Gov Elechi sacks SSG, reshuffles cabinet

Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State yesterday, sacked the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Fidelis Mbam and appointed Dr. Boniface Chima as a replacement.

The governor said he relieved Chief Mbam of the position as SSG on health ground. Dr. Chima, was until his appointment, the secretary of Ebonyi Founding Fathers Forum and a retired federal civil servant.

Elechi, who swore in the new SSG yesterday at the Executive Chambers of Government House, Abakaliki, commended Mbam for his dedication to service for almost eight years of his administration.

Speaking after he was sworn in, Chima  promised to leave up to expectation  by carrying out his duty diligently to the people of the state.

The governor also announced a minor reshuffling of his cabinet due to the resignation of some members of his cabinet to vie for various political offices in the forthcoming general elections.

Under the reshuffling, Dr. Ifeanyi Ike, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry will oversee the Ministry of Information and State Orientation, while  the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Chukwuma Nwandiugo will oversee the Department of Petroleum, Pricing and Distribution. Chief Jonah Egba, formerly of Inter-Party Dialogue will now take over the Department of Grants and Donor Agency and  oversee the Department of Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction.

Also, the Commissioner for Environment, Dave Egbu, will now head Solid Minerals Development Department while his counterpart in charge of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chief Donatus Ajah, moves over to the Ministry of Environment to be assisted by the current SA on Project Monitoring, Felix Otah.

Meanwhile, Elechi has scrapped two departments of Inter-party Dialogue and Border Peace and Conflict.