June 13, (THEWILL) – Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has sworn in Prof Grace Umezuruike, as the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Emmanuel Echiegu, as Chief of Staff and Chief Mathias Adum, as Principal Secretary.
Others inaugurated are the Deputy Chief of Staff and 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 Sam Egwu and Elechi’s administrations as governors, 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 stations, 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, during 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 Speaker of the House for eight years.
Those appointed Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) are 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 LG and Chieftaincy; Barr. 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 and House of Assembly candidates of APC, who didn’t win in the 2023 general elections.
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
