners are Professor Omari Omaka (Tertiary Education), Victor Chukwu (Environment), Ifeanyi Ogbuewu (Culture and Tourism), Uchenna Igwe (Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters), Moses Ekuma (Health) and Felix Igboke (Project Monitoring).
The Chairman of Afikpo Local Government Area, Mr Timothy Nwachi, was also suspended.
It was gathered that the affected commissioners, before their arrest, were declared wanted by the state government.
The governor, who spoke to newsmen in Abakaliki through the Chairman of the State Executive Council Committee on Izzo and Amaze Housing Project, Ilang Donatus, said the government felt that the affected commissioners and contractors had breached the terms and conditions of the contract given to them by the government.
Checks reveal that affected commissioners and contractors were accused of sabotaging the plan of the governor, Francis Nwifuru, to commission the housing units to mark his second anniversary in the state.
“The governor is not happy over the pace of the work which ought to have been completed. The government has decided to clamp down on the contractors and commissioners who were mandated to supervise those projects.
“As you can see, our governor is a man with a passionate heart, he likes giving succour, hence the building of those houses for the victims of the communal crisis.
“He is not happy that the project is delayed and has ordered the arrest of all the commissioners who were supposed to ensure the speedy completion of the housing units,” Donatus said.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Mobilisation, Ebonyi Central, Mrs Maria Okohu who is member of the Executive Council Committee, said that non-completion of the projects by the contractors and the failure of some of the commissioners to strictly supervise them as directed by the government is an act of sabotage.
The governor, through the committee, insisted that the arrests will continue until all the commissioners and contractors involved are brought to book and do the needful.
It was gathered that the Nigeria Police has equally issued invitation letters to some of the fleeing commissioners and contractors who were not at home at the time the committee visited.
